Looking at moving to the Seattle area

grylnsmn · Nov 17, 2015

Due to changing family situations (i.e. child #4 due in April and we need a bigger house), my wife and I have decided to abandon the DC area and head to the "other" Washington. I have family in the Spokane area, but the jobs for me (as a Linux admin) are primarily in the Seattle area.

I've secured an in-person interview with a certain major online retailer named for a South American river for next month (dates are still being worked out), and so it's starting to look more and more like we will be moving in the next few months.

Any good advice for someone coming from Virginia to hopefully settle long-term in the Northwest? Our oldest should be starting school next year, and we're thinking long term, so that our kids don't have as many schools as I did growing up.

I currently hold both a VA resident CHP (not recognized in WA), and a UT non-resident CCP (recognized in WA), although I generally prefer to OC over CC. I know that WA requires a permit to carry in a car, and I've read that I might need to wait up to 90 days after establishing residency to apply for a WA permit (I've read differing accounts based on where you apply for the permit). Anything else that I should be aware of? Any suggestions of good places to look for a home and/or what communities to avoid? (I know WA has preemption, but I also know that Seattle is trying to circumvent it with their ammo tax.)

slapmonkay · Nov 17, 2015

First, Congratulations on your perspective move. WA is a nice area.

Second, a couple corrections/clarifications. Then at the end my recommendations regarding location.

grylnsmn said:
I know that WA requires a permit to carry in a car

Incorrect, WA requires a permit to carry in a car only if the firearm is loaded. Loaded is defined as one in the chamber or magazine which is inserted into gun. If you want to loaded carry in your vehicle, you are correct you will need a recognized permit. However, you can Israeli carry until your WA permit comes in once your a WA resident.

RCW 9.41.050 said:
(2)(a) A person shall not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle unless the person has a license to carry a concealed pistol and: (i) The pistol is on the licensee's person, (ii) the licensee is within the vehicle at all times that the pistol is there, or (iii) the licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle.

RCW 9.41.010 said:
(14) "Loaded" means:
(a) There is a cartridge in the chamber of the firearm;
(b) Cartridges are in a clip that is locked in place in the firearm;
(c) There is a cartridge in the cylinder of the firearm, if the firearm is a revolver;
(d) There is a cartridge in the tube or magazine that is inserted in the action; or
(e) There is a ball in the barrel and the firearm is capped or primed if the firearm is a muzzle loader.

grylnsmn said:
a UT non-resident CCP (recognized in WA)

If you are a resident of WA, you will need a WA CPL. Reciprocity only works if your not a WA resident (RCW 9.41.073).

RCW 9.41.073 said:
(b) This section applies to a license holder from another state only while the license holder is not a resident of this state.

grylnsmn said:
I've read that I might need to wait up to 90 days after establishing residency to apply for a WA permit (I've read differing accounts based on where you apply for the permit).

There is no RCW stating that you have to wait 90 days to establish residency. Anywhere doing such would be violating the law, the most they can do it treat it like an out of state application which is 60 days max.

a) You may apply for a WA CPL when your here for your interview, It will be mailed to your VA residence.
b) If you don't apply when your here for interview, you may apply at any time once you move here. It will help to already have your WA Drivers License but its not a requirement, you may do so as soon as you move or visit next.

RCW 9.41.070 said:
The chief of police of a municipality or the sheriff of a county shall within thirty days after the filing of an application of any person, issue a license to such person to carry a pistol concealed on his or her person within this state for five years from date of issue, for the purposes of protection or while engaged in business, sport, or while traveling. However, if the applicant does not have a valid permanent Washington driver's license or Washington state identification card or has not been a resident of the state for the previous consecutive ninety days, the issuing authority shall have up to sixty days after the filing of the application to issue a license.

As for location, you will find several answers based on the person but I prefer the East side of Lake Washington (Woodinville, Kirkland, Redmond, etc), however these areas are also going to be fairly expensive. Areas to stay out of would be Seattle Proper (expensive, liberal and crime), Tacoma (crime), Everett (crime), Renton Proper (crime). All areas have high and low crime areas including my preferred locations but you just have to investigate the areas, you can normally tell the worse off areas just by driving through.

