Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Addison, Vermont
    Posts
    87
    Rep Power
    14765

    Default How long do I have to be a resident before purchase?

    I've been through the stickies, and the ATF website. I can't find what I'm looking for.

    I am NOT talking about PA, but I'll settle for PA related answers. Vermont doesn't really have any gun laws other than Federal laws. I have lived in VT for 9 months, but just got my driver's license here not long ago. Who feels like dealing with the DMV?

    How long must I be a resident before I can purchase a handgun from a dealer? Is it the DL/ State ID that determines date of established residency, or a lease? A guy at a little gun shop told me six months, but I'd like to verify that.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    (Philadelphia County)
    Posts
    1,337
    Rep Power
    16766

    Default Re: How long do I have to be a resident before purchase?

    AFAIK there's no time requirement. The day you move from one state to another, you cease being a resident of the former and become a resident of the latter. I imagine the standard proof would be all that is needed (license, utility bills, lease, paystub, etc....)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Promised Land, Pennsylvania
    (Pike County)
    Posts
    3,516
    Rep Power
    21474855

    Default Re: How long do I have to be a resident before purchase?

    I need to produce utility bills for 3 consecutive months as proof of residency (I'm not a US citizen yet). So I can assume, that it shouldn't be more than that for US citizen. If applies at all.
    Je suis déplorable

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Brookville, Pennsylvania
    (Jefferson County)
    Age
    51
    Posts
    20,076
    Rep Power
    21474874

    Default Re: How long do I have to be a resident before purchase?

    Once you have a state issued DL or ID - that is sufficient proof of residency. Once you have that you can buy a handgun.
    RIP: SFN, 1861, twoeggsup, Lambo, jamesjo, JayBell, 32 Magnum, Pro2A, mrwildroot, dregan, Frenchy, Fragger, ungawa, Mtn Jack, Grapeshot, R.W.J., PennsyPlinker, Statkowski, Deanimator, roland, aubie515

    Don't end up in my signature!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Promised Land, Pennsylvania
    (Pike County)
    Posts
    3,516
    Rep Power
    21474855

    Default Re: How long do I have to be a resident before purchase?

    Quote Originally Posted by knight0334 View Post
    Once you have a state issued DL or ID - that is sufficient proof of residency.
    That sounds about right.
    Je suis déplorable

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Addison, Vermont
    Posts
    87
    Rep Power
    14765

    Default Re: How long do I have to be a resident before purchase?

    Thanks for the replies. I should have known better than to take gun shop info as truth. He probably just wanted me out of his store. I wish I had researched this sooner.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    State College, Pennsylvania
    (Centre County)
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,607
    Rep Power
    21474859

    Default Re: How long do I have to be a resident before purchase?

    I read your post, did you live in PA at one time and then move to VT? Your location shows Brookhaven, PA. If you want information about PA gun laws this is the place to start. If you want information about VT gun laws, this isn't the place to start. You can go to VT's website and it should give you directions to the VT State Police or AG and that should lead you to their gun laws.

    That said, in PA, as soon as you move here with the intention of making it you residence, you need to change your DL and car registration to your new address. Once that is done, you can go to any gun dealer to buy a gun as the background check is done with the information from your PA DL. If you are a rsident alien, then you have to show proof that you have lived here for at least 3 months (lease/rental agreement, utility bills, etc.)If you are active military, in PA due to military orders or a college student enrolled in a school here, you can buy a gun, it's just that when doing the background check things are done a little differently (the dealer can't use the automated system they have to talk to a PICS operator).

    The above is just a short blurb on doing it in PA. I have no idea how it is done in VT.

    Here is a place you can start http://www.atg.state.vt.us/issues/gun-laws.php
    Ron USAF Ret E-8 FFL01/SOT3 NRA Benefactor Member

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Addison, Vermont
    Posts
    87
    Rep Power
    14765

    Default Re: How long do I have to be a resident before purchase?

    Quote Originally Posted by Xringshooter View Post
    I read your post, did you live in PA at one time and then move to VT? Your location shows Brookhaven, PA. If you want information about PA gun laws this is the place to start. If you want information about VT gun laws, this isn't the place to start. You can go to VT's website and it should give you directions to the VT State Police or AG and that should lead you to their gun laws.

    That said, in PA, as soon as you move here with the intention of making it you residence, you need to change your DL and car registration to your new address. Once that is done, you can go to any gun dealer to buy a gun as the background check is done with the information from your PA DL. If you are a rsident alien, then you have to show proof that you have lived here for at least 3 months (lease/rental agreement, utility bills, etc.)If you are active military, in PA due to military orders or a college student enrolled in a school here, you can buy a gun, it's just that when doing the background check things are done a little differently (the dealer can't use the automated system they have to talk to a PICS operator).

    The above is just a short blurb on doing it in PA. I have no idea how it is done in VT.

    Here is a place you can start http://www.atg.state.vt.us/issues/gun-laws.php
    Thanks for the link. I live in VT now, after living in Brookhaven, PA. I never updated my location on the forum. For really no good reason, I just got my driver's license in VT. I probably should have just kept my PA DL, I'll be back there soon enough anyway. Oh well, more revenue for both states.

    I was really only asking on a conversational level to figure out if this guy was giving me false information. I'm familiar with this forum, so I asked here. Based on what I've been told here, I'm pretty sure he was dishonest. I don't know his motive, and don't care too much anymore. I won't be going back to his shop.

    I read everything that the linked site had, and it really didn't answer my question. I'm pretty satisfied with the answers that I got here. Thanks again.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    State College, Pennsylvania
    (Centre County)
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,607
    Rep Power
    21474859

    Default Re: How long do I have to be a resident before purchase?

    Yeah, the guy at the gunshop was incorrect but maybe he didn't know (which, if he is selling guns he really should know the pertinent laws, and residence IS a pertinent law).

    I got the link and started to drill down and it kept taking me further and further into different places. I finally stopped when I got to the VT statutes as I didn't know where to look. A call to whoever is your state rep or senator in VT may get you pointed in the right direction. Here in PA you can call your Rep/Sen and they will send you a copy of the Uniform Firearms Act, all nice and bound with their pic and contact info for free, it is one of their franking privileges. I know people that asked for 100 copies and they got it (they had to go to the Reps office to pick the box up. You can do that for the PA game laws also.
    Ron USAF Ret E-8 FFL01/SOT3 NRA Benefactor Member

Similar Threads

  1. Can a MI resident purchase in PA?
    By Avbcon12 in forum General
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: January 3rd, 2011, 04:14 PM
  2. PA resident to purchase from NJ resident
    By babers013 in forum General
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: December 7th, 2010, 10:36 PM
  3. Non-resident firearm purchase?
    By 9parabellum in forum General
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: January 30th, 2009, 12:38 AM
  4. Replies: 17
    Last Post: November 8th, 2008, 11:11 PM
  5. Out of state resident purchase in PA
    By TRB in forum General
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: May 19th, 2007, 07:40 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •