What is involved in being a gun dealer as a business?

It’s good that you provided your state, since to become a licensed gun dealer, you need to comply with both federal and state requirements.

The federal license is administered and granted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). It involves identify, criminal background, and fingerprint checks, plus of course payment of an application fee. There are also ongoing record-keeping requirements with which you’ll need to comply.

The state requirements for Washington are likewise fairly straightforward:

• You need to have federal firearms license
• You need a state business license
• You need picture ID
• You have to pass a criminal background check and will be fingerprinted
• You need a $125 fee (check or money order); note that you’ll need to renew your license (and pay the appropriate fee) each year

As you can see, you need to get your federal license first, since it is a prerequisite for your state license.