Good luck with your interview and your move if you do get the offer.

grylnsmn · Nov 17, 2015

slapmonkay said:
Incorrect, WA requires a permit to carry in a car only if the firearm is loaded. Loaded is defined as one in the chamber or magazine which is inserted into gun. If you want to loaded carry, you are correct you will need a recognized permit.

My apologies for being imprecise. I personally don't consider it "carrying" unless it's actually usable (i.e. loaded). Otherwise, you really only have an expensive fashion accessory.

slapmonkay said:
If you are a resident of WA, you will need a WA CPL. Reciprocity only works if your not a WA resident (RCW 9.41.073).

That's a bit frustrating. In other words, it's OC only (and unloaded in the car) for the 1-2 months it would take for me to get my WA permit.

slapmonkay said:
You may apply for a WA CPL when your here for your interview, It will be mailed to your VA residence.
If you don't apply from out of state, you may apply at any time once you move here. It will help to already have your WA Drivers License but its not a requirement.

I'm probably not going to have the time during my interview trip. I got to interview there in 2013, and it's really an all-day affair, with almost no chance I'd be able to get the time to go apply in person.

I may just have to place my firearms in storage at my parents' home in Spokane until we've completed the move, in which case it won't be that big of an issue.

slapmonkay said:
Good luck with your interview and your move if you do get the offer.

Thanks. We will be moving that direction, one way or another. The only question is when, and who can we get to pay for it. (If anyone knows of someone looking for an experienced Linux admin with over a decade of experience and a strong cybersecurity background, I'd be happy to hear about it.)

Ajetpilot · Nov 17, 2015

Welcome home!

Many of the tech and management people at Microsoft live in Snoqualmie Ridge. There is a range of prices that will suit most people's needs. I can give you the name and contact information for, arguably, the best real estate broker in the Ridge. If you would like the info, just PM me. She carries concealed only, but she is always armed. :lol:

Alpine · Nov 17, 2015

grylnsmn said:
Due to changing family situations (i.e. child #4 due in April and we need a bigger house), my wife and I have decided to abandon the DC area and head to the "other" Washington. I have family in the Spokane area, but the jobs for me (as a Linux admin) are primarily in the Seattle area.

I've secured an in-person interview with a certain major online retailer named for a South American river for next month (dates are still being worked out), and so it's starting to look more and more like we will be moving in the next few months.

Any good advice for someone coming from Virginia to hopefully settle long-term in the Northwest? Our oldest should be starting school next year, and we're thinking long term, so that our kids don't have as many schools as I did growing up.

I currently hold both a VA resident CHP (not recognized in WA), and a UT non-resident CCP (recognized in WA), although I generally prefer to OC over CC. I know that WA requires a permit to carry in a car, and I've read that I might need to wait up to 90 days after establishing residency to apply for a WA permit (I've read differing accounts based on where you apply for the permit). Anything else that I should be aware of? Any suggestions of good places to look for a home and/or what communities to avoid? (I know WA has preemption, but I also know that Seattle is trying to circumvent it with their ammo tax.)

I recommend Mercer Island or Bellevue for real estate value security. If you can get onto the Island I highly recommend it, it has the best school district in the entire state and the city PD has never hassled me for OCing and they did my CPL in a day. Also great commuting to either Seattle or the east side being right in the middle with special Islander-only access to the I-90 express lanes. Takes me 12 minutes to get to the mothership in Redmond.

Lot of techie upper brass and mid-rangers live here.

The best nearby range I've found is SVRC, low fees, no dumb rules and good, friendly, down-to-earth members.

Mainsail · Nov 17, 2015

Bainbridge Island is also an option if you can afford it (and if you're coming from DC I'm thinking you can). Hopefully they have some telework options for which you can take advantage.

You'd be taking the ferry to the Seattle side. If you're going to Bellevue it's about 15 minutes from the Seattle terminal to Bellevue. Your overall commute may be longer (time-wise) but far less stressful (except for maybe Mercer Island) because you'll be sitting in your car on the ferry- not stop-&-go driving in the mess.

