Washington Sheriff Says He Won’t Enforce State’s Gun Licensing Law

Washington state has decided that the right to keep and bear arms should require a lot of things, including a special license in order to buy a firearm. This is incredibly troubling from a gun rights perspective for what I’d imagine are pretty obvious reasons.

But that’s the direction Washington has gone for quite some time now.

However, at least one sheriff in the state says he’s not going to enforce the new law.

“As the elected sheriff of Pierce County, I am committed to addressing serious criminal activity to ensure the safety of our community and uphold the constitutional rights of all citizens,” [Sheriff Keith] Swank stated. “Recent state firearm regulations affecting licensed firearms dealers and introducing additional permit requirements for firearm purchases—beyond the state’s existing enhanced background checks—raise concerns regarding their alignment with constitutional rights.”

…

Swank voiced concern over the constitutionality of the law, comparing it to other controversial state policies.

“Many of these new laws are on uncertain legal footing and venture into uncharted territory, much like the state’s new ‘sanctuary’ policies,” he said.

He added, “To be clear: the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office will not engage in enforcing politically motivated mandates. Instead, we will continue to prioritize enforcement efforts on criminal activities that pose significant threats to public safety. The PCSO is dedicated to serving our community with integrity, ensuring that our actions reflect both the letter and spirit of our laws and Constitution.”

Now, I’m going to start off by noting that just because Swank won’t enforce the law himself, that doesn’t mean the law is nullified in Pierce County. The state will still likely enforce the law and will be more than happy to arrest anyone who breaks it. it just means Swank’s deputies won’t be part of it and, maybe, those arrested won’t be held in the Pierce County Jail.

Interestingly, though, Pierce County is the second-most populated county in the state. It’s Tacoma and much of the area surrounding the city. For Swank to make a statement like this, he has to believe the people of the county will back him.

Then again, this is a county that President Donald Trump won by more than 77 points in 2024. They don’t seem to share the politics of their neighbors up in Seattle.

I respect the stand Swank is making, even if I’m pretty sure it won’t matter in the long run. His department would do better going after real criminals instead of trampling on people’s rights, and that’s what he’s doing. As I noted, though, the state can and likely will continue enforcing the law until the courts tell them to stop.

I would suggest you not decide to go out of your way to find out, though, unless you’re hoping to use an arrest to establish standing to challenge the law. Even then, I’m pretty sure there are better ways to have standing for such a thing.

Washington’s law is stupid. I respect Swank for basically saying so. I will not respect you if you’re a moron and decide to test things for yourself, though.