(The Center Square) – Washington state is still 10 months away from implementing a new law that requires gun sellers to comply with recently adopted regulations that include installing steel bars on windows and doors and storing all inventory in fireproof safes at night.
But the costly requirements of House Bill 2118 , passed this session by the Legislature, are apparently too much for some. HB 2118 goes into effect on July 1, 2025.
According to media reports , Stan’s Merry Mart in Wenatchee, located in the north-central part of the state in Chelan County, is getting out of the firearms business .
That doesn’t surprise Dave Workman, editor in chief at TheGunMag , the official magazine of the Second Amendment Foundation .
“It looks like it was designed to drive gun dealers out of business, especially the smaller dealers by requiring all kinds of additional security and costly adjustments to their business model,” Workman told The Center Square Monday.
The new requirements include the installation of steel doors or bars on the storefront, locking up all firearms in a safe after hours, and security systems with 24-hour audio and video surveillance, along with retaining those recordings for 90 days at a time.