{"id":374123,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:35","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/michigan-law\/michigan-gun-control-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-10-30T12:50:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T17:50:00","slug":"michigan-gun-control-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/michigan-law\/michigan-gun-control-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Michigan Gun Control Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Michigan Gun Control Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By John Mascolo, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Laws regulating the purchase, possession, use, and carrying of firearms vary from state to state. With each mass shooting concerns grow about gun violence, and the prevalence of firearm-related deaths in childhood accidents and suicide also raises issues about gun safety. <\/p>\r\n

State legislators may respond to these matters with stricter gun regulations in some states. However, they often try to balance public safety with the rights of law-abiding gun owners. <\/p>\r\n

Michigan gun laws reflect that struggle. In terms of gun control, the state falls somewhere in the middle of the pack.<\/p>\r\n

Federal Firearms Law<\/h2>\r\n

Federal gun laws navigate many of the same challenges seen at the state level. The Second Amendment<\/a> to the U.S. Constitution protects the public’s right to bear arms while federal law enforcement agencies seek to control and regulate dangerous weapons. <\/p>\r\n

The federal government provides licensing requirements for gun dealers. It also enforces prohibitions to keep guns out of the hands of felons and other prohibited persons. <\/p>\r\n

Under federal law, a licensed gun dealer must refer all gun purchases for a criminal background check prior to delivery. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)<\/a> was created to assist in this process.<\/p>\r\n

Michigan Gun Control Laws<\/h2>\r\n

In Michigan, tragedy has brought changes in the law and in the resolve to hold violent offenders accountable. In 2021, a Michigan student shot and killed four students and injured seven others at Oxford High School. In 2023, a lone gunman on the campus of Michigan State University killed four students and injured seven others before taking his own life. <\/p>\r\n

State prosecutors convicted the high school shooter, obtaining a sentence of life in prison without parole. They also charged both parents of the shooter with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for buying the gun used in the crime and disregarding their son’s mental health issues and threatening behavior. Both parents were convicted by juries in separate trials.\u200b<\/p>\r\n

New Laws<\/h3>\r\n

The Michigan legislature enacted new gun regulations after these incidents, becoming the 21st state to adopt a red flag law<\/a>. In Michigan, family and household members, law enforcement, and health care providers can file for a court to issue an extreme risk protection order. <\/p>\r\n

The law provides an opportunity for a court to hear evidence of whether a person presents a serious risk of physical harm to self or others if they have access to a firearm. <\/p>\r\n

The state also closed legal loopholes to provide universal background checks on all firearm purchases in the state. Gun buyers will now be subject to a background check whether the purchase occurs before a licensed dealer or through a private sale. <\/p>\r\n

State lawmakers also imposed firearm prohibitions on those with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions and passed a safe storage law to help prevent children from accessing loaded firearms.<\/p>\r\n

License and Carry Laws<\/h3>\r\n

Unlike some states, Michigan requires that citizens apply for a purchase license before buying a firearm. This includes handguns and long guns. Sales records of handgun purchases must be shared with law enforcement. <\/p>\r\n

The state also requires that citizens who want to carry a concealed firearm must first obtain a concealed pistol license (CPL). As a result, the state vets anyone purchasing a firearm by running a criminal background check prior to the delivery of the weapon. <\/p>\r\n

The Michigan State Police<\/a> provide information on the concealed carry permit process. Those who have a valid CPL do not have to obtain a purchase license each time they buy a firearm.<\/p>\r\n

Like other states, Michigan provides a list of restricted locations where gun owners generally cannot take a firearm. These include:<\/p>\r\n