ATF requires I 'maintain a domicile'?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I can't access the linked letter (my computer says security settings)..

So, I will as this, do you know when the ATF decided a PO box was not acceptable?

The first Letter to FFLs I quoted was dated August 29, 2011.

What ever they tell you is ok, get it in writing, with a date, and a real person's name and ATF position on it.

That is your only proof you were in compliance at the time, should they later change their minds...

I second your advice about contacting ATF and getting their advice in writing. This issue will come up again and having a letter from the ATF outlining the procedure would go a long way in setting FFL's minds at ease in the future.
 
Active duty military, for the purposes of firearms purchases, are dual residents of their home state (as long as they maintain an active driver license there) and the state where they're stationed. They can complete the 4473 using their driver license as ID and fill the form out exactly as a civilian would, or they can use their military ID and a copy of their orders to purchase as a legal resident of that state. Both are totally acceptable and legitimate ways to fill out the form.
 
If you don't like the answer the ATF gives, and if you're willing to go down the rabbit hole for the greater good, getting in touch with SAF might not be a bad idea as this could be a good legal challenge to that GCA68 provision. If that Cabela's was not in the 5th Circuit, it could be all the more reason for them to push another case.
 
If you don't like the answer the ATF gives, and if you're willing to go down the rabbit hole for the greater good, getting in touch with SAF might not be a bad idea as this could be a good legal challenge to that GCA68 provision. If that Cabela's was not in the 5th Circuit, it could be all the more reason for them to push another case.
A residence cannot be a temporary location, that's why the ATF banned PO boxes. A residence is where you make your home and have significant connection with. All these work sites I travel to are temporary, most are right-of-ways on someone else's private property. Some of the places we camp out at don't have addresses, they have GPS cordinants. If I used any of these locations on my license or form 4473 I would be comitting a felony.

I simply took my business to Scheels. I'm very happy with my new Sig p320, it's a great gun.

I'm sure this issue will come up again since there are a ton of 'RVers' in my state, and it seems this issue would even impaire private sales in states requiring the use of an FFL, and maintenance/repair transfers.
 
Last edited:
Active duty military, for the purposes of firearms purchases, are dual residents of their home state (as long as they maintain an active driver license there) and the state where they're stationed. They can complete the 4473 using their driver license as ID and fill the form out exactly as a civilian would, or they can use their military ID and a copy of their orders to purchase as a legal resident of that state. Both are totally acceptable and legitimate ways to fill out the form.
No, they CANNOT do that legally, unless the orders and license are the same state.

It's possible a service member can get away with it, as that would be what an FFL would expect to receive for documentation.

But BATF has been quite clear about this. 27 CFR 478.11, 18 USC 921(b), and ATF Ruling 2001-5

It's certainly possible to argue that what you relate should be the way things actually are, and I would agree that would make a lot of sense - not least because lots of people already think it's the case.
 
On the Road?

http://www.technomadia.com/2012/07/...stics-domicile-mail-taxes-banking-and-voting/

Some folks just don’t trust that having a personal mailbox somewhere is enough to establish their residency. And some Patriot Act and tax aggressive state (your current state may be quite resistant to letting you go without you fully ‘settling’ down somewhere else) consequences reinforce this. One example is financial institutions are supposed to now have a physical residential address on file for all of their customers, and more and more of their computer systems are rejecting personal mailboxes (as they’re technically at a business location). Having an address handy to use if you ever get caught in this loop can come in quite handy to avoid getting your accounts locked out. Just buying an empty piece of land with a physical mailing address should suffice.

If a person was to follow the 'Full Time RV Life Style' how would one purchase a firearm?
 
https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/may...tate-and-owns-property-another-state-purchase

"If a person maintains a home in 2 States and resides in both States for certain periods of the year, he or she may, during the period of time the person actually resides in a particular State, purchase a handgun in that State.” Military are not noted as exceptions to that statement that I can see- and most of them have some kind of “home” they will visit when they have leave, be it their own home they own or rent or that of a parent or family member where they live when they are in the state.

