What Are the Magazine Capacity Limits in Washington?
Woody's answers are based on published federal and state law. Not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney for your specific situation.
Washington prohibits manufacturing, importing, distributing, selling, or offering for sale magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Possession of existing high-capacity magazines owned before the ban remains legal.
What This Means for You
The 2022 Washington magazine capacity law creates a bright line rule for builders working on new projects. You can still use magazines over 10 rounds that you owned before the effective date, but sourcing new high-capacity magazines within the state becomes problematic. This affects both rifle and pistol builds where standard capacity magazines exceed the 10-round limit.
The Detail
Washington's magazine capacity restriction specifically targets the commercial chain rather than simple possession. The law prohibits manufacturing, importing, distributing, selling, or offering for sale any magazine capable of accepting more than 10 rounds of ammunition. This means you cannot legally purchase new high-capacity magazines from dealers within Washington state after the law took effect.
The possession aspect works differently. If you owned magazines over 10 rounds before the ban became effective, you can legally continue to possess and use them. The law includes this grandfather provision, though you should verify the specific effective date and requirements with official state resources since implementation details matter for compliance.
For practical purposes, this creates a two-tier system where pre-ban magazines remain legal to own and use, but acquiring new ones through normal retail channels within the state is prohibited. The restriction applies regardless of the firearm type, so both rifle and pistol magazines fall under the same 10-round limit for new acquisitions.
Enforcement and penalties vary, and there may be exceptions for certain categories of individuals or specific circumstances. You should consult Washington's official legal resources or qualified legal counsel to understand the complete scope of restrictions, exemptions, and compliance requirements that apply to your specific situation.
Build Impact
If you are planning a build around a platform that typically uses magazines over 10 rounds, you will need to either source compliant magazines or acquire standard capacity magazines through legal means before starting the project. This particularly affects AR-15 builds, many pistol caliber carbines, and handgun builds where 15+ round magazines are standard.