State Patrol system restored allowing firearms background checks to resume

Olympia, Wash. – The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has been able to restore online resources necessary for the Washington State Patrol to resume firearms background checks after a two-week delay in services. 

WSP’s Secure Automated Firearms E-Check or SAFE system regained connectivity with AOC’s data repository on Sunday afternoon after the suspension of data availability was caused by computer system security concerns. 

WSP receives on average 700 background check requests each business day and continued to do the non-AOC related work during the systems delay so that once data services were regained, delayed background checks could be completed quickly. 

In the first eight hours after service was restored, WSP personnel were able to complete over 6,500 of the backlogged checks and the work will continue this week to bring the system back to its regular cadence of operations.