I live in Indiana and Florida. Can I buy a handgun while I'm in Indiana?

[45fan]

Just for fun, I'm going to do what you suggest. I'll hand carry a copy of the federal statute and the background check form to the dealer I faxed info to recently, along with my photo identification, property tax statement, utility bills, auto license plate registration and checking account statement. I'll also take all the receipts from his store for guns I've bought in the past.

This has evolved into an experiment instead of a gun buying journey. I'll report back on my findings. We probably can predict the outcome, can't we?

Pretty sure we know what the outcome will be, but I am very interested in what you find. Just the other day, and more then a few times a year the LGS encounters similar situations with people interested in buying a handgun. One of two things TYPICALLY come of such encounters. #1 the LGS owner lets the person inspect whatever guns he/she is interested in buying, and if a purchase is desired, he will offer to ship it to a LGS in the customers home state to do a transfer in the way most of us are familiar with interstate sales of handguns. #2 he gets a funny feeling about the whole deal, and basically blows the customer off without trying to be rude.

If there is a legal and viable 3rd option, I think I know a few guns store owners that may be genuinely interested in the circumstances that need to be met for this type of sale.

 

[Yeah]

I've been down this road many times and at the moment I split time between IN and AK. For the purposes of driver's license validity IN requires that I claim residence in no other state, though the BMV neither asked for nor received my AK license. AK regs state that if I receive a DL from another state, my AK DL is rendered invalid. I am not aware that the 2 BMVs communicate with one another, so I know of no quick way the validity of either could be determined. Maybe they do.

In any case, FFLs can choose any means they like within the bounds of the fed's regulations, to meet the identification requirements. It happens that most choose a DL because they are common and state specific. I could present an IN DL to an FFL here one day, and an AK DL to an FFL there the next, and both would be accepted regardless of their validity. It does not appear that the feds would care as I own a residence in both states and would be residing in each, physically, at the times of the sales.

Could I present the IN DL to the AK FFL, or the AK DL to the IN FFL, along with a stack of paperwork, to convince him that I meet the fed's residency requirements? No idea, nor would I attempt it. I have better things to spend time at and I expect he does as well.