New Comers seeking to own a gun for self defense

[Jossready]

Hi All,

I just moved to PA from NY and i would like to apply for a permit to carry.
what are the steps that i need to do in order to own a gun for protection and mostly will be used for hunting..

Thanks...
JR

[rwilson452]

1) get your PA DL

2) go to the sheriff's office in your county and apply for a License to Carry a Firearm. Take $20 cash with you.

3) go to your local friendly FFL and pick out the pistol of your choice.

Note' you don't need a LTCF to purchase, just to carry it concealed or loaded in a car or in the City of Philly. AND you must transport it directly to the range or such. Read the stickies without a LTCF things get complicated.

That is all that is necessary. However there are a multitude of stickies here telling were and when you can carry. Getting a LTCF will save you a lot of grief.

I forgot, you can get a sportsman's permit from the county clerk ($6)

[Cfurlo]

You may need several firearms, unless you go with a larger caliber revolver. You cannot hunt with a semi pistol or rifle in PA.

[Philbert]

You may need several firearms, unless you go with a larger caliber revolver. You cannot hunt with a semi pistol or rifle in PA.

And you can't carry a loaded shotgun or rifle in a vehicle.

[QuackXP]

I would like to reinforce that you DO NOT need a Licence To Carry Firearm (LTCF) to purchase any firearm. You do need some kind of ID that proves you are a resident and a PA drivers licence is the most common one.

You do not need a LTCF to carry in your home or fixed place of business (a business you own not where you work for someone else). You can Open Carry (OC) without a licence, but you need a licence to transport a firearm in any vechile anywhere except, place of purchase, repair, range, home, vacation home, place of business. So to OC unless you walk everywhere you need a licence. You need a licence to Concealed Carry (CC) anywhere except your home or fixed place of business. Since all it takes is a trip to the sheriffs office/courthouse a one page form and $20 its well worth it, even if you don't plan on carrying.

PA is orders of magnitude better than NY as far as firearms and 2A related laws but there are some gotchas, most of them are remedied by having a LTCF.

I'm assuming you live in Luzerne county from your profile. Here is the link to the sheriffs office for licencing:

http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/...ermit_division

Welcome to PA and PAFOA.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

[esh21167]

Welcome to the free world. As others have said, obtaining a LCTF is simple so long as you're not 'prohibited'. There are several questions on the application to answer like drug user, PFA, assault convictions, etc. If you're a clean guy, no problem.

You can also have magazines of any capacity, pistol grips and threaded muzzles on rifles, and I'm sure other things that are verboten in NY. Visit some local shops and you'll see what you've been missing.

[90volts]

Welcome to the forum. And a closer to free state than where you came from.

Check this thread out (sticky at top of the forum here) for a lot of good,useful info.

http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-ope...nsylvania.html

[internet troll]

Welcome to Pa. Here's a repost of a post I wrote before that might give you some of the information you are looking for.

This is a very basic outline for someone new to guns and considering getting a firearm in Pa. I thought it might be helpful based on a recent thread I read here and a conversation I had last night with someone thinking about getting a gun. I did a search and did not find a post dedicated to just this topic but my googlefu might be off. I figure anyone doing a search might come across this and hopefully it will give some helpful info. There are great sources on this site that have more info. (a couple which I listed below) While I do address some of the info in those sources, I am trying to focus on the difference between the process of buying a gun and getting a LTCF.

I am not an expert, lawyer or lawmaker, just a gun owner who was once new to the processes and topics below. This list is for beginners and not complete. It omits a lot of in depth things that you will learn about if you choose to get more involved with firearms.

General Info

1.* In Pa you can own guns for in home/property use or carry for protection. 2.* Both the U.S Constitution and Pa Constitution have sections pertaining to peoples right to bear arms. 3.* Gun laws vary from state to state. What works in Pa will not work in NJ. 4.* In Pa you can own a gun as long as you are not a prohibited person.* Your criminal or mental background would determine if you are prohibited. 5.* You do NOT need a LTCF just to own a gun in Pa. You do need a LTCF if you intend to conceal carry in Pa.

Process to obtain a gun

To buy a handgun or new long gun in Pa, you will: 1.* You will buy it from a seller who has a Federal Firearms License (FFL) or they will send it/sell it through a person with a FFL. 2.* The FFL will charge you a fee above the price of your gun to transfer the gun to you. The price varies depending upon the person with the FFL.*Generally $30-50 from what I've seen. 3. You will be required to fill out paperwork when purchasing the gun. The paperwork will ask various questions to determine if you are prohibited. 4.* After you have finished the paperwork, the FFL will make a phone call to Pa Instant Check System (PICS) which is linked to the National Instant Criminal Background check System (NICS) run by the FBI. 5.* The PICS check is the final word at that moment if you are a prohibited person or not.

