Washington legal term
Shotgun in Washington Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Washington legislative session
In Washington criminal law, “Shotgun” 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 “Shotgun” mean in Washington criminal law?
"Shotgun" means a weapon with one or more barrels, designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger. (RCW 9.41.010)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.