Washington State Goes Full ‘Big Brother’ With New Requirement for Gun Stores

While most gun control efforts are aimed at firearm owners, the anti-gun lobby is also targeting gun sellers… and not just with junk lawsuits blaming them for the actions of violent criminals.

Over the past few years a number of blue states have imposed costly new restrictions on FFLs; from requiring a state license to sell firearms to security mandates like video surveillance and physical barriers to supposedly make it more difficult to break in and steal guns. 

William Kirk, who runs Washington Gun Law, is highlighting a new statute that went into effect in Washington State two weeks ago, and its one that should upset every Second Amendment advocate as well as those concerned about the erosion of our privacy and the establishment of a surveillance state. 

Starting on July 1, every Washington gun store that does more than $1,000 in sales per month must have audio recording devices that capture every conversation in the business. Kirk says this is just one of several new mandates on FFLs, which also include round-the-clock video surveillance and physical security measures like bars, grates, commercial grade metal doors, or security screens at every exterior door or window. 

“They’re just trying to invade the privacy of lawful, responsible gun owners,” Kirk said. “They believe that somehow or another, gun stores are contributing to the gun violence problem, when in fact, they’re not.”

Kirk shared that, at the very least, the audio is only required to be stored for 90 days. He claimed that the original law would have put many stores out of business due to the infrastructure changes needed.

“What the listener needs to be aware of is that anytime you see a camera inside a gun store right now, on the inside of it, there is a microphone that is recording the audio that’s taking place underneath it,” Kirk said “So again, I don’t want this to have a chilling effect, which is exactly what the state of Washington wants to have on the FFL [Federal Firearms License] industry, but I want people to be mindful of the fact that they are, in fact, being recorded when they step into their favorite gun store.”

The rationale for the new law is that it will help police identify straw purchasers, and perhaps complicit employees who turn a blind eye to a straw buy. But why are gun stores being singled out here? Imagine how many crimes could be solved with a microphone on every street corner, or in every bar, restaurant, or convenience store. 

Even the Seattle Times editorial board recognized the problems with these restrictions when HB 2118 was introduced last year, declaring the bill “pushes gun control to a level of punishment for legitimate businesses.”

The bill would require gun dealers to run annual background checks on their employees, carry $1 million liability insurance, install steel doors or bars at the business, and meet onerous requirements for storage and security systems with audio and video surveillance. Gun dealers would have to digitally archive some video for two years. Dealers would also be required to file annual reports with the state that attest to their compliance.

This bill would impose costs on small firearms sellers that could force them out of business and open even wider the black market for gun sales.

The vast majority of criminals don’t get their guns through legal sales, or even thefts from FFLs. These requirements won’t improve public safety, but they will undoubtably have a chilling effect on both the First and Second Amendments in Washington.

Some FFLs have shut down instead of trying to comply with the state’s new mandates, which is just a bonus for the anti-gunners. Their end game may be the eradication of the right to keep and bear arms, but they’re perfectly happy whittling down our Second Amendment rights one law at a time. Anything that makes it more difficult, more time consuming, and more expensive to purchase and possess a firearm is a win in their books; whether those laws are aimed at gun owners or gun sellers. 

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