Washington House Bill 1163 Permit to Purchase (P2P) and Concealed Pistol License (CPL) Training
Effective May 1, 2027, any firearm purchaser in the state of Washington must possess a “Permit to Purchase” a firearm. This is due to the passage of HB1163 in 2025. To acquire such a permit, an applicant must first take a “firearms safety training course” that has been certified by the Washington State Patrol (WSP). In addition to this “Permit to Purchase” training requirement, HB1163 also requires WSP-certified training for any CPL issued or renewed effective May 1, 2027.
It is our understanding that WSP will not be certifying any firearm safety training courses until November of 2026, and WSP-certified classes will not be available to the public until January of 2027. Consequently, any training certificates issued prior to January of 2027 will not be compliant with the training requirements contained in HB1163 as they were not previously “certified” by WSP.
The Gig Harbor Sportsman’s Club is therefore suspending any further offerings of the Basic Handgun Safety Course for the remainder of 2026. It is our goal to offer HB1163 compliant training beginning in January of 2027. Please keep an eye on our training page for any updates as they occur.
This class is for those who desire to become more familiar with basic firearm safety rules, proper pistol handling, and the laws related to handgun ownership, possession, and use. The GHSC Rifle & Pistol Safety Orientation is included, along with the mandated training topics required by law to purchase a firearm in the state of Washington. A certificate of training, satisfying the state’s current minimum standards, will be issued upon course completion. This nine-hour training course includes instruction in basic gun safety, firearm familiarization, safe handgun handling and storage, fundamentals of pistol marksmanship, basic loading and unloading skills, and clearing of malfunctions. Instruction includes three hours of classroom lecture and six hours of coached live-fire exercises. All training is conducted by and/or supervised by instructors certified by the National Rifle Association (NRA).
- Tuition: Cost is $165 for adults and $90 for minors. All registered minors must be accompanied by an enrolled parent student. Any cancellations within 7 days of your designated class start date may result in a forfeiture of the prepaid tuition fees, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- Guns & Ammunition: Fees include approximately 150-200 rounds of common caliber pistol ammunition, including .22 lr, .38 Special, .380 ACP, 9 mm luger, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. Firearm ownership is not a requirement as a wide variety of handguns will be available for students to sample. If you already own a firearm, we encourage you to bring it so you can become proficient and confident with its use.
- Sessions: This training course is conducted in four evening sessions at the end of each month, with no classes in May, June, November, or December. The Monday night classroom lectures are 6:00-9:00 pm, the live-fire trainings on Tues, Wed, and Fri nights are 6:00-8:00 pm. There are no classes on Thursdays.
- Capacity: Class sizes are limited to 14 students. Early registration is encouraged as classes fill up quickly.
The Monday night lecture is in the clubhouse, all live-fire training is on the pistol range.
- Monday: Classroom training only – NO FIREARMS OR LIVE AMMUNITION PERMITTED.
- Tuesday: Firearm selection & familiarization; proper grip, stance, and sighting basics; slow-fire exercises.
- Wednesday: Upgrade in calibers, and/or increase rate of fire or distance, all with coach’s guidance.
- Thursday: NO CLASS – NO SHOOTING
- Friday: GHSC R&P Safety Orientation, handgun cleaning demo, and Completion Certificates issued.
ALL CLASSES ARE SUBJECT TO CANCELLATION
| Winter/Spring 2026 | Summer/Fall 2026 |
|---|---|
| Jan 26, 27, 28, 30 | Jul 27, 28, 29, 31 |
| Feb 23, 24, 25, 27 | Aug 24, 25, 26, 28 |
| Mar 23, 24, 25, 27 | Sep 28, 29, 30, Oct. 2 |
| Apr 27, 28, 29, May 1 | Oct 26, 27, 28, 30 |
| May – No class | Nov – No class |
| Jun – No class | Dec – No class |
**FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL THE CLASS COORDINATOR AT: ghsc.handgunclass@gmail.com