Hello everyone! I'm a military vet and just moved here from California. I have several handguns (two I purchased on my own and two I inherited from my late husband). I am trying to wade through Georgia gun laws to make sure I remain "legal". I don't necessarily want to carry concealed (yet), but I need to know if I need to register my weapons or if there's anything else I need to do now that the guns are here in state. Thanks so much for your help!
There is no registration in Georgia. You are legal as long as you're not a felon, you can carry all you want in your home, at your place of work, and in your car without a permit. Enjoy living in a much more free state! Az
Welcome here, be ready to get a bit warmer than anywhere in Ca. Do the paperwork and get the GWCL. Carry any or all with pride. Few places around here prohibit it. Just review the law and prohibitions and scan the doorways of any place you enter. If they have an sign indication they don't want your weapon there, go inside and let them know that because of that sign they do not get your patronage or money either. Make sure they know its all one complete package. Also let them know that you will spread the word they are anti-gun and you will recommend to all that they do not do business with them. Nemo
LOL! I'm actually a female, but that will DEFINTELY be interesting! Thanks for the warm welcome and the information. I will definitely look into getting my permit to carry, but after I find a job, get my DL and tags switched to GA, etc etc etc.
Indeed, I believe the only places that require registration are CA and NYC. But since most tv and movie production companies are from or film both of those places, many tv shows seem to reflect that registration is much more common. We watched an episode of Longmire not long ago, which is based in Wyoming, and they even mentioned checking the registration on a firearm. So since many Americans get their facts and reality from TV, it is a common question. The OPgets a pass since she's from a state that really does require it. Az
Welcome aboard! Your county Probate Court is the place to go to fill out the paperwork, get fingerprinted, have your pic snapped, and wait a couple weeks (good county) or a couple months (bad county) for your GWL. Makes life easier if you ever want to take your weapons outside your home/office. Thank you for your service.
You are welcome. I have found, over the course of many years, that our female veterans get acknowledged for their service far less often. That is a real shame IMHO.
Scroll back to the top of this page (I'll wait...). See the yellow box that says "Firearms License". Click on that link then select your county from the next page. That will take you to a detailed page on how to get your Georgia Weapons Carry License. The license is only necessary to carry a firearm outside of your car, your home, or your place of business. A GWCL will also streamline your future firearms purchases as it counts for the federal background check. Georgia is a "shall issue" state so unless you are disqualified by law, the probate judge must issue a license. You do not need to supply a reason. As has been noted already, there is no firearms registration in Georgia. There are also no state-specific restrictions on firearms such as magazine size or cosmetic features. If a firearm is legal for you to own under federal law, it is legal under Georgia law. State law pre-empts local jurisdictions from enacting more restrictive laws, so no city restrictions on ammo purchases or other silly infringements.
Welcome to Georgia...I'm a transplant also, as are a ton of people on here. This link can answer a lot of questions for you. http://www.georgiacarry.org/cms/georgias-carry-laws-explained/frequently-asked-questions/
Welcome to the free state of Georgia, and to the forum! Lots of good advice above. Solomon G had it right, take a read of the FAQ on GeorgiaCarry.org. Also, for a deep dive into the laws, go to the bottom of the page and hit the link to all the Georgia state firearms and related laws. And, if you're interested, join GeorgiaCarry.org, the best gun rights group here in the state. $20 well spent!
Heck, I think it was season 2 of The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes (a county deputy sheriff in Georgia) said he knew which house had some firearms in it because he did the shotgun registration paperwork for the guy.
depending on where you at make sure you look up local dept of natural resource ranges there are a few of them scattered across the state that are super cheap to use(i think just get your hunting license its free)