Effective December 15, 2010, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife changed their guidelines for distance learning. Students are now required to spend a minimum amount of time on each course page before proceeding to the certification exam.

Click here to go to the latest version of the Today's Hunter in Washington online course—the official hunter education course of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Go to the new Washington course

The following course material is for reference only. Please go to the new course to complete your Washington certification.

2.15 Washington Laws and Regulations for Rifles

These rules and regulations apply to all individuals who hunt with a modern firearm.

All rifles must have a minimum barrel length of 16 inches.
Individuals wishing to buy a rifle from a licensed firearms dealer must be a minimum of 18 years of age.
Minors under 18 years of age may possess a firearm if they are in attendance at a hunter safety course, are hunting or trapping under a valid license, or meet one of the other exceptions provided by law.
Rifles used to hunt big game should be sufficiently powerful for the game being hunted. For example, the .30 carbine and the .44-40 are not adequate for big game hunting.
Centerfire rifles used to hunt big game (except cougar) in Washington must be a minimum of .24.
All fully automatic firearms are illegal for hunting.

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Washington Hunting
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Official hunting safety course for Washington hunters last modified: October 29, 2010
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