On days you're not commuting you'll find Kitsap County to be FAR less crowded and hectic. A traffic jam out here is when your drive takes a minute or two longer than you expected. I will never move back to that side.

rightwinglibertarian · Nov 18, 2015

grylnsmn said:
I may just have to place my firearms in storage at my parents' home in Spokane until we've completed the move, in which case it won't be that big of an issue.

You may open carry without a permit in Washington state. However the car will be a bit of a pain as you will have to disarm at that point. Seattle itself is extortionate housing wise. You'd struggle to even find a 1 bed apartment for under 600 and probably 800 of any decent quality. I dread to think the rental rates for your housing needs. Personally I aim to leave the city and state as soon as I possibly can. The city is reported in some sources to be the third most liberal city in the country and I can believe it. I've not seen a single Open Carrier and I've personally met two Bernie Sanders fans and seen 3-4 bumper stickers. By contrast I've not even seen a single bumper sticker for any Republican whatsoever. And there is still at least one sign in a park with an old no guns sign that is long obsolete. I should chase that up but with basically nobody willing to come to downtown Seattle there is nobody to stage a protest if need be.

THE George · Nov 18, 2015

grylnsmn said:
I may just have to place my firearms in storage at my parents' home in Spokane until we've completed the move, in which case it won't be that big of an issue.

This might be a bigger issue than you think. I suggest you consider reading the 3 RCW's linked herein.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.010
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.113
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.115

Grim_Night · Nov 18, 2015

THE George said:
This might be a bigger issue than you think. I suggest you consider reading the 3 RCW's linked herein.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.010
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.113
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.115

RCW 9.41.113
(4) This section does not apply to:
(a) A transfer between immediate family members, which for this subsection shall be limited to spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, first cousins, aunts, and uncles, that is a bona fide gift;

Seems that it does not pose a problem should the OP actually "transfer" his firearms into his parent's possession.

THE George · Nov 18, 2015

@ Grim:
Seems that OP is transferring his firearms for temp. storage.
RCW 9.41.113 states the transfer is as a "bona fide gift"

Grim_Night · Nov 18, 2015

THE George said:
@ Grim:
Seems that OP is transferring his firearms for temp. storage.
RCW 9.41.113 states the transfer is as a "bona fide gift"

I am not condoning any illegal activity here. What I am however saying is that whatever the OP does behind closed doors out of sight of "the government" is none of my business or the business of anyone else for that matter.

Additionally, hypothetically speaking... Say the OP wishes to store a safe with his parents for a period of 1 month or however long the OP so chooses. Now let us say that the OP is the only one with the ability to open said safe. The OP could simply state to his parents that he wishes for them to hold onto something of value for safe keeping, without divulging the contents of said safe. Simply put, plausible deniability.

"Hey mom, dad? I have something out in the car I want you to hold onto till I come back to collect it again." "What is it son?" "That's my business. You don't need to know. Just know that I am the the container I wish for you to keep for me, can only be opened by me."

Again, hypothetically speaking of course.

Edit: Alternatively, the OP could easily rent a storage unit somewhere, move the above mentioned safe into said storage unit, lock said storage unit and be on his merry way. Then return at a later date to reclaim his stored property. This in essence is the same thing. Would the OP be transferring firearms into the possession of another party? I'm fairly sure that the law would not consider it a transfer if the firearms were in a sealed and locked container which only the OP had access to, just like the law does not consider any belongings to be in the possession of a business that operates a storage facility in which a client is the only one to have access to said storage unit. It's no different then renting a house or apartment and moving your belongings into said house/apartment. While the property belongs to another, inside the walls, it's yours for as long as you pay rent.

Edit 2: If you have a safe deposit box at a local bank, are your valuables stored in said box "transferred" into the possession of the bank? I think not.

Edit 3: More thoughts... Given the above, what evidence would "the government" have to be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the OP did illegally transfer firearms on a temporary basis to his parents? The only evidence that they would have is that the OP "stored" a locked container at the home of his parents. Without a warrant, "the government" would have no legal recourse to even prove the contents of the locked container. And good luck getting a warrant for seizing and then searching the locked container. It would be difficult (at least, it should be difficult) to lawfully obtaining a warrant without probable cause that an illegal activity is taking place.

