Is it Legal to store other people's firearms in PA?

[Bartthedog]

Some background info :
My wife is currently caring for her friend's sick husband who is on rapidly declining health. The friend has moved to a condo with firearms storage restrictions. She is selling her house and needs to store her husband's firearms. Her husband has an FFL. She does have power of attorney. I think she is going to ask me to store the firearms for her.

Question :
Is it legal in PA to store someone else's guns for them? I am legally allowed to own guns and have had a CCL since 1996. I do not know how many or what types of firearms will be involved.

[bogey1]

Yes.

[father-of-five]

Yes. I stored my firearms at my parents house in Pennsylvania until my residency legally changed from Pennsylvania to New Jersey.

[JoshIronshaft]

Do you know what kind of FFL?

Are any of the firearms on the FFL's book? I think they would need to be officially transferred from the FFL to the husband (recorded in the FFL A&D book), then no problem. But I'm just guessing here.

If there are any NFA items, then those would need to be in a locked container with only the owner of the NFA items having access (holding the key or lock combination), and a letter in your possession stating the arrangement, you are storing them, you don't have access, etc. I believe I found that guidance on the ATF website before.

[GunLawyer001]

Details matter. PA allows "loans" of personally-owned handguns to another PA resident who has a PA LTCF, and transfers of long guns within the state are basically unrestricted between non-prohibited adults.

NFA firearms are different. You could rent or lend her the space for their safe, to which you have no access. That works well for Title I or Title II firearms.

Anything in an FFL's bound book is different.

If his FFL is for a business, and he's dying, best bet would probably be to sell the inventory to another FFL to get the paperwork done right & zero-out the bound book. If she can avoid the pitfalls of temporary storage by selling them, maybe that's the way to go.

If these are personal guns inherited from dad or grandpa, maybe not the way to go.

Link to statute with exception for LTCF in item (b)(1)(i):

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/L...s%20subchapter.

[Bartthedog]

Yes.

Thank you

[Bartthedog]

Yes. I stored my firearms at my parents house in Pennsylvania until my residency legally changed from Pennsylvania to New Jersey.

Thank you

[bogey1]

Thank you

No problem, thank phil also as he took the time to post the laws and his knowledge.

[Bartthedog]

Do you know what kind of FFL?

Are any of the firearms on the FFL's book? I think they would need to be officially transferred from the FFL to the husband (recorded in the FFL A&D book), then no problem. But I'm just guessing here.

If there are any NFA items, then those would need to be in a locked container with only the owner of the NFA items having access (holding the key or lock combination), and a letter in your possession stating the arrangement, you are storing them, you don't have access, etc. I believe I found that guidance on the ATF website before.

I am looking at the firearms on Saturday for the first time so I am not sure if the items are in an FFL book or are personal firearms. Potential NFA items are a concern but I have no idea if this will come into play. I have confidence in identifying the NFA items and will not take possession of them.

[Bartthedog]

Details matter. PA allows "loans" of personally-owned handguns to another PA resident who has a PA LTCF, and transfers of long guns within the state are basically unrestricted between non-prohibited adults.

NFA firearms are different. You could rent or lend her the space for their safe, to which you have no access. That works well for Title I or Title II firearms.

Anything in an FFL's bound book is different.

If his FFL is for a business, and he's dying, best bet would probably be to sell the inventory to another FFL to get the paperwork done right & zero-out the bound book. If she can avoid the pitfalls of temporary storage by selling them, maybe that's the way to go.

If these are personal guns inherited from dad or grandpa, maybe not the way to go.

Link to statute with exception for LTCF in item (b)(1)(i):

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/L...s%20subchapter.

Thank you for the expert response.
I definitely will look at each individual firearm carefully and try to get records for each one.
I want to avoid taking possession of any NFA items generally.
My initial thought was to refer her to an established FFL brick and mortar store which I have personally purchased firearms from and deals with estates on a regular basis.
I think I can at a minimum assess / inventory what she has and help her decide how to proceed.
Thanks for taking your time, sharing information, and bringing up potentinal issues I did not consider.