FINAL BILL REPORT
SHB 1152
C 351 L 95
Synopsis as Enacted
Brief Description: Changing fees regarding concealed pistol licenses.
Sponsors: House Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Representatives Pennington, Buck, Smith, Sherstad, Beeksma, Hargrove, Campbell, Chappell, Basich, Sheldon, Backlund, L. Thomas, Thompson, Foreman, Benton, McMorris, Robertson, Goldsmith, McMahan, Chandler, Clements, Mulliken, Johnson, D. Schmidt, B. Thomas, Delvin, Koster, Hymes, Skinner, Mielke and Padden).
House Committee on Law & Justice
House Committee on Finance
Senate Committee on Law & Justice
Senate Committee on Ways & Means
Background: With limited exceptions, a person is required to obtain a license before carrying a concealed pistol. An application for a concealed pistol license requires a fingerprint and criminal background check. A license must be renewed every four years.
Prior to 1994, the fee for an original license was $23. The distribution of that fee was as follows: $4 to the state general fund, $4 to the agency taking the fingerprints, $12 to the issuing authority, and $3 to the firearms range account.
The issuing authority's $12 share had remained the same since 1983, when the share was raised from $1.50. At the same time, the total cost of an original license was raised from $5 to $20. In 1988, the total cost was raised $3 to $23, with the additional $3 earmarked for the firearms range account.
The pre-1994 fee for a renewal license was $15, with $4 distributed to the state general fund, $8 to the issuing authority, and $3 to the firearms range account. As with original licenses, the fee for a renewal license was raised $3 in 1988, with the increase allocated to the firearms range account.
Before 1994, a late fee of $10 was assessed for a license not renewed within 90 days of expiration, with $3 allocated to the state wildlife fund and $7 allocated to the issuing authority.
In 1994, all of the concealed pistol licensing fees were increased. An original license fee was increased from $23 to $50, to be distributed as follows: $15 to the state general fund, $10 to the agency taking the fingerprints, $15 to the issuing authority, and $10 to the firearms range account. A renewal license fee was increased from $15 to $50, with $20 going to the state general fund, $20 to the issuing authority and $10 to the firearms range account. The late penalty was increased to $20, with $10 going to the state wildlife fund and $10 to the issuing authority.
On October 1, 1994, the federal government began charging local issuing authorities a fee of $24 for each fingerprint check done in connection with a concealed pistol license application.
Summary: Concealed pistol licenses are issued for five years, and fees for licenses are changed as follows:
1.An original license costs $36, with the money distributed as follows: $15 to the state general fund; $4 to the local fingerprinting agency; $14 to the local issuing authority; and $3 to the firearms range account.
2.A renewal license costs $32, with the money distributed as follows: $15 to the state general fund; $14 to the issuing authority; and $3 to the firearms range account.
3.The fee for a late renewal is $10, with the money distributed as follows: $3 to the state wildlife fund; and $7 to the issuing authority.
4.A $10 fee, retained by the issuing authority, is imposed for replacing a lost license.
5.Local issuing authorities are allowed to pass on to applicants the FBI fee for fingerprint checks.
Various aspects of the process of applying for a concealed pistol license are changed. Among these changes are the elimination of judges as issuing entities for licenses, the explicit inclusion of being under Department of Corrections supervision as disqualifying a person from getting a license, and a clarification of the difference between a license application form and the license itself.
Votes on Final Passage:
House 75 22
Senate 42 6 (Senate amended)
House 88 8 (House concurred)
Effective: July 23, 1995