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State Legality MatrixForced Reset TriggersWashington

Are Forced Reset Triggers Legal in Washington?

Statute-cited, last verified 2026-07-28

Status
Legal
Verified
2026-07-28

Legal

Yes. Not banned; Washington's machine-gun definition covers only mechanisms not requiring the trigger be pressed for each shot, which excludes one-pull-per-round FRTs.

Contested entry

Litigation Status and Details

RCW 9.41.010 defines machine gun as a mechanism not requiring that the trigger be pressed for each shot; an FRT still requires a trigger function per round, so it falls outside RCW 9.41.190. Binary triggers ARE effectively banned in WA (separate class).

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The statute in practice

Washington Law in Detail

Washington defines a machine gun as a firearm or other mechanism or instrument not requiring that the trigger be pressed for each shot. A one-shot-per-trigger-function FRT does not satisfy that definition, which is why Washington sits in the legal column despite banning binary triggers through the same chapter.

Washington separately prohibits bump-fire stocks, defined as a butt stock that uses recoil energy to generate reciprocating action and repeated trigger activation. That definition does not describe an internal forced reset trigger, although Rare Breed declines Washington orders as a matter of company policy.

Timeline

Legislative and Court History

  • 2018-03-06Governor Jay Inslee signed ESB 5992 as Chapter 7, Laws of 2018, creating Washington's bump-fire-stock definition and prohibition.
  • 2018-06-07ESB 5992's bump-fire-stock provisions took effect.

What it means for you

Practical Notes

RCW 9.41.190 prohibits manufacturing, owning, buying, selling, loaning, furnishing, transporting, or possessing machine guns and bump-fire stocks. The FRT conclusion rests on an FRT falling outside both definitions. Rare Breed Triggers nevertheless lists Washington as a no-ship jurisdiction.

Sources

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Federal law

Federal baseline

Under the 2025 DOJ settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, an FRT fires one round per trigger function and is not an NFA machine gun federally. The settlement covers rifles and grip-forward pistols; it does not extend to grip-fed handguns (Glock, S&W M&P, Canik), whose federal FRT status remains less settled. State bans operate independently of federal law through broader state machine-gun, trigger-activator, or rate-of-fire definitions.

Federal baseline verified 2026-07-28. Scope: Forced reset triggers (Rare Breed FRT-15, Dairyland Defender, and similar) and forced-reset selectors (AR Super Safety, ARC-Fire). One round per trigger function. Binary triggers are a separate class.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Are forced reset triggers legal in Washington?

Yes. Not banned; Washington's machine-gun definition covers only mechanisms not requiring the trigger be pressed for each shot, which excludes one-pull-per-round FRTs.

Are forced reset triggers legal under federal law?

Under the 2025 DOJ settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, an FRT fires one round per trigger function and is not an NFA machine gun federally. The settlement covers rifles and grip-forward pistols; it does not extend to grip-fed handguns (Glock, S&W M&P, Canik), whose federal FRT status remains less settled. State bans operate independently of federal law through broader state machine-gun, trigger-activator, or rate-of-fire definitions.

Is an FRT a Washington bump-fire stock?

The statutory bump-fire-stock definition requires a butt stock that uses recoil energy to generate reciprocating action. An internal trigger that mechanically forces reset does not match that description.

Does a manufacturer's no-ship policy change Washington law?

No. A manufacturer's policy can be more restrictive than the statute and may reflect compliance caution or litigation risk rather than a binding legal classification.

What to buy

Forced Reset Triggers and Super Safeties Worth Buying

If your state is green on the map, these are the picks. The first three are complete forced reset triggers: the Rare Breed FRT-15 line is the settlement-covered original, and the Triggered Company's Disruptor and LAT run the same one-pull-per-round mechanism. The last three are forced reset selectors, the super safeties. The AS Designs Arc-Fire, Atrius FRS, and Mars 3-position selector replace the safety instead of the fire control group, so a mil-spec or super-safety-cut trigger stays in the rifle. Both device types sit in the same legal class on this matrix, so the same 35 states apply.

Rare Breed Triggers FRT-15L3
Triggers & Fire Control • $450

Rare Breed Triggers FRT-15L3

  • 4-4.5 lb semi / 5.5-6 lb FRT pull
  • Forced reset
$450.00 Catalog
Buy Direct from Rare Breed
The Triggered Company Partisan Disruptor FRT
Triggers & Fire Control • $275

The Triggered Company Partisan Disruptor FRT

  • 3.75-4.1lb pull
  • Forced reset
$275.00
View at OpticsPlanet
The Triggered Company LAT FRT
Triggers & Fire Control • $324.99

The Triggered Company LAT FRT

  • 3-3.5 lb pull
  • Forced reset (ARSE)
$324.99
View at OpticsPlanet
AS Designs Arc-Fire V2 Ambi Kit (0-90-180)
Safety Selectors • $249.99

AS Designs Arc-Fire V2 Ambi Kit (0-90-180)

  • 0/90/180 throw
  • Ambidextrous
$249.99
View at OpticsPlanet
Atrius Development Forced Reset Selector
Safety Selectors • $169.99

Atrius Development Forced Reset Selector

  • 90-degree throw
  • Right-hand only
$199.00
View at OpticsPlanet
Mars Trigger Position AR FRT Super Safety
Safety Selectors • $139.99

Mars Trigger Position AR FRT Super Safety

  • 3-position selector
  • 4140 Alloy Steel
$139.99
View at OpticsPlanet

Affiliate links (?)

Full picks and fitment notes: FRT Buyer's Guide 2026
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Related coverage

Full 50-State Map

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Forced Reset Triggers Laws by State

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