I'm getting ready to buy my first handgun and was wondering if there is a waiting period in the state of Michigan? Also, what do i need to do before I can buy one (permits)?

Thanks, Kevin

There is no waiting period in Mich. However you must go to your local police or sheriff's dept and get a permit to purchase. This will require submitting to fingerprints and a fee. You then take the permit to purchase to the person/shop from whom you intend to buy the pistol. You fill out the forms, take it back to the police and receive a "safety inspection certificate".

I believe the whole process is layed out on the Mich State Police website.

How old do you have to be to get your fingerprints done? I was planning on getting my kimber on my birthday and was wondering if I could get this bullshit cleared up before hand.

you must be 21 to get the purchase permit, not sure about the finger printing, i dont think there is a age limit to that, but i believe you have to do it while getting the permit, could be wrong on that part.

When did they start fingerprinting? It has been 5-6 years since I have bought a handgun. They didn't do it back then. Did they do away with the 15 question T & F test?

Just wondering what I have been missing out on.

Ron

Sounds like things have changed. Last handgun I bought, all I had to do was call the station and give them my info. I went down the next day and picked up my purchase permit after taking the rediculous true and false test. The seller filled out part of the form and I took it back to the sheriffs dept along with the pistol and they registered it.

When did they start requiring fingerprints?

No fingerprinting.
No waiting period.
1 go to city or county police station
2 ask for a pistol purchase permit ($5?)
fill out 20 true or false questions
wait for quick NICS check <--hopefully
3 pick up permit from person behind counter
4 Go buy pistol
5 Return to police station for safty inspection

Originally Posted By rpd_fire: No fingerprinting. No waiting period. 1 go to city or county police station 2 ask for a pistol purchase permit ($5?) fill out 20 true or false questions wait for quick NICS check <--hopefully 3 pick up permit from person behind counter 4 Go buy pistol 5 Return to police station for safty inspection

That is about it.

Originally Posted By QCMGR: Originally Posted By rpd_fire: No fingerprinting. No waiting period. 1 go to city or county police station 2 ask for a pistol purchase permit ($5?) fill out 20 true or false questions wait for quick NICS check <--hopefully 3 pick up permit from person behind counter 4 Go buy pistol 5 Return to police station for safty inspection That is about it.

I'll second that. I'm not 21 and I just bought a pistol a few weeks ago private sale. Thats all I did, no problems no hassles.

How "ridiculous" is this t and f quiz? kind of like the drivers license renewal test?

Originally Posted By keving67: How "ridiculous" is this t and f quiz? kind of like the drivers license renewal test?

Yep.

Originally Posted By keving67: How "ridiculous" is this t and f quiz? kind of like the drivers license renewal test?

Common Sense will get you through it just fine.

Originally Posted By keving67: How "ridiculous" is this t and f quiz? kind of like the drivers license renewal test?

I like to call it the "I'm not crazy test"
wait or is that the second ATF(4473?) form you fill out at store?

I heard the City police can not charge for the purchase permits anymore. When I bought my Kimber in November I got the purchase permit for free(that was in Warren). I think it was written in the shall issue CCW law that they can not charge for the permits anymore. I used to live in St. Clair Shores and you used to have to go in and tell them you needed a permit and then come in the next day to pick it up. They used to charge 10 dollars for them. NO finger printing required in either city.

when i lived in Grand Rapids, you went to apply for the purchase permit, and do all that basic stuff. no fingerprints, but you did have to wait nearly TWO FULL WEEKS before you could return and pick it up. after doing that twice i started using my parents address so i could go buy guns in Flint (half-hour total to go to station, get permit, buy gun, return for "safety inspection").
two things that concern me: one city making up a waiting period (i found out also, that despite what the FFL dealer tells you, you can't convince them otherwise...). also, the "safety registration," other than being a relic from the racist days when any handgun a black person brought in was "unsafe," its the closest thing to gun registration i've ever seen (make sure you keep that Green Card in a safe place! you wouldn't want to break the law!)

despite my love for Michigan that's actually a good 50% of why i moved to AZ (and i HATE hot weather!!!).

i was also under the impression that handguns could not be sold (legally) by private sale in Michigan? am i mistaken?

