Washington Concealed Carry Laws Relating to Bars and Alcohol?

[Ella99]

Well,see,this is the problem. Not very many people that drink understand how drunk they are.
This is not from any study but personal experience. You drink and drive,you are a problem. 2 drinks or ten.
Trust me,I know this stuff
Go to You Tube and watch the videos
So now you want to introduce a gun.....
You are an idiot to drink any amount of alcohol and carry a gun.
Unless you have unlimited funds.
There is no way you can be clean of any shooting if you have been drinking and shoot someone

Well, per state laws, of I want to I can get drunk on my own property, and shoot a tresspasser and be in the clear. However, as a rule I never get puking or pass out drunk, that is just taking things too far. I don't mind going to a local pub with my underage son for some dinner, having a few drinks then driving us home and carrying the whole time. If more people could exibit a fair degree of self control around alcohol I would see no problem making it legal to carry in a bar. However, the problem is most people don't know when to stop and over indulge and that is where the problem lies. A person can mix alcohol and guns responsibly, but most can't.

 

[Ella99]

What ever you want to do brah,just my opinion that when you drink,or anyone drinks,they loose some of their ability to reason. Most responsible folks know this.
Most drunks,like when I was younger don't want to admit this. I've gone thru this BS many times and know better now.
Rights and being a responsible adult can be two different ,conflicting ideals
Just because you have the right to buy a huge boat doesn't mean it would be responsible for you to own and float one.
Just because you can buy a 40 whatever ft motor home doesn't mean you should be driving one down the hiway.
Just because you can carry a gun when you are drinking,doesn't mean it is the best idea you ever had or best way to carry out your 2nd amendment rights
My advise is to be an adult and be safe for yourself,your family and your fellow human beings.
You decide how this effects your civil rights as you see fit.
Just don't expect a good outcome if you decide to defend yourself with a gun with alcohol in your system
And yes,anyone who disagrees with me isn't very smart

Sorry, but when I have a little alcohol in my system I am much more relaxed and shoot a much more accurate game of pool, cleaning up from the boys, and I hit the bullseye a lot more in darts. I'm not a girl you want to bet against drunk playing bar games. That said, I am anxious to try target shooting drunk, it stands to reason based on the above that I am probably more accurate with a gun too when I'm drunk.

 

[Ella99]

Having worked in forensic toxicology for over 30 years and observing many hundreds of people at various alcohol blood levels, my conclusion is that any measureable level of alcohol does impair judgment, reflexes, response times, memory, etc. - the higher the level, the worse. That is why DOT sets a limit of any detectable alcohol (>0.02 g/210L for breath alcohol analyzers) as unacceptable for CDL holders. At 0.04, it is a violation for them.

My personal practice is not to drive or handle firearms if I have any alcohol in my system. Alcohol levels in breath and blood drop by 0.015 per hour in the average person. We are responsible for our own actions and need to make our own decisions ahead of time, not in the moment.

Well said! I keep in mind a certain number of red flags must present themselves before I draw my gun. If you constantly replay those flags and your responses to them your training your mind how to respond on instinct when the time comes. This way it is a reaction and no thinking is involved, impaired or not.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Would I feel impaired or unsafe if I had a beer or glass of wine with dinner...and was carrying?....
No , not any different than say driving home after the meal.

That said often appearances can work against you...While no time is good when you have to use a gun for defense...It could look bad if alcohol is suspected in your decision making.

I have had to twice in life ( not counting combat tours ) to use a firearm for defense.
( luckily no shots were fired )
Both times it seemed like every law enforcement officer in the world was asking me questions and poking around and into every bit of my house...

Everyone involved will be asking questions , judging your actions and "Monday Morning Quaterbacking" your every action , seven ways from Sunday.
It seems to me to , that if you are carrying , why give reason for any extra doubt to your thinking or actions , if you need to use your gun?

Again the above is just my thoughts and what works for me.... It is not for me to tell you what to do or what should work in your world.
Andy
Edit for pre-coffee spelling...

 

[ThatGuy509]

I would just like to know if the following RCW has any impact on this discussion.
RCW 9.41.098
Forfeiture of firearms—Disposition—Confiscation. (Effective until April 1, 2018.)
(1) The superior courts and the courts of limited jurisdiction of the state may order forfeiture of a firearm which is proven to be:
(e) In the possession of a person who is in any place in which a concealed pistol license is required, and who is under the influence of any drug or under the influence of intoxicating liquor, as defined in chapter46.61 RCW;

 

[Kalino05]

Hey! That's an amazing course. My brother is also doing that. Thank god, he has never been charged for anything. He has a good DUI attorney Los Angeles in his contacts but is always careful on road as it may affect his course and career.