There are many documents that state that active military are residents of the state where they’re stationed, but none that say their military status renders their home state residency invalid.

Military personnel who are from (for example) WA and are stationed in GA can buy a gun in WA using their valid WA driver’s license when they are home, assuming they do “maintain a home” there. That same person can also buy a gun in GA when they are back, using their orders and military ID.
With reciprocity between many states, it wouldn’t be an issue a lot of the time anyway for long gun purchases. Basically, if you can legally buy the gun in either your home state or the state you are in, the sale is legal. That said, many establishments will not make the sale anyway, just to be cautious. There are some exceptions (for some example, I think there are states where you can only purchase in your own state or one bordering it). Hand guns are different though- for the most part you can only buy one in the state you are a legal resident of.
 
Banger357 Active duty military, for the purposes of firearms purchases, are dual residents of their home state (as long as they maintain an active driver license there) and the state where they're stationed. They can complete the 4473 using their driver license as ID and fill the form out exactly as a civilian would, or they can use their military ID and a copy of their orders to purchase as a legal resident of that state. Both are totally acceptable and legitimate ways to fill out the form.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
You need to read the instructions on the Form 4473 for Que.2 and Que. 13.
What state a member of the Armed Services considers as his "home state" is immaterial. "Home state" has absolutely nothing to do with state of residence or the buyers actual residence address.





P5 Guy If a person was to follow the 'Full Time RV Life Style' how would one purchase a firearm?
If the buyer cannot document his current residence address, he cannot buy a firearm from a licensed dealer.



Blackbook .....But what happens if you move? The form no longer has your actual adress, a trace request can't be completed.
Nothing happens if you move. No federal law/ATF regulation requires a buyer to continually update your address with ATF for the rest of your life.

The information given on the 4473 is certified under penalty of law that it was true, correct and complete on the day it was signed by the buyer/transferee. If you moved the next day......nothing happens.




Banger357 "If a person maintains a home in 2 States and resides in both States for certain periods of the year, he or she may, during the period of time the person actually resides in a particular State, purchase a handgun in that State.” Military are not noted as exceptions to that statement that I can see- and most of them have some kind of “home” they will visit when they have leave, be it their own home they own or rent or that of a parent or family member where they live when they are in the state.
Simply visiting mom & dad does not make that your current residence address or state of residence.


There are many documents that state that active military are residents of the state where they’re stationed, but none that say their military status renders their home state residency invalid.
You need to understand Federal firearms laws in regard to state of residence and current residence address. What may be considered "home state residency" for the purposes of voting or obtaining a drivers license are immaterial.

Military personnel who are from (for example) WA and are stationed in GA can buy a gun in WA using their valid WA driver’s license when they are home, assuming they do “maintain a home” there.
To simply "maintain a home" isn't enough..........that isn't how the law is written. The buyer must reside in that state with the intention of making his home there.


That same person can also buy a gun in GA when they are back, using their orders and military ID.
Correct.


With reciprocity between many states, it wouldn’t be an issue a lot of the time anyway for long gun purchases.
"Reciprocity"? What the heck does reciprocity have to do with buying a firearm?...........absolutely nothing. Reciprocity is about honoring another states concealed firearms permit, but has absolutely nothing to do with buying a firearm outside of your own state.
You are giving out a lot of very bad information.

You should stop posting until you have read a bit more on ATF regs and Federal law.
 
Last edited:
are your folks still alive? I would have used their address as my last abode...
Obviously you haven't been paying attention.

Your last abode is irrelevant. What matters is your current State of residence as the term is defined in ATF regulations. See post 5.
 
There are many documents that state that active military are residents of the state where they’re stationed, but none that say their military status renders their home state residency invalid.
ATF disagrees. (ETA: for gun buying purposes - all of the other things, the military civil protections of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, at Title 50 of United States Code, do not address buying guns. )

ATF says
Licensees should note that for purposes of the GCA, military personnel may in some cases have two States of residence. For example, a member of the Armed Forces whose permanent duty station is Fort Benning, Georgia, may actually reside in a home in Alabama. For GCA purposes, that individual is a resident of Georgia when he or she is in Georgia and a resident of Alabama when he or she is in Alabama. If such an individual wishes to purchase a firearm in Alabama, he or she must of course comply with the identification document requirement in the same way as any other Alabama resident.

