Weapons: firearms; permit and training requirements for firearm purchase; require. Amends sec. 2 of 1927 PA 372 (MCL 28.422).
HB 5752 would amend Michigan’s firearm licensing law to require a license before purchasing not only a pistol, but also any other firearm, with a stated effective-date limitation for non-pistol firearm purchases already completed before February 13, 2024. The bill keeps the existing licensing framework for pistols and extends it to long guns and other firearms, while preserving a number of current exceptions for dealers, relics or curios, permanently deactivated firearms, inherited firearms, nonresidents meeting certain conditions, and limited use by minors at ranges or for hunting under supervision.
The bill also preserves and restates the qualifications for obtaining a firearm license, including age, residency, background-related disqualifiers, mental health and court-order restrictions, and completion of a pistol safety training course. It requires sellers to complete license forms, return copies for pistols to the licensing authority, and allows local authorities to enter pistol information into the state database. It also maintains penalties for noncompliance, including civil infractions for sellers who fail to return paperwork and criminal penalties for forged applications or certain nonresident violations.
HB 5752 would broaden Michigan’s firearm purchase licensing requirements by adding non-pistol firearms to the statute’s licensing mandate, thereby affecting buyers, sellers, licensing authorities, and law enforcement recordkeeping. It would amend MCL 28.422 within 1927 PA 372, expanding the state’s regulatory scheme beyond pistols while leaving most of the existing licensing process intact. The bill would also continue to interact with multiple other state laws governing mental health orders, personal protection orders, extreme risk protection orders, criminal charges, and estate transfers of firearms.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a restrictive regulatory approach to firearm acquisition, emphasizing licensing, training, and eligibility screening. The overall tone of the proposal is procedural and enforcement-oriented rather than symbolic, with detailed administrative requirements and penalties.
The most likely points of contention are the expansion of licensing and training requirements from pistols to all firearms, and the added burden on purchasers and sellers to complete paperwork and comply with state reporting rules. Gun rights advocates would likely object to the broader licensing requirement as an additional barrier to lawful firearm acquisition, while supporters would likely argue it improves public safety by screening purchasers and documenting transfers. Other potentially disputed issues include the treatment of inherited firearms, the scope of exceptions for minors and nonresidents, and the continued use of local and state databases for firearm records.