 

[User 1234]

Well said! I keep in mind a certain number of red flags must present themselves before I draw my gun. If you constantly replay those flags and your responses to them your training your mind how to respond on instinct when the time comes. This way it is a reaction and no thinking is involved, impaired or not.

Ella, this has nothing to do with the thread, but I wanted to compliment you for being a Detroit Tigers fan. I may or may not have an original Lance Parrish poster and my 1984 ticket from Tiger Stadium...

 

[RicInOR]

As far as WA laws ,you can carry a gun in anywhere they allow minors

Except schools.

I get the context was to mean restaurants, bars, t@verns, pubs, and other drinking establishments where they allow those under 21 years of age.


Start here for an overview of Washington
http://handgunlaw.us/states/washington.pdf

 

[Rickenbacher39]

I wonder why someone's right to get drunk and play with guns
supersedes my right to be safe from people who will get drunk and play with guns.

 

[Gunguy99218]

Well,see,this is the problem. Not very many people that drink understand how drunk they are.
This is not from any study but personal experience. You drink and drive,you are a problem. 2 drinks or ten.
Trust me,I know this stuff
Go to You Tube and watch the videos
So now you want to introduce a gun.....
You are an idiot to drink any amount of alcohol and carry a gun.
Unless you have unlimited funds.
There is no way you can be clean of any shooting if you have been drinking and shoot someone

Ok. So does this mean that if you are at home and had a beer or a glass of wine with dinner, and then Crash. Your front or back door gets kicked in that there is no way that you can be clean if You have to protect yourself and your family from armed home Intruders? Even if you have a security system with cameras, or if not at home a dashcam, or body cam ( hay Google record video) Clearly showing that you are Not the instigator? You do bring up a Very valuable point especially if the prosecutor is anti-2A in your town. Even with "Attorneys on retainer" a great option if you ccw on a regular basis. I don't drink out in public. I'm just playing devils advocate.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@Gunguy99218
Welcome to the forum.
Forum member mjbskwim ain't been here since 23 November 2017 I doubt you get a reply from him.
Andy

 

[Gunguy99218]

@Gunguy99218
Welcome to the forum.
Forum member mjbskwim ain't been here since 23 November 2017 I doubt you get a reply from him.
Andy

Thanks for your welcome to the forum. I appreciate it.

 

[Mark Victor]

Hi Folks

I've recently applied for my CPL here in Washington and while I'm waiting for the background check to finish, I'm trying to read through the pamphlet that my Sheriff had and familiarize myself with all the laws.

Do I understand correctly that you can carry into a restaurant that serves alcohol but you need to stay out of the bar area. Bars in general are off limits. Did I get that right?

And I haven't been able to find anything regarding the actual consumption of alcohol as it relates to carrying? For example, it's legal to drive as long as your Blood Alcohol is under .08. Are there similar laws for carrying and if so, what are they? Or can you point me in a direction?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Bars are off-limits for carrying, for obvious reasons. I enjoy a drink as much as anyone, but I never imbibe when I'm carrying. Whether it's legal or not, it just doesn't seem safe to me to mix any amount of alcohol with guns. Compare it to drinking and driving. If you're involved in an accident you can be charged with impaired driving even if you're well under the D.U.I. limit at that time. If I was only at 25% of the D.U.I. limit and accidentally shot an innocent bystander in a defensive situation I'd probably never forgive myself, and I doubt a jury would either.

 

[wired]

Bars are off-limits for carrying, for obvious reasons. I enjoy a drink as much as anyone, but I never imbibe when I'm carrying. Whether it's legal or not, it just doesn't seem safe to me to mix any amount of alcohol with guns. Compare it to drinking and driving. If you're involved in an accident you can be charged with impaired driving even if you're well under the D.U.I. limit at that time. If I was only at 25% of the D.U.I. limit and accidentally shot an innocent bystander in a defensive situation I'd probably never forgive myself, and I doubt a jury would either.

25% of the legal limit is a beer. You do you but you dont need to go overboard.

 

[Nosferatu]

Luckily in the 8 years since this thread started, my tolerance has doubled. I have gone from being able to carry 6 rounds to 12. Hopefully in another 3 years I can carry a fully stocked G19.

 

[L84Cabo]

Bars are off-limits for carrying, for obvious reasons. I enjoy a drink as much as anyone, but I never imbibe when I'm carrying. Whether it's legal or not, it just doesn't seem safe to me to mix any amount of alcohol with guns. Compare it to drinking and driving. If you're involved in an accident you can be charged with impaired driving even if you're well under the D.U.I. limit at that time. If I was only at 25% of the D.U.I. limit and accidentally shot an innocent bystander in a defensive situation I'd probably never forgive myself, and I doubt a jury would either.

