My brother is talking about moving to Washington when he gets out of the military in a year, and I'm probably going to move with him. We are currently in southern CA, but I hate CA more and more each day. So I have a few questions, just to get to know the area.

What's the weather like? What are the smog laws for cars? What are the gun laws (as in owning assault weapons, carrying concealed weapons, etc.), and what's a good spot to move to? I was thinking near Seattle, or a smaller town outside it. Any and all feedback is welcome. Thanks!

 

King county (seattle area) has strict Emission laws, but out side of the county you may find some areas that dont have emissions at all, Like most of Thurston county (Olympia area).

The weather mostly wet & cold & snowy to the point you dont want to live here.

 

This Wiki Article has some great data:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle,_Washington

Feel free to email me any specific questions about the area...I've lived here all my life. I've also done a brief stint in Southern California - Long Beach - for about 6 months. I moved back up here for probably the same reasons you are looking to move.

If you've never been up here, you should take a trip. Do some exploring. Now is definitely the best time of year -- Northwest summers are the absolute BEST. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

 

rain depends on where you move, yakima gets close to nothing in rain.

 

Wow, I didn't even think to check Wikipedia, thanks man. Thanks for all the replies. I would love to travel up there, but it's just not in the budget right now. I've always wanted to move out of CA. I met a few guys in the military that had good things to say about Washington, and I've been thinking about it ever since.

 

You would love it up here. It's a much slower pace from I being at San Diego Ca. Plus I'm smog free as well and tax free being that i also in the military. plus cost of living is cheaper from Ca.

 

As long as you do not mind getting raped for taxes and having us pick on you for moving here it is all good

yes I was born and raised here now on the rainy side. I have lived in Texas, Alabama, Goergia and south Carolina along the way

 

Hunting requires you be in season and have taken a Hunter's Safety course (they're about 12 hours long and usually free). Most game require tags ($20+), but some like Black Bear simply need to be in season. Any shotgun used MUST have a shell loading max of 5, if you have extended capacity you need a plug, just not loading it full isn't acceptable. No rifles/shotguns can be loaded during transport.

There are specific seasons for rifle, handgun, muzzle-loader, archery, and dog-assisted hunting... make sure you're in season for both the prey and your weapon of choice. WA now has a MANDATORY reporting within 10 days of an animal harvest... even if the game didn't require a tag paid for in advance (it used to be voluntary, but only ~40% reported so they changed it this year). Sadly, this creates the "call of shame"... if you buy a tag and fail to harvest any game, you still need to call in a report.

WA is "technically" an open-carry via the state constitution, but the loose nature of of the definition essentially requires that no one complain that you brandished a weapon... so anytime you actually NEED self-protection its likely you're be labeled the aggressor. Especially since you never see anyone other than law enforcement and armed security open carry. Don't worry though...

WA is a "shall issue" state for Concelled Carry Weapons (CCW) liscencing. If you pay the fee, pass the FBI background check (the same one you probably went through to buy a handgun from a store) and have not been incarcerated or committed to a state-run mental institution they MUST by law issue the permit. You can apply at your local WA Sheriff's Office. Once you have a CCW you are permitted to carry a loaded handgun inside a vehicle as long as it's on your person or within reach.

Mayor Greg St.Nick has proposed banning handguns in Seattle completely, but WA State constitution eliminates any city or county from imposing more stringent gun restrictions than set out by the state, so he did all he could and banned them from City of Seattle Owned buildings (which I believe would have include our $5 million toilets until they were sold this summer ). Haven't heard of anyone else trying the same in other WA towns though.

CCW Limits: Federal buildings, airports, schools, liquor stores, inside court rooms, and any bar or restaurant which requires a minimum age of 21 per the WA Liquor board are off limits for CCW. Obviously you can be asked to leave, and issued a trespass notice if you CCW in a business establishment that displays a sign saying firearms are not allowed on the premises, which includes many movie theaters and a few restaurants... case by case basis.

Private handgun sales are not tracked by the state or require background check/waiting periods that store purchases do, but I believe that may be a federal issue, not WA specific... can't recall.

The so called "assault weapons" are a federal definition... they're just long-arms in WA I believe. Regardless, as with any firearm in the US it can't have a full-auto mode unless you have a Class 3 license... good luck getting one.

WA DOL: http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/firearms/
WA Fish&Game: http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/
WA Fish&Game Big Game: http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm

Oh yeah... IANAL