Permit to own a handgun - which states?

[parsimonious_instead]

My home state of New York requires a permit merely to own a handgun. Since most of the research I've done on other states' gun laws mostly involve concealed and open carry and the rules outlined for each, I'm not exactly clear on which states require a permit for the mere ownership of a handgun.
So for the following situation - simply wanting to purchase the gun at the gun store, keep it locked up at home and take it to the range unloaded in a locked case, which states require a permit to buy and own a handgun?

 

[Zoogster]

Just a handgun, or does a permit to be a firearm owner at all count?
A handful of states require a permit just to be a firearm owner, though don't necessarily require an additional handgun permit.

Also some that require a separate permit for a handgun only require it to purchase, not own, and it can be quickly obtained within a day or short time.
New York is by far the most restrictive, with its several month process just to own a handgun in your home.


Most states do not require a permit to own, only a few. A few more require a permit to purchase, but not to own.
In most of the country a person can walk into a gun shop, purchase a gun, fill out the paper work and walk out with the gun.

Various states in the south have had and some still have Jim Crowe leftovers that require a minimal formality to get a handgun designed to give local law enforcement discretion to deny ownership when they choose. While generally never denied in modern times the process remains on the books.

 

[parsimonious_instead]

Zoogster, that's helpful.
I've been getting into some gun conversations with fellow New Yorkers, and I like to point out that our state is one of the few that requires a permit for handgun ownership, that a situation like that is the exception, not the rule, but I'd like to back my statement up with facts about which other states require it.
What about California? I know the issuance of CCW varies widely by county, but what of purchasing/ownership?

 

[Sam1911]

NC is one like Zoogster mentioned. Permit to purchase. Easy to get and good for a long time, but there -- and offensive -- none the less.

 

[Zoogster]

California sorta does.

California requires none to own, but sorta requires one to purchase.
It has the Handgun Safety Certificate, which requires someone pay about $25, and take a short 1 page multiple choice test. Many shops and FFLs can give this test on the spot, and will if a sale depends on it.
The certificate lasts for 5 years and is only required to buy handguns, not to own them.

It is not issued by the police, and is never denied if passed, there is no background check or anything else required for it (firearms go through an FFL and NICs in California on purchase or transfer). It basically is the states way of telling you the laws and things it thinks someone should know about guns before they own one. You can get a small booklet similar to what a DMV has for a driving test that contains all the things that may be on the test.
It takes about 5-10 minutes to complete, and can be given with no notice by many FFLs.

 

[parsimonious_instead]

Thanks for the info, Zoogster and Sam... and for removing the "e" I unintentionally put at the end of "permit."

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I am a native of CA.

What about California? I know the issuance of CCW varies widely by county, but what of purchasing/ownership?

There is a fair amount of nuisance paperwork, but no permit to purchase or own is required.

 

[Midwest]

Illinois requires a FOID in order to buy and own any firearm. Massachusetts requires a FID to purchase and own, there are two different FID's (someone in Mass. can better clarify it better than I can). Hawaii requires a permit to purchase and to own. Puerto Rico's gun laws are much worse than NY or NJ...or any state for that matter. NJ does not require a permit to own, just to buy. FID needed to buy handgun ammo. Not sure about CT though they do offer a CCW permit. MO got rid of their permit to purchase a few years back.

 

[F-111 John]

Michigan requires a handgun purchase permit or a CCW license to purchase a handgun, and requires the make, model, caliber, and serial number of all handguns purchased or otherwise acquired to be submitted to the Michigan State Police.

Michigan also defines "handgun" to be any firearm under 30" in length. So my .410 Snake Charmer, federally legal as a shotgun with it's 18" barrel and 28" overall length, is considered a handgun in Michigan for reporting purposes.

 

[Eric M]

NJ requires an FOID to buy long guns and you must have a separate purchase permit for each handgun you buy.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Michigan also defines "handgun" to be any firearm under 30" in length. So my .410 Snake Charmer, federally legal as a shotgun with it's 18" barrel and 28" overall length, is considered a handgun in Michigan for reporting purposes.

Which is often overlooked by many shops. I bought a .410 H&R Tamer, virtually identical to the snake charmer, and no permit was required. Same with a sub 30" .22 Cricket.

This law supposedly also applies to anything with a collapsible or folding stock. If under 30" with the stock folded/ collapsed to shortest position, it should require the purchase permit. But as I said, it isn't always enforced.

 

[Loosedhorse]

A license is required in MA to own firearms; once you have the license, you do not need additional per-handgun approval.

