If you’ve lost your firearm rights and are thinking about petitioning to get them back, a new Washington Supreme Court decision just made the process more flexible.

In Arends v. State(Aug. 14, 2025), the Court ruled that any superior court in Washington has the constitutional power to hear a firearm rights restoration petition—no matter where your prohibition was issued.

Here’s what that means for you:

• The law changed in 2023 to say you could only file in the county that issued your firearm prohibition. For people with out-of-state convictions, that made filing in Washington tricky.

• The Supreme Court said that while the legislature can set venue rules (which court is the preferred location), it cannot take away a superior court’s jurisdiction to hear your case.

• In plain terms: Even if you file in a different county than the statute says, the court still has the power to decide your petition.

Bottom line: You may have more filing options than you thought. If you’ve been putting off restoring your rights because you weren’t sure where you could file, now may be the time to act.

Our firm handles firearm rights restoration cases across Washington and can advise you on the best strategy for your situation.