The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office has launched a new voluntary program that lets residents turn in unwanted firearms anonymously and receive cash cards in return. The program, called Whatcom Safe Exchange, began accepting online appointments as of July 24, 2026, and is designed to make it easy for community members to remove firearms from their homes without fear of legal scrutiny or criminal investigation.
Sheriff Donnell "Tank" Tanksley announced the program in a public statement, emphasizing that it is a community safety service rather than an enforcement tool. "Many residents have firearms they simply no longer want in their homes," Tanksley said. "Whatcom Safe Exchange provides a safe and anonymous way for individuals to dispose of firearms, reducing the risk of theft, accidents, or misuse."
How the Program Works
Participants book an appointment in advance through WhatcomSafeExchange.org. They then arrive at the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office at their scheduled time with unloaded firearms and exchange them for prepaid cash cards. The value of the card depends on the type of firearm being surrendered.
Deputies trained in safe firearm handling take possession of the weapons immediately upon arrival. The Sheriff's Office will accept handguns, rifles, shotguns, assault-style weapons, and antique or inherited firearms. Firearms do not need to be in working condition to qualify. Ammunition and explosives are not accepted under any circumstances.
All surrendered firearms are documented for inventory purposes and then destroyed in accordance with department policy and state law. The Sheriff's Office noted that firearms with significant historical value or a legitimate law enforcement use may be handled differently, though the program's primary track leads to destruction. Sheriff Tanksley was direct about the program's intent: "This is about safety, not enforcement. Whether the firearm is functional or damaged, we're here to help people dispose of it safely and anonymously."
Funding and Statewide Context
The program is funded through a grant from the Washington State Attorney General's Office, which distributed money to 12 law enforcement agencies across the state for initiatives aimed at promoting firearm safety, combating gun violence, and supporting victims of gun violence. Whatcom County is one of those 12 recipients, making the Sheriff's Office part of a coordinated statewide effort rather than a standalone local experiment.
Firearm surrender and buyback programs have a mixed track record in academic research, with some studies showing modest reductions in firearm-related accidents and suicides while others find limited effect on gun crime overall. Whatcom County's program is framed specifically around preventing accidental harm and theft, rather than as a crime reduction measure, which aligns with the evidence base for where these programs tend to have the most measurable impact.
The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office serves a county of approximately 240,000 people and is responsible for law enforcement in unincorporated areas as well as contract services for some smaller cities. The department regularly fields calls related to unsecured firearms, including theft reports and accidental discharges, making the new program a practical addition to its community safety toolkit.
Who This Program Is For
The program is explicitly voluntary and anonymous, meaning no one's name, address, or identifying information is required to participate beyond what is needed to book the online appointment. The Sheriff's Office will not use participation in the program as a basis for any investigation, and the appointment system is designed to be accessible to anyone in the county regardless of their relationship with law enforcement.
Community members who may benefit include people who have inherited firearms and do not want them, elderly residents who no longer feel safe storing weapons at home, households going through major life changes such as divorce or a death in the family, and anyone who simply wants to responsibly remove a firearm from circulation without going through the process of finding a private buyer or navigating gun dealer regulations.
For residents with questions about what types of firearms qualify, how the appointment system works, or what to expect when arriving at the Sheriff's Office, the department encourages outreach before the appointment date. More information, including the appointment booking link, is available at WhatcomSafeExchange.org.
The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office is located at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham. For general inquiries not related to the program, the office can be reached at 360-778-6600. For more background on recent Sheriff's Office community programs in Whatcom County, additional coverage is available in earlier reporting on local public safety outreach efforts.
