Michigan is not a constitutional carry state, and you are required to have a gun permit for the concealed carry of firearms within the state. It Is a shall-issue state, and this means that if you meet all the requirements for the application of a license, the state is under obligation to grant you one. The sheriff in a local county is responsible for the issuance of a permit in the state.

In Michigan, you do not need a purchase permit, the completion of a background check, or firearm registration to buy guns from a private dealer or in gun shows. Handguns in the state can only be purchased by residents. Non-residents are permitted by laws of the state to buy only long guns within Michigan.

Possession of Firearms in Michigan

Although the open carry of firearms in Michigan is legal, it has a number of state restrictions. You must be at least eighteen years old to open carry.

Licensed residents of the state will only be permitted to open carry with a registered firearm. For non-residents, they must have a valid license issued by their state before they can open or conceal carry within its territory. In Michigan, you can open carry firearms in more places than areas where you can conceal carry.

You can only conceal carry in Michigan if you have the state’s pistol license. Nonresidents with a minimum of twenty-one years old will also be able to open carry as long as they have a valid permit from their state of residence.

In Michigan, it is unlawful to buy, sell, possess, or use assault weapons like machine guns and semi-automatic firearms. However, there are exceptions for manufacturers that have complied with federal and state laws. Also, federally licensed sellers and gun manufacture that are contracted to the government may be allowed to possess, sell or buy a firearm.

The possession of handguns in a private vehicle is only legal for those that have Michigan gun licenses. If you do not have a permit, you can only possess the firearm with the condition that the gun must be unloaded, locked away in its case, either in the trunk of the vehicle or any other hidden part, and not accessible to passengers.

It is not a prohibition to possess firearms in roadside areas of the state. Michigan gun statute does not prohibit the possession of firearms in state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas.

Michigan gun laws do not have any statute regulating possession of firearms in private properties like hotels. Every hotel in the state can regulate the possession of firearms on their premises as they deem fit. Hotels can come up with regulations and develop laws to control firearms.

You do not need a permit to conceal carry in Michigan if you are in a privately own resident, business, or property. Also, if you have the permission of a property owner, you do not need a permit to conceal carry within the property.

In terms of reciprocity, a gun license from other states within the nation is accepted in Michigan as long as the license owner is at least twenty-one years old.

Places Where you cannot Possess Firearms in Michigan

Regardless of if you have a permit or not, open and concealed carry in Michigan is illegal in some locations in the state. Exemptions may be made to peace officers and law enforcement officers.

  • You cannot conceal carry in a building or property used for children’s care or any daycare center, either government or privately owned.
  • You cannot conceal carry within halls of residence of a college, technical institution, or a university.
  • You cannot conceal carry in a stadium or anywhere that is used for a professional sporting activity.
  • You cannot conceal carry in bars where the primary source of income is the sales of alcohol.
  • You cannot conceal carry in places of worship such as churches, mosques, temples, or synagogues. An exception to this is if the person in charge of the place. An example is when the head pastor or imam permits the possession of guns.
  • You cannot conceal carry in a facility with more than two thousand five hundred holding capacity.
  • You cannot conceal carry in a hospital or any other health institution.
  • You cannot conceal carry in Michigan state university or Wayne University. Except for special cases such as visitors with Michigan CCW permits
  • You cannot conceal carry in restricted airport areas.
  • You cannot conceal carry in-game houses or casinos.
  • You cannot conceal carry in courthouses or offices within a courtyard that is used by chief judges and other judicial workers. An exception to this is if the judge has a written policy to allow the use of firearms.
  • You cannot conceal carry in areas where the use of firearms has been prohibited by federal laws of the United States.

Application of Michigan Gun License

Michigan will only issue a gun license to residents of the state. However, military personnel stationed for active duty in the state and their spouses can also apply for a gun license in Michigan. Law enforcement agents, peace officers and military members deployed for duty will not need a gun license to possess firearms in Michigan.

Michigan also requires that you complete a firearm expertise course before you apply for a gun license. The course must be state-approved with a minimum of eight hours’ instruction and three hours shooting period. With or without a permit, you cannot open or concealed carry in some parts of Michigan.

The process of application for a Michigan gun license includes completing an oath. This will be done at the local county closest to your home of residence and will be overseen by the county’s clerk. You are also required to provide a quality passport picture and fingerprints to the local sheriff’s office in the county. All of these must be submitted with an application form. The processing time for the permit is forty-five days.

The cost for fingerprints is $15 and the cost for a permit application is $115. You must also provide your pistol application receipt to the sheriff. The permit is valid for approximately five years.

Michigan pistol permit renewal process can begin at least six months before the expiration date. You will receive notification from your county clerk within these six months. You can either renew the application at the local county, via mail or online.

If you are eligible for online renewal, you will receive a notification containing your Pin. Permit holders that do not receive a Pin with their notifications are not eligible for an online permit.

For mail permit renewal, apply together with a check for the required fee to the Michigan state police licensing unit.

Requirements for Gun Application in Michigan

Michigan gun laws have some requirements for anyone applying for a gun permit in the state. It is compulsory that you meet all requirements for a successful application. The requirements state that:

  • You must be at least twenty-one years old
  • You must complete a Michigan firearm training that is overseen by a state-certified instructor. This could also be a Michigan concealed carry online course.
  • You must be a resident of Michigan and must have lived in the state for a minimum of six months.
  • You must have a valid state identification card such as a driver’s license.
  • You must not be convicted of a felony or have any related charges.
  • You must not be legally incapacitated.
  • You must not be mentally unstable.
  • You must not have a court order that prohibits the possession, transportation, sales, purchase, and usage of firearms, either federally or in another state.
  • You must not be discharged from the armed forces in a dishonorable fashion.
  • You must not be a convict of any misdemeanor charge in the last eight years before applying for your concealed carry permit.
  • You must not be declared as a threat to yourself or another person.
  • You must meet other federal laws required to obtain concealed carry permits.

Is Constitutional Carry Allowed in Every Part of Michigan?

Except declared by the state legislature, no local government area in Michigan has the right to enact laws or create ordinances that will regulate firearms and ammunition.

The law states that municipalities, counties, and political subdivisions in the state may not impose any form of taxation, or regulate the possession, sales, registration, purchase, ownership, and transfer of ammunition, firearms, and their components. The only exception is if the law is a federal or state order.

However, Michigan preempts gun laws in the state, and local municipalities and counties can still regulate the possession of firearms and other dangerous weapons within their jurisdiction only for safety reasons. Local municipalities can regulate firearms in the following ways:

  • Prohibit the use of firearms within local area boundaries for safety.
  • Regulate the possession, carrying, and transportation of firearms by employees of the local government.

This implies that permit-less carry in Michigan is the same in every part of the state.

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