New law requires firearms dealers in Washington to report trace requests annually

SEATTLE — Firearms dealers in Washington will need to submit annual reports to the Attorney General’s Office of all trace requests they receive from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) under a new state law.

Under the law that went into effect on July 1, firearms dealers with more than $1,000 per month in sales on average must fill out this form by March 15 for all trace requests in the preceding year. Dealers will have to submit their reports annually and certify to their licensing authority, in writing and under penalty of perjury, that they’ve complied.

Firearms tracing is an important tool for law enforcement officers investigating crimes involving firearms. Tracing can help law enforcement identify the manufacturer or importer, understand the chain of ownership, uncover firearms trafficking patterns, and point to possible suspects in a crime. Law enforcement agencies submit requests to ATF’s National Tracing Center to learn the origin or background of a gun to develop leads for investigating a crime. This new law will give the office more insight into the volume of trace requests dealers are receiving, which could potentially aid in investigations by the Attorney General’s Office.

“Protecting the public from gun violence is one of my top priorities,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “Dealers understand that selling a firearm is serious business. We should all support commonsense requirements like this new trace request reporting.”

In 2024, the Legislature passed ESHB 2118 to establish additional business requirements for licensed firearms dealers to protect the public from gun violence. The new trace request reporting requirement was part of that legislation.

The new law requires firearms dealers to report to the Attorney General’s Office:

• The total number of trace requests received annually,
• For each trace, the make and model of the gun and date of sale,
• Whether the dealer was inspected by ATF, and
• Provide copies of any reports of violations or letters received from ATF.

Firearms dealers can submit questions about the new reporting requirement by emailing trace@atg.wa.gov.

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Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

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