Holy necropost Batman! 8 Years.

But since we're all here, I believe that the alcohol laws/rules for guns should mimic the same rules for autos.

If I drive a vehicle, I am still permitted to go sit in a bar with my friends if I just want to hang out, watch the game, order a soda, eat some food, be the designated driver, pick someone up, etc. I should be able to do the same thing while carrying.

Further, if I am capable of safely operating a 4000 lb gas powered steel missile that can travel over 100 mph, after having one or two beers...as long as my blood alcohol is below .08...then I should be capable of doing the same with a firearm. Or if it's so dangerous for me to be carrying after I have a single sip of alcohol, then it is equally dangerous for me to drive a vehicle after one sip of alcohol.

Further, if I can be trusted to manage my alcohol at my house and be trusted to not go out armed after having six beers...or anything that raises my blood alcohol past the legal limit...I should certainly be trusted to be able to walk into a bar while armed and do the exact same thing.

The alcohol laws as they relate to guns are stupid. YMMV.

 

[gmerkt]

I just read through this entire thread. It's still relevant.

I've been thinking, if you've been involved in a shooting or a vehicle accident, no matter what your BA is, and you have it on your breath, it's a problem. Cops have a way of using their sniffers to suss out a situation. You many pass field / BA tests, but those notes re. smell of alcohol being present may be in evidence. Prosecutors and juries are going to latch onto this. Even supposing your BA reads under the impairment limit, their natural supposition is apt to be, delay was incurred before the test.

 

[wired]

I just read through this entire thread. It's still relevant.

I've been thinking, if you've been involved in a shooting or a vehicle accident, no matter what your BA is, and you have it on your breath, it's a problem. Cops have a way of using their sniffers to suss out a situation. You many pass field / BA tests, but those notes re. smell of alcohol being present may be in evidence. Prosecutors and juries are going to latch onto this. Even supposing your BA reads under the impairment limit, their natural supposition is apt to be, delay was incurred before the test.

iIm sure theres a LOT of people involved in self-defense shooting who have had a beer or two or at least are under the legal limit for driving. They dont all automatically go to jail. I'd say its extraordinarily rare. Bonafide self-defense shooting rarely go to trial in the first place. Having a BAC under .05% isn't going to make much difference to a legitimate grand jury proceeding.

 

[L84Cabo]

I just read through this entire thread. It's still relevant.

I've been thinking, if you've been involved in a shooting or a vehicle accident, no matter what your BA is, and you have it on your breath, it's a problem. Cops have a way of using their sniffers to suss out a situation. You many pass field / BA tests, but those notes re. smell of alcohol being present may be in evidence. Prosecutors and juries are going to latch onto this. Even supposing your BA reads under the impairment limit, their natural supposition is apt to be, delay was incurred before the test.

Imagine hanging out in your house and having a couple of bottles of wine with the Mrs. You clearly have a very high BAC. You go to bed and 30 minutes after you turn the lights off, some recidivous maggot breaks into your house with the intent of killing you and then robbing you. Well, I mean, first he's going to kill you, then he's going to rape your wife, then he's going to kill her too, and THEN he's going to rob the place. So instead, you put a few rounds of 45 acp into him to solve the problem. Your BAC is still VERY well above the legal limit when the police arrive.

Would anyone in their right mind...I mean beyond an antigun leftist...who probably aren't in their right minds to begin with...I digress...but would any sane person dare suggest you shouldn't have picked up the gun to defend yourself because your BAC was too high, and that you should have just let the maggot rape and kill you and your wife?

Further, does my potential need to be able to defend myself magically cease when I start drinking?

Further, do you think our Founding Fathers...who planned a revolution and birthed a nation in the bars and taverns of the time period...but do you think they disarmed themselves prior to walking into the bar/pub?

Further, are there ANY historical analogue laws at the time of the founding that support the notion of having to disarm if you are going into a bar?

And don't get me wrong. Anyone who is drunk, armed, and causing problems with their gun should be severely dealt with. But there is a long way between having a drink or two and actually being drunk...and an even longer way to being drunk and actually being a problem.

 

[gmerkt]

Would anyone in their right mind...I mean beyond an antigun leftist...who probably aren't in their right minds to begin with...I digress...but would any sane person dare suggest you shouldn't have picked up the gun to defend yourself because your BAC was too high, and that you should have just let the maggot rape and kill you and your wife?

Obviously this is exceptional to the matters I mentioned, which involved being out and about. I don't think use of alcohol would have any bearing on a legit self defense issue in hour own home.