Washington legal term
Machine gun in Washington Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Washington legislative session
In Washington criminal law, “Machine gun” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Washington criminal code.
What does “Machine gun” mean in Washington criminal law?
"Machine gun" means any firearm known as a machine gun, mechanical rifle, submachine gun, or any other mechanism or instrument not requiring that the trigger be pressed for each shot and having a reservoir clip, disc, drum, belt, or other separable mechanical device for storing, carrying, or supplying ammunition which can be loaded into the firearm, mechanism, or instrument, and fired therefrom at the rate of five or more shots per second. (RCW 9.41.010)
Statutes defining or using this term
Charges using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.