In Washington State, when a handgun is transferred, must the handgun include a state compliant limited capacity magazine?

No. In Washington, the magazine-capacity law restricts manufacture, import, distribution, sale, offer for sale, and transfer of large-capacity magazines over 10 rounds, but it does not require a transferred handgun to include a 10-round magazine.[1][5][6]

A few important nuances:

• Washington defines a “large capacity magazine” as one that accepts more than 10 rounds, with exceptions for permanently altered 10-round mags, .22 tube ammo devices, and lever-action tubular magazines.[2][5]
• The Washington Attorney General’s FAQ says RCW 9.41.370 does not prohibit transfers of firearms; the magazine ban is about magazines, not the firearm transfer itself.[5]
• A handgun can be transferred without a magazine, or with a lawful 10-round-or-less magazine if the seller chooses to include one.[1][5]
• If the handgun includes a magazine, that magazine must comply with Washington’s magazine law unless an exception applies.[1][5]

If the transfer is through a dealer, the dealer’s own policies and federal/state background-check procedures may still affect how the firearm is delivered, but the state magazine statute does not require a compliant magazine to be included with the handgun.[5][6]

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