Transferring arms?

I

Indrid Cold

New member
So I'm a little confused here. Is there paperwork needed when transferring firearms between two individuals (after the firearm has been purchased), or can ownership be transferred as easily as saying "here you go!" I ask because I only have three and a half months at home in the summer, and I don't want to spend one or two of them waiting for my firearms to come in, so I've asked my father to start the purchasing process. Thanks for the help.
 
There is no Federal requirement for any paperwork, involved with transfers between individuals who reside in the same state. However, some states, usually those run by DemocRATs, have laws that require that FFLs be involved, even in private transfers. You need to check out your state's laws on this matter. The law will be written in plain, easy-to-understand English, with no translating or interpreting required.
 
Missing the point

There is no Federal requirement for any paperwork, involved with transfers between individuals who reside in the same state.
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True. But hardly a complete, or even necessarily correct, answer:

I ask because I only have three and a half months at home in the summer...
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As the OP clearly does not live at home, it is now highly questionable whether he is even a resident of the same state as his parents. If not, an FFL is required as a matter of Federal law.

These are the errors/omissions one gets by expecting to get competent legal advice by trolling the General section of a firearms forum. :rolleyes:
 
Location, location, location

You listed Seattle, but are you a legal resident of WA? And is your father? Or are you legal resident somewhere else. it makes a difference. In WA there is (currently) no paperwork requirement for transfers between private individual, providing both are legal residents. It is prudent to get a bill of sale, of course, and the seller needs to see ID (proof of residency, etc.) but between father and son, this hardly applies, and is just good sense, not a legal requirement.

For example, if you are in the military, and your home of record is WA, then you are a legal resident, no matter where you are stationed. On the other hand, if you go to school in one state, but your home is in another, it can get tricky, depending on specific state laws.

Your post makes it sound like you father does not live in WA (because we don't have a long "purchasing process"). If this is the case, then I have no advice for you, other than to check the laws where he lives, and comply with them.

Then there is the whole "straw(man) purchase" thing. BUT, buying a gun as a gift is allowed. Again, check the laws that apply to where the gun is being bought. Most dealers can give you the correct info (otherwise they won;t be in business long).

A bit more info on your situation would allow a more concise answer.
 
If you're in college, your parents' home can be your residence, if you so choose. My previous answer is complete and accurate.
 
Not really.........

If you're in college, your parents' home can be your residence, if you so choose. My previous answer is complete and accurate.
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As the OP failed to state his state of residency OR that of his parents, there simply is not enough information provided to give a "correct and accurate" answer.
 
So the situation as it stands is that I am a college student. I live with my parents in the summer and over breaks (Winter, Spring, Thanksgiving, etc...), and I do not claim residency when I am in California for school. My parents live in Washington, and are both citizens. Hope this clears some things up. Sorry about not making that known in the beginning. And no, I don't intend to bring any of these firearms to California with me (because they're all illegal here... *sigh*). I just want to see if I can speed up the process a bit for when I get home so I don't waste the majority of my break waiting.
 
College student can keep their parent's home as their permanent address. If he has it on his license (you can't have more than one license/ID legally, you have to turn it over if you get another state's), then he's good to go. 'least that's what a PA cop told me a couple years ago.

Most keep it that way, because the dorm is not your "permanent address", which is why most applications aimed at college students ask for "school address" and "permanent address".

What type of firearms are you wanting to transfer? As I understand it, it can vary from state to state, parent to child transfers concerning handguns v. rifles.
 
AR-10 and AR-15. I mean heck, if there's any legal hassle, I'll just wait it out, get them myself and wait the 1-2 months into summer, and then leave them at the house for the duration of my downtime.
 
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