Office of the Sheriff

According to State Law MCL 28.422 Section 2.1, a person must obtain a license to purchase a pistol PRIOR to purchasing the firearm. No individual is exempt from this law. Further instructions below.

Purchasing from an FFL dealer (Store)

If you are purchasing a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) dealer, you DO NOT have to first come to the Sheriff’s Office to obtain a License to Purchase (LTP). After receiving the pistol sales record form from the dealer, the Michigan State Police/Registry copy must be turned in to the Sheriff’s Office or your local agency (Note: not all agencies register firearms please call the records unit of your local agency to confirm). You must turn in the Michigan State Police/Registry copy of the firearm within 10 days of purchase. The Sheriff’s Office accepts these forms Monday through Friday 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

Private Party Sales:

License to Purchase allow sales between non FFL dealers. The individual purchasing the firearm must apply in person at the law enforcement agency of their residence with their State of Michigan ID or Driver’s License identifying their correct address. An LTP is not required for Concealed Pistol License (CPL) holders, but they must complete an RI-060 form (see link below) to register the firearm. The Sheriff’s Office issues LTP’s Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM- 3:30 PM.

If you reside within the City limits of Kalamazoo (not Kalamazoo Township), please contact the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at (269)337-8106 for their department hours for LTP and pistol sales record drop off times. If you reside in the City of Portage please contact the Portage Public Safety at (269)329-4568. These departments issue LTP’s and may have policies and business hours different than the Sheriff’s Office.

The LTP must be completed even though the applicant may already have possession of the firearm, such as t through an inheritance or if they recently moved to Michigan. FFL dealers are not exempt from this section of the law.

An LTP is valid for 30 days and must be turned in within 10 days of taking possession of the firearm. The seller must sign the LTP and keep one copy for their records. The purchaser must turn in the Michigan State Police Copy to the department they received the LTP from.

The link below is for CPL holders who are purchasing from a private party:

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/ri-060_696761_7.pdf

For additional questions, please call the records department at 269-385-6190.