Originally Posted By 62nd_Assassin: i was also under the impression that handguns could not be sold (legally) by private sale in Michigan? am i mistaken?

You still can, you still need a permit however.

I know in Royal Oak things changed with the new CCW law. They don't charge for the permits anymore. I was buying pistols before this however. When I wanted to pick up my first buyers permit, I had to be fingerprinted.
Also you don't have to be 21 to get a permit. You must be 21 to buy a pistol from a DEALER. At 18 you can buy one from an individual. The permit is still required though.

Recent experience. Finally got around to jumping through all of the hoops to purchase a pistol. I had to pay 10 dollars to have my fingerprints taken. Once my prints were on file I could apply for a permit. I couldn't get it immediately. It was ready the next day. Next I had to drop off my pistol for the inspection. That took almost a week. I think that was longer than normal. Hopefully before summer is done, I will have more experience.

The "safety inspection" is what gets me. The screwballs at Redford Cop Shop couldnt figure out how to work the safety on my Beretta 9k. I watched as they fumbled and hemmed/hawed for about 5 mins before they gave up. That really inspired confidence in local PD and I feel confidently safe after their inspection...


WAS

I've lived in MI since 1991, and have bought pistols since 1994. Here's been my experience before the CCW law:

Wixom: Deal with jackass civilian at the local PD, and hope he doesn't call your wife and ask if she knows that you are buying a gun. Then listen to his "I'd rather have a ball-bat to take care of burglars" tome. Fill out aforementioned stupidity test. Come back in five *business* days. Watch said Jackass do a 30 second LEIN search, and upon passing, he fingerprints you. You walk out of the cop shop with your purchase permit and have 2 days to return with your new gun. When you do, they Safety Inspect the serial number and take down cal., capacity, and bbl. length. Then they send you home with your new gun, and tell you your registration card will be coming in the mail. Of the 4 guns I bought while living in Wixom, the shortest wait for the card was 3-1/2 weeks. The longest was almost 5. That's a defacto 1-month waiting period because they know you can't take the gun anywhere without the card. Jerks.

Southfield: Walk in, pay $5, take test, get treated respectfully but "we're going to be doing a cavity search with a Malice Green Edition Mag-Light because we don't want Southfield to become the next Detroit", come back in two days to collect permit. You have 4 days to return with your new gun, and they print you while running the numbers on the gun. Not a bad experience in all.

Roseville: Walk in, get treated Nicely. Fill out the Stoopid test, come pick up the permit in a few days. Bring the gun back for a fingerprint-free registration in 10 days.

Got CCW. Took the class, sent in the money, went to the sherrif's office, got treated with respect, appeared at the courthouse 93 days later, walked out legal to carry.

Roseville with a CCW: Walk into gun shop. Buy whatever gives you wood. Take it to the cop shop. Get treated with respect. Stick it in your pocket after they register it. Walk out a happier man.

Hope that helped. As you can see, it really varies from city to city. As far as I know, Michigan had a 5 day waiting period even before the Brady Law mandated it. Enforcement of the 5 day period was hit and miss even before 1994 though.

Dave

It's funny you mention the Redford PD... I sold a Mossberg Bullpup to a friend who lives in Redford. As some of you may know, the Bullpup is considered a 'Pistol' in Michigan, so it had to be registered. Unfortunately, the dealer who sold it to me didn't tell me this, and failed to complete the requisite paperwork for a handgun.

So, being a 'used' handgun, I went down there with my friend to transfer it to his name. The serial number gives the firearms database a fit and calling another friend in (happens to be a Redford cop) wouldn't make the desk jockey budge. He wanted to call it a Mossberg, when it was really made by Maverick Arms. MA was a shell company set up my Mossberg to make the Ugly Gun. The problem was that the plastic stock covered up the manufacturer's stamp on the reciever and he didn't believe me.

So, I had to wait at the cop shop while my friend went home to get tools. The desk jockey made me dissassemble the gun right there at the desk, it took forever and I lost two springs.

Not Fun.

Dave