Peace officer and military exemptions

Active-duty or honorably discharged members of the U.S. military who are stationed in Washington State or who are Washington residents, who pass the Washington online hunter education examination, are exempt from the follow-up online field skills evaluation session of the online hunter education course.

If you believe you qualify for this exemption, please fill out the following form:

• Military exemption for the Washington online course field evaluation (PDF)

Based on Washington law, any current or retired law enforcement officer from Washington State is exempt from the firearms field skills portion of any hunter education course that is completed online. This exemption applies to the following:

• General authority officers 
• Limited authority and specially commissioned officers authorized to carry a concealed pistol by his or her employer or commissioning agency 
• Washington peace officers and tribal peace officers who have achieved peace officer certification or tribal police officer certification.

Please note that the peace officer certification must be in good standing and must not have been revoked.

Definitions

• Law enforcement officers in Washington are either general authority Washington peace officers (general authority officers), limited authority Washington peace officers (limited authority officers), or specially commissioned Washington peace officers (specially commissioned officers).
• General authority officers are full-time and fully compensated, and are either an elected, appointed, or an employed officer of a general authority Washington law enforcement agency who may enforce any traffic or criminal law of the state throughout the state. General authority law enforcement agencies include the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
• Limited authority officers are full-time, and fully compensated officers of a law enforcement agency that has, as one of its functions, the enforcement of traffic or specific criminal laws relating to limited subject areas or within specific geographic boundaries. Limited authority law enforcement agencies include the departments of Natural Resources, Social and Health Services, Corrections, the Parks and Recreation Commission, Gambling Commission and the Liquor and Cannabis Board.
• Specially commissioned officers are commissioned by a general authority law enforcement agency, but do not qualify as either a general or limited authority law enforcement officer. Specially commissioned law enforcement officers include full-time, fully compensated peace officers duly commissioned by the states of Oregon or Idaho, or a unit of local government of Oregon or Idaho.

If you believe you qualify for this exemption, you may start the application process by filling out the following form:

• Peace officer exemption for the firearm field skills evaluation (PDF)