Washington legal term
Semiautomatic in Washington Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Washington legislative session
In Washington criminal law, “Semiautomatic” 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 “Semiautomatic” mean in Washington criminal law?
"Semiautomatic" means any firearm which utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and which requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge. (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.