How many guns are there on Mercer Island? No one knows.

The city does not register guns, but does provide concealed pistol licenses to Mercer Island residents,  explained City Clerk Ali Speitz. State laws dictate how gun ownership and registration is handled.

In Washington state, firearms do not have to be registered. RCW 9.41.040 lists who may possess firearms. RCW 9.41.050 states that “Except in the person’s place of abode or fixed place of business, a person shall not carry a pistol concealed on his or her person without a license to carry a concealed pistol,” and “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.”

In order to carry a pistol concealed on your person or carry or place a loaded pistol in a vehicle, you must obtain a concealed pistol license from the local police department or the county sheriff’s office (if in an unincorporated area of a county or if police services are contracted out to the county).

The city’s website has information about costs and hours of service to obtain concealed license permits. RCW 9.41.070 lists all of the requirements to get a concealed pistol license.

By the numbers

Below are the concealed pistol license numbers for Mercer Island, broken down by new licenses (original) and renewals. The 2012 numbers are for the first six months.

Year Original Renewal Replacement

2012   33 30 2

2011 58 52 3

2010 61 32 2