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.
• Center-fire rifles used to hunt big game (except cougar) in Washington must be a minimum of .24. All fully automatic firearms are illegal for hunting.