LTC Class C (FID) allow ownership of long guns, and transport of the same unloaded and locked (unless engaged in legal hunting, etc.). LTC B allows ownership of long guns, plus handguns that cannot accept magazines with more than 10 rounds (note: 1911s, for example, can accept such mags); and allows locked, unloaded transport. LTC A allows ownership of all long guns and handguns and carry of loaded handguns (unless the LTC A is restricted by the CLEO, which s/he may do at will).

All "may issue." MA has a state-wide AWB (thanks, Gov. Romney!), and within Boston, a closed AW registry (no unregisted AWs or 10+ mags allowed, even if "pre-ban").

 

[Unistat]

...Michigan also defines "handgun" to be any firearm under 30" in length. So my .410 Snake Charmer, federally legal as a shotgun with it's 18" barrel and 28" overall length, is considered a handgun in Michigan for reporting purposes.

Also for carrying purposes, that is, if you have a CPL you can carry your Snake Charmer (or any other "Michigan Pistol") loaded and in the passenger compartment of your vehicle.

There is currently a bill in the legislature that would make "MI Pistols" go away as the definitions would be in line with the Fed's. This is a cause of some controversy among MI gun owners as it means that certain long guns would not be able to be kept loaded in the car vs. removing the need to register said long arms.

So, we have an argument about registering a class of guns vs. carrying said class of guns.

To the OP's question, if you like to shop for guns in MI, it pays to get a CPL just to avoid the hassle of getting a Pistol Purchase Permit every time you want to buy a pistol, even if you seldom carry. You can only get a PPP from your local P.D. during the posted times. Often this is only a couple days a week during work hours. In addition, the PPP is only valid for 10 days. Very annoying. The CPL avoids the whole issue.

Really, PPP and registration in MI just needs to go away. A bill is proposed to do this in almost every legislative session, but they never seem to make it all the way through.

 

[powell&hyde]

In Iowa
* Permit to purchase handgun? Yes.
* Registration of handguns? No.
* Licensing of owners of handguns? No.
* Permit to carry handguns? Yes. (ccw) which is shall issue.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

In Alabama,no permit needed to purchase or possess. No permit needed to open carry. Permit needed to carry concealed outside of your own property. Permit to have a handgun (loaded or not,no difference) in a vehicle required.

 

[788Ham]

In Colorado, you walk into the gun shop, purchase the firearm, go through the background check, give them your monies and walk out the door. If wanting CCW, then you go through a class, forward info to sheriff or chief of PD, if qualified, you get permit. No permit needed to carry in car/pickup. Also, no permit needed to purchase or possess.

 

[N003k]

Connecticut sorta requires it. To buy one in CT you need to have an eligibility certificate or permit to carry. You don't need a permit to OWN one though, so if you bring one in when you move into state (assuming it doesn't fall under the AWB) you're good.

 

[highlander 5]

Ma has 2 different permits,an FID card that allows you to buy rifles,shotguns and ammo for said weapons. Provided you have no criminal record an FID card is always issued.
The next level is a Licence to Carry that is issued at the descrition of the COP and can either be for sporting or target which restricts you to the obvious but you can't carry concealed on your person or no restrictions which allows you carry concealed. This permit allows you to own handguns and rifles capable of using a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds as long as the magazines are preban. Each of these permits are $100 dollars for 6 years.
There's more to the permit laws but it would take up to much space to explain.

 

[Formula94]

MN requires a permit to purchase(which has to be renewed every year) or permit to carry(valid for 5 years) to purchase a handgun. No permit required for long guns. No registration of any guns.

 

[westhope]

MN requirements stated above are only for sales through an FFL.

This does not apply for private sales.

 

[Art Eatman]

So approximately eight or ten states of the fifty impede lawful purchase of handguns. On a national basis, then, New York is anomalous. I guess the next step would be to compare the rates of violent crimes with firearms among the states. Department of Justice info should be a place to search...

 

[leadcounsel]

What states require a permit to go to church or talkin public/

 

[joeq]

No permit to own or purchase here in Texas. You do need a permit to carry concealed and we can't open carry.

 

[razorback2003]

We don't need any kind of permit to buy or possess a handgun in Tennessee. You can buy one in a private sale without any paperwork or from a dealer with paperwork. The dealers run a background check through TBI. You do need a permit to carry your handgun loaded in public. No permit needed to keep/carry a handgun when hunting, at home, your business, at the range.

 

[armoredman]

Permit? We have a CCW permit that you don't need to carry concealed or openly, but permit to purchase/own/walk the dog, no, none of that nonsense here in AZ. Lately the background checks have been speeding up, though it was still a pain last week to wait an entire 5 minutes while the counter man was on the phone, real bummer.