Held further,
a purchaser who is a member of the Armed Forces on active duty is a resident of the State in which his or her permanent duty station is located, and may satisfy the identification document requirement by presenting his or her military identification card along with official orders showing that his or her permanent duty station is located within the State where the licensed premises are located.
The 'home of record' is not relevant to the BATF ruling, unless that state coincides with the state where the service member is posted, or the state where that member is actually residing while stationed in an adjacent state (as the GA/AL example given).

BATF could have added 'and also is a resident of his/her claimed home of record'. They did not.

I think they should have done so. But the BATF did not consult me.
 
Last edited:
Yes, that 2004 letter repeats what is in the other references.

SALES TO MILITARY PERSONNEL –
RESIDENCY VERIFICATION
ATF has been asked to clarify how and when a
license dealer may sell a firearm to someone who is
on active duty with the Armed Forces. In
particular, how does the licensee verify that the
military person is a resident of their State and
therefore entitled to purchase a firearm? An active
duty member of the Armed Forces may have
more than one State of residence. The Gun
Control Act (GCA) provides that a member of
the Armed Forces on active duty is a resident of
the State in which his or her permanent duty station
is located. However, the GCA’s general definition
of State of residence may also apply to some
active duty members. The general definition of
State of residence is the State in which an individual
resides. An individual resides in a State if he or she
is present in a State with an intention of making a
home in the State. If a member of the Armed
Forces maintains a home in one State and the
member’s permanent duty station is in a nearby
State to which he or she commutes each day, then
the member is considered a resident of both the
State in which his or her duty station is located and
the State in which his or her home is maintained,
and he or she may purchase a firearm in either
State.

As directed by the instructions contained in the
Firearms Transaction Record, ATF Form 4473,
any member of the Armed Forces on active duty
acquiring a firearm in the State where his or her
permanent duty station is located who does not
reside at his or her permanent duty station, must
list both his or her permanent duty station address
and his or her residence address in response to
Question 2. Further, in situations where the
transferee is an active duty military member
acquiring a firearm where his or her duty station is
located, but he or she has a driver’s license from
another State, you should list the transferee’s
military identification card and official orders
showing where his or her permanent duty station is
located in response to Question 18a.

Here are some examples:
Andrews Air Force Base is located in Maryland. A
member of the Armed Forces stationed at
Andrews Air Force Base who resides in Virginia,
but commutes to work at Andrews Air Force Base
would be considered to be a resident of both
Virginia and Maryland. However, a member
stationed at Andrews who resides in Maryland
would be considered only to be a resident of
Maryland.

The Ft. Campbell Army Base is physically located
in two States; part of the base is located in
Kentucky and part of the base is located in
Tennessee. Given this unusual fact, under the
GCA, a member of the Armed Forces who is
stationed at Ft. Campbell Army Base would be
considered a resident of both Kentucky and
Tennessee regardless of the State in which the
member maintained his or her residence.
 
This seems unconstitutional and you might be in a good position to act as a test case, OP. This is certainly unequal treatment under the law if only wealthy landowners are permitted to own firearms.
 
Sequins This seems unconstitutional and you might be in a good position to act as a test case, OP. This is certainly unequal treatment under the law if only wealthy landowners are permitted to own firearms.
Nonsense.
There is no requirement to own land or be wealthy.
 
Sequins said:
This seems unconstitutional and you might be in a good position to act as a test case, OP. This is certainly unequal treatment under the law if only wealthy landowners are permitted to own firearms.
What seems unconstitutional?

Who is being subjected to unequal treatment under the law? How?
 
I understand the OP's dissatisfaction with the situation. On the face, it certainly presents a problem for people with no fixed abode.

However, people are trying to find exceptions or ways around the problem. There doesn't appear to be one.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top