Michigan Gun Laws
Unlike other states, Michigan does not require a permit to purchase shotguns or rifles but does require a permit to purchase handguns. No registration is necessary for shotguns and rifles but it is necessary for handguns.

Shotgun and rifle owners are not required to license their shotguns, handguns, and rifles, however. Permits are not necessary to carry shotguns or rifles but are needed to carry handguns and other concealed weapons. The state of Michigan states that minors under the age of eighteen are not allowed to purchase any form of handgun, rifle, or shotgun, nor are any individuals who are under indictment or individuals who have been convicted of felonies.

An individual must have a license allowing him or her to purchase a handgun before a purchase can take place through a private seller or a dealer. This kind of license can be obtained in a city through the chief of police or in an outer area through a county sheriff.

To be eligible to obtain a license an individual must be eighteen years or older, must be a United States citizen, must be a Michigan resident, must not have any past felony convictions, must not have entered into a mental hospital for insanity reasons, and must have scored a minimum of seventy percent on the review questionnaire for gun safety. This license will need to have three copies made at the time of a firearm purchase. A description of the handgun will be recorded along with the buyer and seller's signatures noting the presence of the needed license. Copies will then be made and kept by the seller.

Michigan Gun Possession
When an individual acquires a handgun, he or she is obligated by Michigan law to bring the gun to the county sheriff or the chief of police in his or her area. The gun will then be inspected and a description taken for police records. A thumbprint will also be taken along with the owner's name.

Even though permits are not necessary for shotguns or rifles and permits can be obtained for handguns, certain stipulations apply for where firearms are allowed. Possessing a firearm in a church building, a court of law, a hospital, a school, a financial institution, a theater, a restaurant where liquor is served, a sports arena, or a day care center is illegal under all circumstances.

No Required Licensing
When a firearm is unloaded and in a protective container, no license is needed to transport or carry the gun. However the transport must be for lawful purposes. Michigan citizens are also permitted to have firearms in their homes or business places without first obtaining a license. This is also the case for carrying a firearm on personal land.

Possessing and carrying an unloaded firearm while in a protective container is also lawful in Michigan but only if precautions are taken. When transferring a firearm, the gun must be fully unloaded, encased, broken down, and carried in a vehicle trunk. All law enforcement officers are allowed by Michigan law to carry handguns without licensing.