Michigan Gun Laws - A Case Study

I just want to inform our readers about some interesting information I came across while working on a case.  I have a client facing an Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapon charge in DuPage County.  The client is a Michigan resident.  He was pulled over on the highway by an Illinois State Trooper for speeding.  As the trooper was giving my client a ticket, my client voluntarily told the trooper that he had a gun in his car.  The trooper pulled him out of the vehicle and discovered an unloaded gun under a pile of clothes on the driver's seat and a magazine with bullets in the glove compartment.  I am in the process of trying to get the charges reduced with the prosecutor because my client has absolutely no criminal background, owns a business in Michigan and completely cooperated with the police.  My client gave me some documents from Michigan which support his argument that he had the legal right to own the firearm in Michigan.  As I did some research on Michigan's gun laws I came across some interesting information that I would like to share with our readers.  Keep in mind that we are not licensed to practice law in Michigan.  This information is not intended to be legal advice.

Unlike in Illinois, a license to own a firearm is not required in Michigan.  You can transport a gun in your car so long as the gun is unloaded and in a container in the trunk of your vehicle or, if the vehicle has no trunk, the gun is in a container and is not readily accessible to the occupants of the vehicle, provided that the gun is being transported for a lawful purpose.  You can carry a gun in your house or your place of business.  No permit or license is required to own a rifle or a shotgun.  If you want to buy a handgun, the buyer has to obtain a license to purchase from the chief of police, if the buyer lives in a city, or the county sheriff if the buyer lives in an area without an organized police department.  The buyer must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, resident of Michigan, no felony conviction, never been found insane in court, and score at least 70 percent on a pistol safety review questionnaire.  The license has to have the signature of the buyer and the seller.  Within 10 days after the gun is purchased, the buyer must return the license to purchase along with the actual gun to the police agency and they will be issued a safety inspection certificate for the handgun.  

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