Tasers and stun guns are legal to own in Washington, and no permit, license, or background check is required to buy one. Washington treats these devices as dangerous weapons, though, so where you carry one and how you use it are governed by the same weapons rules that cover knives, clubs, and similar items. Get that part wrong and the penalties run from a gross misdemeanor up to a felony assault charge.
Who Can Own One in Washington
The state’s restrictions on ownership are narrower than most people expect.
Washington’s felon-in-possession statute, RCW 9.41.040, prohibits people with felony convictions from possessing firearms. It does not extend to stun guns or other non-firearm weapons.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.040 Unlawful Possession of Firearms Someone with a felony record who cannot legally touch a handgun is not automatically barred from owning a taser under that statute.
There is also no Washington statute setting a minimum age to buy or possess a stun gun. The age rules in Chapter 9.41 target firearms. Most retailers apply their own 18-and-over policies, so a minor will usually have trouble buying one, but that reflects store policy rather than a state age law aimed at stun guns.
None of that means anyone can carry and use a taser without risk. The rules on how you carry and use it apply to everyone, regardless of age or record.
Where You Cannot Carry a Taser
The one place Washington law names stun guns explicitly is school property. RCW 9.41.280 makes it illegal to knowingly bring a stun gun onto public or private elementary or secondary school grounds, onto school-provided transportation, or into any facility being used exclusively for school activities, including school board meetings.2Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 9.41.280 – Possessing Dangerous Weapons on School Facilities A first offense is a misdemeanor. Any repeat is a gross misdemeanor.
Federal law adds a second layer. Under 18 U.S.C. ยง 930, bringing a dangerous weapon into a federal facility is a federal crime carrying up to one year in prison, and a stun gun fits the statute’s definition because it is readily capable of causing serious injury. Federal courthouses carry a two-year maximum. If prosecutors prove you brought the weapon meaning to use it during a crime, the ceiling rises to five years.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
Beyond those, expect trouble at airport security checkpoints, state courthouses, jails, and government buildings that screen for weapons. Their security policies commonly prohibit stun guns even where no Washington statute singles the devices out. The working rule: if a building has a metal detector or a posted weapons ban, leave the device at home or locked in your vehicle.
Then there is the general carrying rule. RCW 9.41.270 makes it illegal to carry any weapon capable of producing bodily harm in a way that shows an intent to intimidate someone or reasonably alarms others for their safety.4Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.270 Weapons Apparently Capable of Producing Bodily Harm Having a taser on you is fine. Waving it around, brandishing it, or displaying it to scare someone is not.
Using a Taser in Self-Defense
Washington’s self-defense law, RCW 9A.16.020, allows you to use force when you reasonably believe someone is about to use unlawful force against you, and only to the degree necessary to stop the threat.5Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 9A.16.020 – Use of Force, When Lawful Two things have to be true at once: the threat is happening now, and your response does not exceed what the situation actually calls for.
Deploying a taser against someone who is physically attacking you is defensible. Deploying one against someone who insulted you earlier, or who is walking away, is not. And if you started the confrontation, pulling a taser can flip you from defender to aggressor and cost you the self-defense claim entirely.
Penalties If You Break the Rules
The charge depends on what you did and how much harm resulted.
Carrying Violations
Carrying a stun gun in a way that intimidates others or causes reasonable alarm is a gross misdemeanor under RCW 9.41.270, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.4Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.270 Weapons Apparently Capable of Producing Bodily Harm6Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 9A.20.021 – Maximum Sentences for Crimes Committed July 1, 1984 A conviction also strips you of any concealed pistol license you hold.
Bringing one onto school property is a misdemeanor for a first offense (up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine) and a gross misdemeanor for any later offense (up to 364 days and a $5,000 fine).2Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 9.41.280 – Possessing Dangerous Weapons on School Facilities6Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 9A.20.021 – Maximum Sentences for Crimes Committed July 1, 1984
Assault Charges
Using a taser to injure someone moves the case into felony territory. Causing bodily harm through criminal negligence with a weapon is assault in the third degree, a Class C felony carrying up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.7Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 9A.36.031 – Assault in the Third Degree6Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 9A.20.021 – Maximum Sentences for Crimes Committed July 1, 1984
Intentionally assaulting someone with a deadly weapon can raise the charge to assault in the second degree, a Class B felony with a maximum of ten years in prison and a $20,000 fine.8Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 9A.36.021 – Assault in the Second Degree6Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 9A.20.021 – Maximum Sentences for Crimes Committed July 1, 1984 Whether a taser counts as a “deadly weapon” turns on the circumstances, but prosecutors have made that argument and won.
Flying With a Taser
Stun guns cannot go in carry-on luggage. TSA prohibits them and other shocking devices in the cabin. You can pack one in checked luggage, but it has to be stored so it cannot accidentally discharge in transit.9Transportation Security Administration. Stun Guns/Shocking Devices If yours has a lithium battery, FAA battery rules also apply. And check your destination: some states, including Hawaii and Rhode Island, have stricter laws than Washington, and a device that is legal to fly out with may not be legal to carry once you land.
Local Ordinances Can Add Rules
Washington’s state preemption statute, RCW 9.41.290, blocks cities and counties from passing their own firearms rules. Stun guns are not firearms, and the preemption language does not cover them.10Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.290 State Preemption A Washington city or county can, in theory, impose its own stun gun restrictions on top of state law. Before you buy or carry one, check your local municipal code so you are not caught by an ordinance that goes further than the RCW.