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                    ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 6057

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State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

By Senator Ludwig

Read first time 01/10/94.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

Strengthening restrictions on aliens carrying firearms.

    AN ACT Relating to aliens carrying firearms; amending RCW 9.41.170; and prescribing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 9.41.170 and 1979 c 158 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, it shall be unlawful for any person who is not a citizen of the United States((, or who has not declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States,)) to carry or have in his or her possession at any time any ((shotgun, rifle, or other)) firearm, without first having obtained a license from the director of licensing, and such license is not to be issued by the director of licensing except upon the certificate of the consul domiciled in the state and representing the country of such alien((, that he)).  The consul shall present a certified copy of the criminal history from the alien's country, and attest that the alien is a responsible person ((and)).  Upon the payment ((for the license)) of the sum of ((fifteen)) twenty-three dollars((:  PROVIDED, That)) by the alien, the director of licensing may issue the license.

(2) If the consul has not provided a certificate of criminal history within ninety days after request by the alien, the alien may apply for a concealed pistol license under  RCW 9.41.070 if the alien has been a resident of this state for not less than two years.

(3)  This section shall not apply to Canadian citizens resident in a province which has an enactment or public policy providing substantially similar privilege to residents of the state of Washington and who are carrying or possessing weapons for the purpose of using them in the hunting of game while such persons are in the act of hunting, or while on a hunting trip, or while such persons are competing in a bona fide trap or skeet shoot or any other organized contest where rifles, pistols, or shotguns are used ((as to weapons used in such contest)).  Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow aliens to hunt or fish in this state without first having obtained a ((regular)) nonresident hunting or fishing license.

(4) Any person violating the provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of a ((misdemeanor)) class C felony.

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