The Washington large capacity magazine ban prohibits manufacturing, selling, distributing, or importing any ammunition feeding device that holds more than 10 rounds, and it is currently enforceable statewide. A Cowlitz County Superior Court judge struck the law down in April 2024, but the Washington State Supreme Court froze that ruling the same day through an emergency stay, leaving the ban in force while the justices review it.1Washington State Attorney General. Commissioner’s Ruling – 4-8-2024
What the Law Prohibits
A large capacity magazine, under state law, is any ammunition feeding device that can hold more than 10 rounds. The definition reaches parts and conversion kits capable of assembling one. Two categories sit outside the definition: .22 caliber tube feeding devices, and tubular magazines on lever-action firearms.2Washington State Legislature. ESSB 5078
Unless a statutory exception applies, such as for the armed forces or law enforcement, the following activities involving magazines over the 10-round limit are prohibited:3Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.370
- Manufacturing large capacity magazines.
- Distributing them within the state.
- Selling or offering them for sale.
- Importing them into the state.
Importing covers moving, transporting, or receiving a magazine from outside Washington to a location inside it. A narrow exception applies to residents who leave the state and return with the same large capacity magazine they already owned before leaving.2Washington State Legislature. ESSB 5078
Possession Versus Commerce
The statute targets the commercial supply chain, not ownership itself. It does not explicitly ban people from keeping magazines they already have. What it stops is the making, importing, selling, and distributing of new ones. Distribution is defined broadly enough to include giving or delivering a magazine to another person in Washington, whether for money or as a gift, which generally prevents private transfers between residents. Some exceptions let dealers transfer items to residents of other states.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.3702Washington State Legislature. ESSB 5078
Online Sales and Consumer Protection Penalties
Selling, distributing, or helping someone buy a large capacity magazine online is treated as an unfair or deceptive act under Washington’s Consumer Protection Act.4Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.375 Civil penalties for violations reach up to $7,500 per violation.5Washington State Legislature. RCW 19.86.140 That exposure runs alongside the underlying prohibition on the sale itself.
The Cowlitz County Ruling and the Supreme Court Stay
In April 2024, the Cowlitz County Superior Court invalidated enforcement of the ban. The court found that the state had not shown a historical basis for restricting magazines above 10 rounds and, on that ground, declared the law unconstitutional. The ruling briefly opened a window in which the restrictions were unenforceable at the local level.1Washington State Attorney General. Commissioner’s Ruling – 4-8-2024
State attorneys filed an emergency motion the same day. A Washington State Supreme Court Commissioner granted the stay, freezing the lower court’s order and keeping the ban enforceable while the higher court considers the case. The stay is temporary. It preserves the status quo and is not itself a decision on whether the law is constitutional. Until the justices rule, the 10-round limit and every activity restriction under it continue to apply across the state.1Washington State Attorney General. Commissioner’s Ruling – 4-8-2024