Bill would move firearms‑dealer licensing to Washington State Patrol and require inspections, training, annual checks

Senate Bill 5099 would require the Washington State Patrol (WSP) to serve as the statewide licensing authority for firearms dealers, establish application materials and training requirements for dealers and employees, mandate annual state and federal fingerprinting and background checks for employees who sell firearms, adopt a tiered licensing fee schedule based on average firearm sales volume, and authorize WSP to conduct regular and unannounced inspections with sanctions for noncompliance.

Under the bill’s text as presented in the hearing, the initial licensing fee would start at $500 with renewal tiers ranging from $125 to $1,500 depending on a dealer’s three‑year average annual sales; the bill would also require WSP to inspect 10% of licensed dealers’ premises annually and permit unannounced inspections during posted business hours. The bill contains grounds for mandatory revocation, including loss of a federal firearms license or employing someone ineligible to possess firearms; WSP may issue warnings, fines, suspensions or revocations for violations.

Sponsor Sen. John Lubbock framed the legislation as an accountability measure designed to reduce theft, straw purchases and trafficking: “Every improperly sold or stolen firearm is a tragedy waiting to happen,” he told the committee and cited a 2017–2021 figure of about 600 firearms stolen from dealers in Washington.

Proponents — including gun‑violence prevention groups, survivors and public‑health advocates — urged licensing and inspections. Survivors and advocates cited federal tracing data and academic studies linking stronger dealer oversight to reduced intrastate trafficking and argued that ATF inspections are insufficient given federal resource limits.

Opponents — including several licensed dealers, trade groups and law‑enforcement speakers — urged caution and warned of implementation burdens. Dealers said the Legislature enacted a separate, comprehensive dealer regulation package last year (House Bill 2118) with an effective date of July 1 and argued the industry is already experiencing closures and compliance costs. Some dealers said expanded inspections, structural requirements and recurring training and fingerprinting would impose disproportionate costs on small, home‑based dealers and gunsmiths.

Several witnesses and senators sought clarifications on details the bill leaves to WSP rulemaking: what constitutes an approved training, the timeline for WSP to produce required training, whether licensing and inspection fees will be sufficient to cover WSP costs, and whether local governments may set stricter insurance requirements. WSP staff said the bill permits WSP to use outside providers for training and did not include a grace period if training materials were not available within 30 days of enactment; staff also indicated there are roughly 3,200 federally licensed dealers in Washington (2021 figure referenced).

Testimony was highly mixed and highly attended: survivors and public‑health advocates pressed for inspections and mandatory training to prevent trafficking and theft; industry representatives warned of closures and legal risk. The hearing record logged 773 pro and 1,983 con sign‑ins who did not all testify. The committee concluded the public hearing on SB 5099 on Jan. 21; no final committee vote was recorded in the transcript.