State Legality MatrixPistol BracesWashington
Statute-cited, last verified 2026-08-04
Restricted
Restricted. A braced AR-pattern pistol is an assault weapon barred from sale, import, and manufacture; possession stays legal. Effective 2023-04-25.
Controlling law: RCW 9.41.010(2)(a); RCW 9.41.390
Contested entry
Washington uses a single-feature test: a semiautomatic pistol that accepts a detachable magazine and has a threaded barrel, a barrel shroud, a second hand grip, or the capacity to accept a magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip. The brace is not a listed feature, so removing it does not make an AR pistol saleable. RCW 9.41.390 reaches manufacture, import, distribution, and sale only, so a resident who already owns a braced AR pistol may keep and use it. Two traps: the definition also reaches a part or combination of parts from which an assault weapon can be assembled, and swapping the brace for a stock creates a semi-auto rifle under 30 inches, which is itself an assault weapon. Short-barreled rifles are legal under RCW 9.41.190 with federal compliance, so a Form 1 on a lawfully possessed receiver stays open where a new braced-pistol purchase does not.
Federal law
The 2023 ATF stabilizing-brace rule was vacated nationwide and is not enforced, but that does not categorically make every brace-equipped firearm a pistol. Under 26 U.S.C. § 5845, federal classification still turns on whether the specific weapon is designed and intended to be fired from the shoulder. A brace-equipped firearm that meets the short-barreled-rifle definition requires NFA approval and registration; a configuration that remains a pistol does not. Building an actual short-barreled rifle is still an NFA act: Form 1, fingerprints, CLEO notification, a NICS check, and registration all apply. The federal making tax has been $0 since January 1, 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and eForm approvals currently run days to a couple of weeks.
Scope: Pistol stabilizing braces (SB Tactical, Maxim Defense, A3 Industries and similar) and the braced pistols they mount on. Short-barreled rifles and state assault-weapon feature tests are tracked as separate classes.
Common questions
Restricted. A braced AR-pattern pistol is an assault weapon barred from sale, import, and manufacture; possession stays legal. Effective 2023-04-25. Controlling law: RCW 9.41.010(2)(a); RCW 9.41.390.
The controlling law is RCW 9.41.010(2)(a); RCW 9.41.390. A braced AR-pattern pistol is an assault weapon barred from sale, import, and manufacture; possession stays legal.
Washington's rule took effect 2023-04-25. Washington uses a single-feature test: a semiautomatic pistol that accepts a detachable magazine and has a threaded barrel, a barrel shroud, a second hand grip, or the capacity to accept a magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip. The brace is not a listed feature, so removing it does not make an AR pistol saleable. RCW 9.41.390 reaches manufacture, import, distribution, and sale only, so a resident who already owns a braced AR pistol may keep and use it. Two traps: the definition also reaches a part or combination of parts from which an assault weapon can be assembled, and swapping the brace for a stock creates a semi-auto rifle under 30 inches, which is itself an assault weapon. Short-barreled rifles are legal under RCW 9.41.190 with federal compliance, so a Form 1 on a lawfully possessed receiver stays open where a new braced-pistol purchase does not.
The 2023 ATF stabilizing-brace rule was vacated nationwide and is not enforced, but that does not categorically make every brace-equipped firearm a pistol. Under 26 U.S.C. § 5845, federal classification still turns on whether the specific weapon is designed and intended to be fired from the shoulder. A brace-equipped firearm that meets the short-barreled-rifle definition requires NFA approval and registration; a configuration that remains a pistol does not. Building an actual short-barreled rifle is still an NFA act: Form 1, fingerprints, CLEO notification, a NICS check, and registration all apply. The federal making tax has been $0 since January 1, 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and eForm approvals currently run days to a couple of weeks.