OTHELLO – Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner, along with other sheriffs in Washington, has stated that he will not enforce a new state law that will require residents to obtain a permit before purchasing a firearm. Wagner made the statement in a Facebook post on May 28.

The statement was a preemptive rebuttal to the passage of HB 1163, which will come into effect on May 1, 2027. The law will tighten requirements for purchasing a firearm in Washington. It will require fingerprinting and background checks before purchases, as well as live-fire training. A permit will be good for five years.

Wagner’s statement, worded very similarly to other statements issued across the state, said, “As the elected Sheriff of Adams County, I’ve sworn to uphold the united [sic] States Constitution, protect the rights of our citizens, and ensure the safety of our communities.” He said there are already effective gun laws in Washington. While background checks are currently required, fingerprinting and live-fire/safety training are not.

He added, “The problem is a system that fails to hold offenders accountable and allows repeat criminals to cycle through without meaningful consequences. Adding more legal requirements for the law-abiding doesn’t fix that.” Wagner further complained that the law “makes criminals out of law-abiding citizens.” The statement contained no comments regarding regulating firearm possession for mentally ill people. Likewise, none of the statements issued by sheriffs proposed any potential solutions to the problems they identified.

Republican sheriffs across the state joined together in pushing back against HB1163. Most notably, sheriffs in Spokane, Grant, and Pierce counties.

Read Sheriff Wagner’s full statement here.