Leaving Washington. Landing in Texas.

Why families are making the move

Freedom on paper: the laws that actually differ

Second Amendment

• Texas: constitutional carry since 2021. Most adults 21 and older can carry without a permit. No magazine limits, no "assault weapons" ban, no red-flag law, and no waiting period.
• Washington: a 10-round magazine limit, a 2023 ban on the sale of many semiautomatic rifles, a 10-day waiting period with a required safety-training certificate, and a permit-to-purchase requirement that takes effect May 1, 2027. Washington's direction on gun policy is one of the most-cited reasons our Texas-bound clients give.

Homeschooling and school choice

• Texas: one of the least-regulated homeschool states in America. No registration, no teacher certification, no mandatory testing. Texas also launched the Education Freedom Accounts program (SB 2, 2025), starting the 2026-27 school year, providing roughly $10,400 per student for private school tuition and approved expenses, with up to $30,000 for students with disabilities.
• Washington: more regulated. Parents generally file an annual declaration of intent, meet a qualification requirement, and administer yearly standardized testing or an approved assessment.

Schools

What surprises Washingtonians (so nothing surprises you)

• Property tax bills arrive bigger than expected. Texas rates run roughly double Washington's, so budget for the rate difference before you fall in love with a bigger house.
• Summer is a real adjustment coming from the Pacific Northwest. Stretches of 100 degrees are normal, and air conditioning is life infrastructure, not a luxury.
• Homeowner's insurance runs higher. Hail and wind risk price into premiums in much of the state.
• HOAs are common in master-planned communities. Read the rules before you buy acreage dreams in a planned neighborhood.
• You keep the no-income-tax status. Like Washington, Texas has no state income tax and no state return, and both states exempt groceries from sales tax.
• No estate tax in Texas is a meaningful difference. Washington's estate tax starts at about $2.19 million, so families with a home, a business, and retirement savings can cross that line more easily than they expect.

Frequently asked questions