Gun Purchase Receipt Retention Requirements?

[damien]

Every time I buy a gun from G.A.T. Guns in Illinois, they tell me I have to keep the receipt for ten years. They say it's a federal law. They go so far as to point out that receipts off their thermal printer blurs easily and sugggest that I make a photocopy.

I have never heard this from anyone but them. I've read the relevant federal laws and never seen this one. In Illinois, there is a state requirement for the seller of a gun in a private transaction to create a receipt and to keep the receipt for ten years. This is to aid police in tracing guns foward, like police and ATF do with manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.

Is G.A.T. confusing two things? Anyone know anything about this requirement or anything like it?

 

[everallm]

They may be confusing this with an FFL's bound book retention requirement or simply be being overly abundant in caution on your and their behalf.

 

[SCKimberFan]

I have never heard of that and have been buying guns for at least 10 years. They have to keep records (de facto registration), but you don't need to keep the receipt.

 

[TexasRifleman]

They say it's a federal law.

Add this to the list of "Stupid things I heard in a gun store".......

 

[Duke Junior]

They say it's a federal law.
Add this to the list of "Stupid things I heard in a gun store"......

So true.Tell them to show you the Federal Law Statute.They won't be able to.
It does not exist.

 

[Loomis]

I believe some states require private sellers to keep a receipt when you sell a handgun to another private citizen. Technically, when you sell a car, private citizen to private citizen, you are supposed to do the same(I think). but no one does. It's the same thing with firearms. It's not enforced(that I know of)

 

[TexasRifleman]

Technically, when you sell a car, private citizen to private citizen, you are supposed to do the same(I think). but no one does. It's the same thing with firearms. It's not enforced(that I know of)

Show the US Code for that... otherwise it's more of the same......

No offense, but that kind of story is just rampant out here in the cyber stinky

 

[jrhines]

Name these "some states"...

..and provide a link to the statutes and ordinances. "I believes" and "(I thinks)" don't count and do not improve the signal to noise ratio. Just my opinion, I may be wrong!

 

[Loomis]

All I know for sure is there was talk about it in iowa a few years ago. It never went anywhere.

I assumed iowa got the idea from somewhere else. i wouldn't think they'd think it up all on their own.

But the car receipt thing I'm pretty sure is real in nebraska. When I used to live in nebraska(years ago), I remember selling a car and the lady at the DMV told me I had to save the receipt for a certain number of years.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

In Illinois, the SELLER (even in a private sale) must keep a record of whom they sold a weapon to (name and FOID card #, make serial # of weapon, etc.) for 10 years and make it available to ANY Peace Officer on request for that period (no warrant needed).

That said, keeing receipts for weapons you bought--from a private seller or FFL-1 or whoever--including the same data--is a VERY good idea.

LOTS of very nice gun dealers are full of hot air when they hold forth about "The LAW". If you otherwise like dealing with them, just nod and smile and talk about something else.

Oh, and BTW--the thermal printer advice is on the money; if you expose them to heat (glove box on hot day, laminating process, etc.) they turn solid brown or black. A b/w photocopy isn't a bad idea for longevity; black oxide toner is non-reactive and if acid-free paper is used will last for centuries. This is why also, no one should have event tickets laminated to 'preserve' them for posterity--many venues use thermal printing on the tickets. In fact, don't laminate ANYTHING that isn't easily replaceable.

 

[dakuda]

I keep my receipts anyway. I actually scan them into the computer, since I tend to lose papers.

I don't recall GAT ever telling me that though.

 

[MechAg94]

I try to keep a file and an inventory just so I have some record of make, model, and serial number if one was stolen. I heard 2nd hand of a guy who had some guys break into his house when he left to run an errand and cleaned out his closet. He kept an inventory on a floppy disk and the disk ended up being corrupted. He had no other record.

Anyway, i do it for my own reasons, not because of any laws.

 

[Pilgrim]

A few years ago, my ex-PMS left town with money that didn't belong to her. She left behind a .380 Colt Mustang. A "friend" of hers found the gun and tried to claim it as his own. Being it was in CA, he couldn't figure out a way to transfer the gun into his name.

I went to the police with a receipt for the gun which I bought twenty years earlier. Since the "friend" couldn't provide any proof the ex-PMS intended for him to have the gun, the police went and retrieved it and returned it to me.

It pays to keep receipts.

Pilgrim

 

[Loomis]

jrhines

There ya go, you were wrong. So was texas rifleman.

 

[Fleetwood_Captain]

Pilgrim brought up a very good point. There may not be a law requiring you to keep reciepts for guns you buy, but it is certainly a good idea to do so.

After all, you wouldn't throw out your car title would you?

 

[nalioth]

[jrhines]There ya go, you were wrong. So was texas rifleman.

Excuse me?

I'm not sure how asking for links to states statutes is "wrong". . .

TexasRifleman was correct in that is is NOT a federal law.

Let's be civil, ok?

 

[TexasRifleman]

There ya go, you were wrong. So was texas rifleman.

I was? I'm still waiting for a link to a FEDERAL LAW. Read the OP then read my response.

Every time I buy a gun from G.A.T. Guns in Illinois, they tell me I have to keep the receipt for ten years. They say it's a federal law.

They say it's a federal law.
Add this to the list of "Stupid things I heard in a gun store"......

Loomis, please post a link to the Federal Law that requires this.

Whether or not it's a good idea was not the original question, the question was if it was Federal Law. Words matter believe it or not.

 

[Kharn]

It might not be required, but its a good idea. I keep every scrap of paper related to every gun I've purchased.

Kharn

 

[SCKimberFan]

In Illinois, the SELLER (even in a private sale) must keep a record of whom they sold a weapon to (name and FOID card #, make serial # of weapon, etc.) for 10 years and make it available to ANY Peace Officer on request for that period (no warrant needed).

I'm sorry Neo-Luddite, but no LEO gets any information from me without a warrant. It's called the 5th amendment, (and the 4th too) which supersedes any state law.

One more thing - post the law, not just you saying it is so.

 

[lax]

Now that you have me thinking about it; having the receipt should make an insurance claim go easier. I need to get them scanned and stored in my GMail. Never heard the 10 year receipt claim before.

 

[rbernie]

Every time I buy a gun from G.A.T. Guns in Illinois, they tell me I have to keep the receipt for ten years. They say it's a federal law.

As has been stated by others, there is no Federal law that requires retention of sales receipts for firearms.

Those who live in Free States have the choice of keeping receipts, or not. Those who live in Occupied Terriority will do well to learn the laws of their jurisdiction.

 

[CajunBass]

I might have the receipt for the last gun I bought around here somewhere. Maybe.

 

[highlander 5]

If I kept all the receipts for my purchases,private sales and trades over the last 35+ years I'd need another house.

 

[tmajors]

If you are a private individual no you do not have to keep your receipt. You can throw it away as your walking out the store if you want. FFL's need to keep record of the transaction, not the individuals they sell to.

It is a good idea however to keep your receipt just for your records, not required though.

 

[Blackbeard]

I've heard enough stories of guns that were stolen/confiscated during a crime investigation, and then not returned until the owner can show proof that it belongs to him. I'm keeping my receipts forever. They are scanned into JPG files and backed up.