State Legality MatrixPistol BracesWashington
Statute-cited, not legal advice, last verified 2026-10-20
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 is an NFA firearm; a configuration that remains a pistol is not. Since October 9, 2026, ATF does not enforce the NFA's Form 1 approval and registration requirements for SBRs, as a matter of enforcement discretion, but an SBR still needs an approved Form 5320.20 before interstate transport, state law still applies, and ATF says enforcement could resume if the policy changes. The federal making tax has been $0 since January 1, 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Federal baseline verified 2026-10-09. 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.