bring hand gun in from out of state

[JonnyB]

If a gun was bought from out of state and brought into PA not via a gun dealer how do you register the gun in PA? Does it have to be sent into PA from one gun dealer to another and then picked up in PA at that gun dealer or can you drive it to PA and just register it?

[mbinpa]

There is no gun registration in the Commonwealth. Bring your guns and enjoy.

If you want to create a "legitimate" paper trail you can go to an FFL and sell the gun to yourself. This will put the weapon into the Sales database and you can get a receipt proving it is yours.

Most of my weapons were either purchased from out of state or before computers were around. I doubt they are in the system.

[csmith]

All you have to do is make sure you transport your firearms in a legal manner consistent with the Safe Passage provision of FOPA. PA does not have gun registration.

One note of caution is if you ever encounter an LEO unfamiliar with state laws (there are quite a few) and you allow them to "run the serial", they will check against the PA sales database, which will not have a matching record. Sometimes said LEOs who are unfamiliar with state laws will confiscate the firearm illegally and you will have a brutal time trying to get it back. These type of scenarios occur most often when people carry handguns which they brought in from out of state. I'm sure somebody will be along to clarify further or word it better than I have....

[GunLawyer001]

If a gun was bought from out of state and brought into PA not via a gun dealer how do you register the gun in PA? Does it have to be sent into PA from one gun dealer to another and then picked up in PA at that gun dealer or can you drive it to PA and just register it?

Be aware that Federal law says it's a criminal act:

(3) for any person, other than a licensed importer, licensed
manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to transport
into or receive in the State where he resides (or if the person
is a corporation or other business entity, the State where it
maintains a place of business) any firearm purchased or otherwise
obtained by such person outside that State, except that this
paragraph (A) shall not preclude any person who lawfully acquires
a firearm by bequest or intestate succession in a State other
than his State of residence from transporting the firearm into or
receiving it in that State, if it is lawful for such person to
purchase or possess such firearm in that State, (B) shall not
apply to the transportation or receipt of a firearm obtained in
conformity with subsection (b)(3) of this section, and (C) shall
not apply to the transportation of any firearm acquired in any
State prior to the effective date of this chapter;

If you used to live in another state, and you bought some guns there while residing there, and you then move into Pennsylvania and bring them along, then neither Federal nor Pa law has a problem with that, assuming that you are not a prohibited person under Federal or Pa law (it's possible, even common, for someone to be prohibited by Pa law without being prohibited by Federal law or the law of their former state.)

It's also worth mentioning that the only "firearm" that you could legally own in another state that you could not bring here, would be a Federally registered "bomb". The NFA and some states permit you to own a grenade launcher and live rounds for it, but Pennsylvania prohibits "bombs" as prohibited offensive weapons. So leave the live rounds somewhere else, preferably in the form of smoke and lingering booming echos.

[JonnyB]

thank you all for your help. This gun was purchase when i lived in OH and i brought it with me to PA.
If I was going to sell this gun to someone from NJ I believe I would have to somehow send it to a gun dealer in NJ from a gun dealer in PA. Is that correct? Would there be a problem that I never 'registered' the gun in PA?

[GunLawyer001]

thank you all for your help. This gun was purchase when i lived in OH and i brought it with me to PA.
If I was going to sell this gun to someone from NJ I believe I would have to somehow send it to a gun dealer in NJ from a gun dealer in PA. Is that correct? Would there be a problem that I never 'registered' the gun in PA?

If you find a cooperative NJ FFL, you could send it directly to that FFL. It's probably cheaper to use a PA FFL to send it to the NJ FFL, given the troubles that some have had in finding a carrier to take handguns from non-FFL's.

The dealer would just take your info, it doesn't have to be in any database. If it's in the stolen gun database (no reason to think it is), then you'd have some trouble, eventually.

[God's Country]

thank you all for your help. This gun was purchase when i lived in OH and i brought it with me to PA.
If I was going to sell this gun to someone from NJ I believe I would have to somehow send it to a gun dealer in NJ from a gun dealer in PA. Is that correct? Would there be a problem that I never 'registered' the gun in PA?

You need to bring the gun to a Pa FFl and have them ship it to a NJ FFl, which means you should pre-arange this prior to a sale agreement.
Both FFL's will charge a fee for this so be sure the buyer is willing to pay those fees, which will vary from dealer to dealer. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire deal cost around $100 over the price you want for your gun.

[mrjam2jab]

You need to bring the gun to a Pa FFl and have them ship it to a NJ FFl, which means you should pre-arange this prior to a sale agreement.
Both FFL's will charge a fee for this so be sure the buyer is willing to pay those fees, which will vary from dealer to dealer. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire deal cost around $100 over the price you want for your gun.

Or meet the buyer at a NJ FFL....

[FJRMarty]

Or meet the buyer at a NJ FFL....

Is that possible?

[God's Country]

Or meet the buyer at a NJ FFL....

Is that possible?

It should meet the exception for transporting a firearm.

However, no way in hell I'm getting jacked up by a NJ JBT that doesn't want to hear why I'm in his state with a gun. Especially over a gun sale.

If some dude from NJ wants to buy my gun he can pay the exrtra freight or go elsewhere.