Edit 4: I suggest that if moving to Washington state, stay out of the major metropolitan areas such as Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, etc. Also, try to steer clear of King county. Kitsap county is not so bad and most of eastern Washington is decent if you can handle the weather.

grylnsmn · Nov 18, 2015

I appreciate all of the tips.

THE George said:
This might be a bigger issue than you think. I suggest you consider reading the 3 RCW's linked herein.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.010
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.113
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.115

I fully intend to comply with the letter of the law.

My main plan is to use my parents' house as my initial "permanent address" in WA until I can find a house for us to move into in the Seattle area (and likely returning to Spokane on weekends, when I can). Until then, my wife will stay on the East Coast with the kids at her parents in Maryland. If I've effectively moved in, and don't have my parents help carry them in from the car, then no transfer should occur under any of the definitions in those RCWs, any more than if I were a college student leaving my guns at home when I went to school.

Of course, all of this is "pie in the sky" until I pass the interview and get an offer.

mnrobitaille · Nov 30, 2015

You might want to see which campus you'll be primarily working out of first, before making a decision on where to move to, citywise.

mikeyb · Nov 30, 2015

grylnsmn said:
Due to changing family situations (i.e. child #4 due in April and we need a bigger house), my wife and I have decided to abandon the DC area and head to the "other" Washington. I have family in the Spokane area, but the jobs for me (as a Linux admin) are primarily in the Seattle area.

I've secured an in-person interview with a certain major online retailer named for a South American river for next month (dates are still being worked out), and so it's starting to look more and more like we will be moving in the next few months.

Any good advice for someone coming from Virginia to hopefully settle long-term in the Northwest? Our oldest should be starting school next year, and we're thinking long term, so that our kids don't have as many schools as I did growing up.

I currently hold both a VA resident CHP (not recognized in WA), and a UT non-resident CCP (recognized in WA), although I generally prefer to OC over CC. I know that WA requires a permit to carry in a car, and I've read that I might need to wait up to 90 days after establishing residency to apply for a WA permit (I've read differing accounts based on where you apply for the permit). Anything else that I should be aware of? Any suggestions of good places to look for a home and/or what communities to avoid? (I know WA has preemption, but I also know that Seattle is trying to circumvent it with their ammo tax.)

Issaquah and Northshore school districts are the top in the state, last I heard. Both have higher-than-normal housing costs, slightly better value in Northshore (Bothell, Kenmore, Woodinville).

grylnsmn · Dec 1, 2015

Thanks for a lot of the advice. I fly out tonight to interview tomorrow (returning Thursday).

If all goes well, I could be a Washington resident sometime next month.

Wish me luck.

I look forward to getting to know many of you once we can get settled. (We are coming to Seattle eventually, it's just a question of when I find a job that will move us there.)

grylnsmn · Dec 8, 2015

I got the offer!

Everything should be finalized shortly, and come the first week of January, I will be packing my bags for the drive to Washington. If all goes well, my family should be joining me a few weeks later.

I look forward to meeting many of you on the west coast, and doing what I can to help defend our rights in the Pacific Northwest.

solus · Dec 8, 2015

congratulations...on the new job offer...do not forget your slicker & galoshes..:shocker:

ipse

rightwinglibertarian · Dec 8, 2015

HAHA Seattle has been wet wet wet the past few days and due to rain every day for the entire week last I checked

Freedom1Man · Dec 9, 2015

Now Washington wants to put tracking devices on your cars.

They claim it will not be a gps tracking but rather to implement a per-mile tax.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

OC for ME · Dec 9, 2015

Originally Posted by RCW 9.41.010 (14) "Loaded" means:
(a) There is a cartridge in the chamber of the firearm;
(b) Cartridges are in a clip that is locked in place in the firearm;
(c) There is a cartridge in the cylinder of the firearm, if the firearm is a revolver;
(d) There is a cartridge in the tube or magazine that is inserted in the action; or
(e) There is a ball in the barrel and the firearm is capped or primed if the firearm is a muzzle loader.

ISRAELI carry would seem to meet RCW 9.41.010(14)(b).

Looking at moving to the Seattle area

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