Gun Permits
(posted: 4/2/2002)
The process of
possessing, purchasing or transporting a handgun in the State of Michigan is a
carefully regulated process designed to ensure that only those persons who are
eligible may do so. The State has delegated the responsibility to local law
enforcement agencies to screen applicants and process requests to purchase a
handgun.Michigan law requires that a
person must be a minimum of 18 years of age to purchase a handgun from a private
party, at least 21 years of age to purchase a handgun from a licensed dealer, be
a citizen of the United States or a resident legal alien, is not under an order
of involuntary commitment due to a mental illness or have been adjudged legally
incapacitated, and not have a felony criminal history record. A computer
background check is conducted with a State of Michigan Automated Pistol
Registration System (APRS) which checks for a criminal history and assigns a
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) number that tracks that
handgun purchase.
A person desiring to purchase a
handgun first goes to their local law enforcement agency and presents a valid
Michigan driver?s license or State ID card to verify your identity and your
current address. After determining that the person lives in that community, the
citizen will be administered a basic pistol safety questionnaire. This safety
questionnaire contains True/False questions that will test you on critical
pistol safety knowledge. A passing score requires that an applicant must score
at least 11 of the 15 questions correct. If you do not score the minimum
required score the first time, you are allowed to take it once more; however no
more than two safety questionnaires shall be administered to the same person on
the same day. After successfully completing the safety questionnaire and the
background investigation, a three part purchase permit is completed and issued
to the individual. The last step on the purchase permit process is signing all
three parts of the permit, having your signature notarized.
Once the pistol purchase permit
process is completed, the applicant has ten business days to purchase the pistol
and return the pistol to the Police Department for registration. The seller of
the handgun completes the purchase permit with the make, model and serial number
of the handgun that they are selling. The seller keeps one of the three parts
of the purchase permit as proof of the sale. The remaining two parts of the
permit are brought with the handgun to the Police Department for registration.
The pistol must be unloaded and secured in a case when the handgun is brought to
the Police Department where the handgun will be registered with the State of
Michigan and the new owner will be issued a registration certificate that must
be kept with the handgun at all times. As an additional benefit, the Kentwood
Police Department is pleased to distribute handgun trigger locks free of charge
upon request.
If you have
questions regarding the purchase or possession of a handgun, please contact the
Kentwood Police Department Records Bureau Supervisor at (616) 698-6580. |