Washington Supreme Court: State Law Preempts City Gun Storage Ordinance

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – The Washington state Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that a city ordinance that requires that guns be locked up and kept out of unauthorized hands is preempted by state law.

The ruling affirmed a three-judge state of appeals ruling last year in the case sparked by a lawsuit filed by three residents against the city of Edmonds.

In July 2018, the city approved an ordinance requiring residents to lock up their guns or else face fines.

The court said that the state statute in question, adopted by the Legislature in 1985, specifies that the state “fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation.”