New Gun Laws 2024

Michigan Gun Laws Effective Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024

MICHIGAN—Legislation signed into law last year by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer aims to make Michigan a safer place—namely by ensuring that guns are kept out of the hands of children and teenagers, and requiring background checks be completed before all firearm purchases. Those laws (and more) will officially take effect on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024 . And that means some Michiganders—especially parents and others with children living in their homes—will soon need to make some changes to the way they’ve been securing and storing their guns. Safe Storage Michigan’s new safe storage laws (Senate Bill 79 and Senate Bill 80) enact requirements for Michiganders who store or leave their firearm unattended on any property—including in their own home—when they “reasonably know” that a minor (under 18 years old) is likely to be present on the property. Specifically, the new law requires Michigan gun owners to keep their firearms either stored in a locked box or locked container or kept unloaded and locked with a trigger lock . When a person stores or leaves a firearm unattended on someone else’s property and they reasonably know that a minor is likely to be on the premises, gun owners also have the added option to store the gun in a locked vehicle , either in a locked box or locked with a trigger lock. The new laws include a range of criminal penalties for those who fail to secure guns which later end up in the hands of children—starting with a 93-day misdemeanor and escalating to a potential 15-year felony if the unsecured gun is used to kill another person. New Background Checks The signing of House Bills 4138 and 4142 closed a loophole in state law that had allowed people to purchase rifles and long guns without first undergoing a background check. The new law requires Michiganders to obtain a license before they can purchase a rifle or long gun , which mirrors the process that’s currently in place for pistols and means that background checks will be required for all gun purchases . Those who already own rifles will not need a background check—but anyone who inherits them will need to get licensed. Borrowing a long gun for the purpose of target shooting or hunting does not require any permits or background checks. Under the new law, family members can also no longer give a long gun to another family member unless the person receiving the gun first gets a background check.