If you are found to be a prohibited person, you will not be allowed to take the gun with you. You will then have to determine why you are prohibited.

If you are not a prohibited person you will be allowed to have the gun and take it home right then.* You are allowed to take the gun home in your car without a LTCF if you go straight home. It is important to note that passing a NICS check does not mean you now have a LTCF or even that you will be approved to have a LTCF. That is a different process

Carrying a gun

There are basically two types of carry, open (OC) or concealed (CC).

A. Open Carry: Carrying a gun in public where everyone can see it. There are laws that you need to know if you do this. See the links below.

B.* Concealed Carry: In Pa you may get a License to Carry a Firearm (LTCF) This allows you to CC which means carry a handgun on your person while hidden. (the gun, not you ) It can be hidden in an Inside the Waistband holster (IWB), ankle holster, shoulder holster, pocket carry and so on. You may OC if you have a LTCF. You may NOT CC if you do not have a LTCF. It also allows you to carry in a car and during a state of emergency.

The LTCF will allow you to CC or OC anywhere legal in Pa. Here is a resource that is well worth the time to read.

http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-ope...nsylvania.html (READ FIRST: Where you CAN and CANNOT Carry weapons in the State of Pennsylvania) (READ FIRST: Where you CAN and CANNOT Carry weapons in the State of Pennsylvania) (READ FIRST: Where you CAN and CANNOT Carry weapons in the State of Pennsylvania)

and another great resource:http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...44990110,d.dmg (Your Pennsylvania Gun Rights ~Handy flyer to carry with you.)
* To apply for a LTCF: (Note:this is suppose to be uniform across the state but there still seem to be variations, especially in Philadelphia. Hopefully someone who understands Philly better than I can do will add to this)

1.* You must be 21. 2. * You go to your Sheriffs Office at your county courthouse and fill out an application. (or print one out and fill it in ahead of time). Take a photo ID with you. 3.* You should only have to pay a $20 fee and they will process your application. 4.* They ask you for 2 references. You can use anyone who is not a family member. 5.* They will do a background check. They use (PICS) run by the Pa State Police. 6.* They have up to 45 days to process the application.* Each county is different, some do it the same day, others take the entire time. 7.* Pa is a "Shall Issue" state which basically means they need a good legal reason to not issue you a LTCF. 8.* If you have been found to be an acceptable person to have a LTCF, you will receive a letter telling you that you have been approved. They will either send you your LTCF or you then take the letter to the Sheriffs office and they will issue your LTCF. 9.* If they deny your application there is a process to find out why and challenge it.* Don't waste time, get to it once you get your denial letter. There can be reasons that simple challenge will overcome.

Couple of facts/things worth further research:

There are different laws that apply to handguns and Long guns. You should know the laws for whichever you have.

You can't just lend/give a gun to whomever you want. Look up info or ask questions before lending/giving a gun to someone. -----------------------------------------------------------------------Remember, you might currently have the right to own guns, not knowing the Pa gun laws could easily lose you that right once you have a gun.

btw....... those links I posted earlier, here they are again in case you ignored them for some reason. My info is basically procedural info for someone wondering how to go about getting a gun. The links are really worth your time to read and may save your rights, the information is that valuable.

http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-ope...nsylvania.html (READ FIRST: Where you CAN and CANNOT Carry weapons in the State of Pennsylvania)(READ FIRST: Where you CAN and CANNOT Carry weapons in the State of Pennsylvania) (READ FIRST: Where you CAN and CANNOT Carry weapons in the State of Pennsylvania)

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...110,d.dmg(Your Pennsylvania Gun Rights ~Handy flyer to carry with you.)

[Statkowski]

Once you get your Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms, scan a copy, black out all the personal information, and mail that to everyone left behind in New York. Don't forget the mention the cost ($20.00). Rubbing salt in a wound may not be nice, but it's nice to do every now and then.

Welcome to Pennsylvania! America starts here.

[CDKJudoka]

Welcome to PA from another NY transplant. I was able to get my LTCF here in Berks county in under 15 mins. All of the info that the guys provided above will prove to be helpful and informative.