MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility 

Membership in the Armed Defense Training Association (ADTA) is open to upstanding, responsible adults of our communities, including in general people who:

• Are 18 years of age or older, and
• Have a valid Washington State Driver’s License, and
• May legally possess a firearm, and
• Are physically and mentally able to safely participate in ADTA events, and
• Consent to permit the ADTA to perform background checks, and
• Are current on their ADTA membership dues

and who either:

• Have a valid Washington State Concealed Pistol License (CPL), or
• Have a valid Washington Arms Collectors (WAC) membership, or
• Who satisfactorily pass background checks requested by the ADTA.

Membership is at the discretion of the ADTA Board of Directors.  

ATF Form 4473 eligibility checklist

All ADTA applicants must declare that they are not prohibited by law from legally possessing a firearm. The questions below were adapted from ATF Form 4473 (Firearms Transaction Record) that is filled out when legally purchasing firearms.  By applying for membership you are certifying that:

1. I am not under indictment in any court of a felony, or any other crime, for which the judge could imprison me for more than one year.
   
2. I have never been convicted in any court of a felony, or any other crime, for which the judge would have imprisoned me for more than one year, even if you received a shorter sentence including probation.
   
3. I am not a fugitive from justice.
   
4. I am not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana, or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance.
   
5. I have never been adjudicated mentally defective (which includes a determination by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority that I am a danger to myself, or to others or are incompetent to manage my own affairs) OR I have never been committed to a mental institution.
   
6. I have not been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions.
   
7. I am not subject to a court order restraining me from harassing, stalking, or threatening my child or an intimate partner or child of such partner.
   
8. I have never been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
   
9. I have never renounced my United States citizenship.
   
10. I am not an alien illegally in the United States.

What does the background check entail?

The purpose of the ADTA background check is to help establish the credibility and character of applicants.  All ADTA applicants are required to consent that the ADTA may perform background checks upon the applicant at its discretion and expense, including at any time after membership is established.  In general, background checks include public record searches, particularly criminal and court records.

Should a background check contain negative information, and that information is taken into account by the ADTA in a decision to deny or terminate membership, we will provide details of the background check sources we used.  Applicants are encouraged to contact those sources to correct information they report, if necessary.  The ADTA may require applicants to agree to cover costs incurred to perform additional background checks to investigate or resolve disparities.

If an applicant cannot pass a background check to the ADTA’s satisfaction, but subsequently obtains a valid Washington State Concealed Pistol License (CPL), the CPL will be accepted in lieu of the background check. 

Maintaining Eligibility

It is each member’s responsibility to inform the ADTA should an event occur which may impact their eligibility to participate in ADTA events, such as:

• Change or concern regarding physical and mental capacity to safely participate.
• Suspension of or restriction upon right to possess firearms.
• Revocation or expiration of a Washington State Concealed Pistol License.
• Revocation or expiration of a Washington Arms Collectors membership.
• Confiscation of firearms pending criminal investigation.
• Conviction of any misdemeanor or felony which may lawfully preclude possession of firearms.

The ADTA Board of Directors may review any member’s present eligibility.  At the discretion of the Board, membership may be terminated at any time without refund or compensation.