Did I miss something? Does PA have gun registration?
- Thread starter Kentak
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cdrt
Member
From the NRA site:
http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/PASL.pdf
Only thing I noticed out of the ordinary was that handgun sales must go through a dealer even if between individuals (if I read it right).
http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/PASL.pdf
Only thing I noticed out of the ordinary was that handgun sales must go through a dealer even if between individuals (if I read it right).
SCKimberFan
Member
kevindsingleton
Member
PA has de facto registration that the Pennsylvania State Police maintain from PICS and handgun purchases. If you bring your guns to PA, they do not have to be registered with the state, according to state law, but newly purchased handguns will appear on the registry-that's-not-a-registry, and some have had to deal with the PSP when their guns are confiscated during an encounter and no receipt is available to verify ownership. PSP will, apparently, take your pistol "for your safety", and "run the serial number" against the "not-a-registry" to confirm that it's not stolen, and that you are the owner. If your pistol doesn't appear on the "not-a-registry", some PSP officers have taken the pistol, and forced legal action to recover your property.
It's inconsistent, and highly questionable, so be careful.
And, they wonder why we mistrust government.
It's inconsistent, and highly questionable, so be careful.
And, they wonder why we mistrust government.
Steve in PA
Member
Kevin nailed in quite well.
CA has a similar defacto registration as I covered in another post. Not all places call registration "registration". Some even do it automaticly at purchase without a fee so it can escape the attention of many that thier firearms are registered and in a state database (which usualy means they are also in a federal database even in violation of the 1986 law against that.)
General Geoff
Member
Thing is, in PA, registration is in fact against the law; the only reason their database still exists is because the PSP argued in front of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania that their database was NOT a registry since it didn't account for pistols belonging to folks moving into Pennsylvania, nor those pistols that predated the database and have not changed owners. Thus since the database is inherently incomplete, it does not constitute a registry.
The problem arises when they use it as a registry, which they very often do, and they usually get away with it.
The problem arises when they use it as a registry, which they very often do, and they usually get away with it.
Sounds like the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania wrote thier own law and decided registration was perfectly okay. Sorry to hear that.
Registration is not registration because a minor percent is not recorded,
that would be comical if it was not such a serious issue.
Registration is not registration because a minor percent is not recorded,
that would be comical if it was not such a serious issue.
General Geoff
Member
The Supreme Court took the PSP's definition and explanation of their database as being a tool to facilitate the tracking of stolen weapons only. However if a case is brought to the Court that proves the PSP is using the database as a registry, it's very likely that the entire database will be deemed illegal and shut down.
geekWithA.45
Moderator Emeritus
Yeah, that's about the size of it:
*Gun registration is explicitly unlawful.
*Defacto registration *OF*HANDGUNS* via the PSP handgun transfer list, which failed to meet the statutory definition of registry.
* Handguns must be transferred via FFL or @ Sheriff's office
*Gun registration is explicitly unlawful.
*Defacto registration *OF*HANDGUNS* via the PSP handgun transfer list, which failed to meet the statutory definition of registry.
* Handguns must be transferred via FFL or @ Sheriff's office
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