Revised Code of Washington
Wash. Rev. Code § 77.15.460 (2026)
Loaded rifle or shotgun in vehicle—Unlawful use or possession—Unlawful use of a loaded firearm—Penalty
✓ current as of May 2026
Find cases:
SyfertCases citing this section
WA-LEGapp.leg.wa.gov
JustiaTitle on Justia
CornellLII Search
CasesGoogle Scholar
(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:
(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
(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.
(2) A person is guilty of unlawful use of a loaded firearm if:
(a) The person negligently discharges a firearm from, across, or along the maintained portion of a public highway; or
(b) The person discharges a firearm from within a moving motor vehicle or from upon a moving off-road vehicle.
(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.
(4) This section does not apply if the person:
(a) Is a law enforcement officer who is authorized to carry a firearm and is on duty within the officer's respective jurisdiction;
(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
(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.
(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.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 6
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2003–2024 · leading case: State v. Olney, 72 P.3d 235 (Wash. Ct. App. 2003).
State v. Olney, 72 P.3d 235 (Wash. Ct. App. 2003). “We hold RCW 77.15.460 applies to the petitioners without conflict with their treaty rights, and affirm the denial of their motions to dismiss and their convictions.”
State of Washington v. James Michael Miller, 545 P.3d 388 (Wash. Ct. App. 2024). “Miller was cited for possessing a loaded shotgun in his vehicle in violation of RCW 77.15.460(1), a misdemeanor offense. The State subsequently charged Mr.”
Schlegel v. Dep't of Licensing, 153 P.3d 244 (Wash. Ct. App. 2007). “See RCW 77.15.460 (prohibiting, in general, the possession or use of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle).”
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation v. Anderson, 761 F. Supp. 2d 1101 (E.D. Wash. 2011). “Vernon Johnson, who is an enrolled member of the Tribe, 4 and cited him for possessing a rifle in a motor vehicle with a round in the magazine in violation of state law, RCW 77.15.460(1). Based on this citation, Mr.”
State of Washington v. Glen Howard Pinkham, 409 P.3d 1103 (Wash. Ct. App. 2018). “While RCW 77.15.460 does not contain a mental element, several accompanying provisions of that chapter, enacted at the same time as§ 460 by Laws of 1998, ch.”
Confederated Tribes of Colville v. Anderson, 761 F. Supp. 2d 1101 (E.D. Wash. 2011). “Vernon Johnson, who is an enrolled member of the Tribe, [4] and cited him for possessing a rifle in a motor vehicle with a round in the magazine in violation of state law, RCW 77.15.460(1). Based on this citation, Mr.”
Wash. Rev. Code § 77.15.460(1): 5 cases
State v. Olney, 72 P.3d 235 (Wash. Ct. App. 2003). “We hold RCW 77.15.460 applies to the petitioners without conflict with their treaty rights, and affirm the denial of their motions to dismiss and their convictions.”
State of Washington v. James Michael Miller, 545 P.3d 388 (Wash. Ct. App. 2024). “Miller was cited for possessing a loaded shotgun in his vehicle in violation of RCW 77.15.460(1), a misdemeanor offense. The State subsequently charged Mr.”
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation v. Anderson, 761 F. Supp. 2d 1101 (E.D. Wash. 2011). “Vernon Johnson, who is an enrolled member of the Tribe, 4 and cited him for possessing a rifle in a motor vehicle with a round in the magazine in violation of state law, RCW 77.15.460(1). Based on this citation, Mr.”
Confederated Tribes of Colville v. Anderson, 761 F. Supp. 2d 1101 (E.D. Wash. 2011). “Vernon Johnson, who is an enrolled member of the Tribe, [4] and cited him for possessing a rifle in a motor vehicle with a round in the magazine in violation of state law, RCW 77.15.460(1). Based on this citation, Mr.”
State of Washington v. Glen Howard Pinkham, 409 P.3d 1103 (Wash. Ct. App. 2018). “While RCW 77.15.460 does not contain a mental element, several accompanying provisions of that chapter, enacted at the same time as§ 460 by Laws of 1998, ch.”
Wash. Rev. Code § 77.15.460(2): 1 case
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation v. Anderson, 761 F. Supp. 2d 1101 (E.D. Wash. 2011). “Vernon Johnson, who is an enrolled member of the Tribe, 4 and cited him for possessing a rifle in a motor vehicle with a round in the magazine in violation of state law, RCW 77.15.460(1). Based on this citation, Mr.”
Wash. Rev. Code § 77.15.460(3): 1 case
State of Washington v. Glen Howard Pinkham, 409 P.3d 1103 (Wash. Ct. App. 2018). “While RCW 77.15.460 does not contain a mental element, several accompanying provisions of that chapter, enacted at the same time as§ 460 by Laws of 1998, ch.”
Wash. Rev. Code § 77.15.460(4)(b): 2 cases
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation v. Anderson, 761 F. Supp. 2d 1101 (E.D. Wash. 2011). “Vernon Johnson, who is an enrolled member of the Tribe, 4 and cited him for possessing a rifle in a motor vehicle with a round in the magazine in violation of state law, RCW 77.15.460(1). Based on this citation, Mr.”
Confederated Tribes of Colville v. Anderson, 761 F. Supp. 2d 1101 (E.D. Wash. 2011). “Vernon Johnson, who is an enrolled member of the Tribe, [4] and cited him for possessing a rifle in a motor vehicle with a round in the magazine in violation of state law, RCW 77.15.460(1). Based on this citation, Mr.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.