{"data":{"id":"us-wa/rcw-77.15.460","jurisdiction":"us-wa","citation":"RCW 77.15.460","heading":"Loaded rifle or shotgun in vehicle—Unlawful use or possession—Unlawful use of a loaded firearm—Penalty.","body":"(1) A person is guilty of unlawful possession of a loaded rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle, as defined in RCW 46.04.320, or upon an off-road vehicle, as defined in RCW 46.04.365, if:\n(a) The person carries, transports, conveys, possesses, or controls a rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle, or upon an off-road vehicle, except as allowed by department rule; and\n(b) The rifle or shotgun contains a shell or cartridge in the chamber, or is a muzzle-loading firearm that is loaded and capped or primed.\n(2) A person is guilty of unlawful use of a loaded firearm if:\n(a) The person negligently discharges a firearm from, across, or along the maintained portion of a public highway; or\n(b) The person discharges a firearm from within a moving motor vehicle or from upon a moving off-road vehicle.\n(3) Unlawful possession of a loaded rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle or upon an off-road vehicle, and unlawful use of a loaded firearm are misdemeanors.\n(4) This section does not apply if the person:\n(a) Is a law enforcement officer who is authorized to carry a firearm and is on duty within the officer's respective jurisdiction;\n(b) Has been granted a disability designation as provided by RCW 77.32.237 and complies with all rules of the department concerning hunting by persons with disabilities; or\n(c) Discharges the rifle or shotgun from upon a nonmoving motor vehicle, as long as the engine is turned off and the motor vehicle is not parked on or beside the maintained portion of a public road, except as authorized by the commission by rule. This subsection (4)(c) does not apply to off-road vehicles, which are unlawful to use for hunting under RCW 46.09.480, unless the person has a department permit issued under RCW 77.32.237.\n(5) For purposes of subsection (1) of this section, a rifle or shotgun shall not be considered loaded if the detachable clip or magazine is not inserted in or attached to the rifle or shotgun.","path":["Title 77","Chapter 77.15"],"source_url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=77.15.460","current_through":"July 15, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T04:14:59Z","sha256":"a09cb1fdf0b5ae93b3e5454f7352913974da04f9f5cfef78b4f2f716322fc93c","source_id":"us-wa","stale":false,"prev":"us-wa/rcw-77.15.450","next":"us-wa/rcw-77.15.470"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}