EDMONDS, Wash. (AP) — The city of Edmonds has lost another legal battle in its effort to enforce a statute telling residents how to store their guns.
A three-judge state appeals panel ruled unanimously that the city ordinance is “unambiguously” pre-empted by state law. It’s also pre-empted by provisions of Initiative 1639, a gun safety measure passed by voters in 2018.
Monday’s ruling affirms a 2019 decision by Snohomish County Superior Court preventing the ordinance’s enforcement.
The Edmonds law required gun owners to keep their firearms locked up and inaccessible to others, especially children. It did not apply to firearms carried by or under the control of owners.
If anyone not permitted to use the gun got access to it, the owner could be held civilly liable and fined up to $1,000.
If an unauthorized person used the firearm to commit a crime or hurt themselves or others, the gun owner could be fined up to $10,000.