Washington residents will need a permit to buy guns starting in 2027 — a change expected to affect thousands of potential buyers each year.

Why it matters: Supporters say the law will boost public safety by helping keep guns out of the wrong hands. Opponents argue it infringes on Washingtonians' constitutional gun rights.

State of play: Washington is the 13th U.S. state to approve a permit-to-purchase system for firearms, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

• Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the legislation into law in May.

What's inside: The new law will require people to get fingerprinted and complete a gun safety course with live-fire training before they can get a permit to buy a firearm.

• They will also have to submit a fee and application to the Washington State Patrol.
• Exceptions to the training requirement will be made for police officers and military members, as well as licensed private investigators and security guards who carry firearms.
• Once granted, a permit will be good for five years.

What they're saying: Studies have found that states with similar gun-licensing laws have lower rates of gun violence, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions says.

• In particular, requiring people to get their fingerprints taken as part of the permitting process can cut down on "straw purchases," in which one person buys a firearm for someone else who can't legally own one, Renée Hopkins, CEO of the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility,...

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