Voluntary Surrender of Firearms in Prince George’s County

Voluntary surrender of firearms in Prince George’s County occurs when an individual relinquishes their guns to law enforcement, a family member, or someone otherwise able to legally possess firearms. While there may be numerous reasons as to why a person may wish to turn in their firearms, doing so may have varying impacts on the individual given their specific circumstances. There are also certain procedures a person must follow when surrendering their firearms. Reach out to an experienced gun attorney to learn more about the process of surrendering your firearms.

Reasons for Surrendering a Firearm

A person might choose to surrender a firearm pursuant to a requirement by a courtorder or a condition of a pending matter. It could be because they have a protective order against them or were convicted of a crime and are no longer lawfully able to possess a firearm.

A person may also choose to surrender a firearm to avoid being charged with a crime because, in some instances, they may lose their right to lawfully possess a firearm. If they surrender the firearm on their own, they could avoid any future consequences arising out of the violation of the laws. Gun laws are very oppressive and some carry significant prison sentences if someone is in violation.

Individuals could legally dispose of their firearm at any gun dealer and at any police precinct or station.

Could Voluntary Surrender of Firearms Help a Person Avoid or Mitigate Criminal Charges?

The voluntary surrender of firearms is unlikely to mitigate criminal charges in Prince George’s County since the firearms would have been taken if the defendant was charged. It should be noted that in certain cases, gun owners who own multiple firearms might assume that they have surrendered all their weapons but forgot one or two.

In those instances, voluntarily turning in the firearm could mitigate the charges to show that it was an unintentional failure to surrender. If an individual surrenders firearms that they were not supposed to have, they may avoid prosecution. Typically speaking, they are given some allotment. If a protective order is entered, a judge could order the person to not possess firearms. If they have any, they could surrender the weapons immediately and potentially go home.

While individuals are not allowed to possess any firearms at that moment, they are allowed to go home and gather the weapons in their possession for the purpose of turning them over to law enforcement. A knowledgeable attorney could explain how the voluntary surrender of firearms in Prince George’s County could impact a person’s criminal case.

Legal Disposal of Unregistered Firearms

A person could always surrender any type of firearm to Prince George’s County law enforcement voluntarily for disposal, even if they are unregistered. Individuals may need to note that not all firearms require registration and, typically, one registers them when they acquire them. It is up to the recipient to take proper action upon receipt. For certain types of firearms, they could take them to a gun dealer for resale or for a trade. They could also be given or sold to a friend or family without any paperwork.

No identification is required of a person who chooses to voluntarily surrender firearms. Individuals are only required to complete substantial paperwork if the firearm is going to be sold to another party. While not all firearms require any paperwork it is generally the recipient, and not the person conveying them, who has to do the work. This is true even for the firearms that do require paperwork.

Is Surrendering Ammunition Legally Enforceable?

While the voluntary surrender of ammunition is precisely the same as a firearm, there is no registration requirement. The same rules and prohibitions against firearms hold true for ammunition, so the same precautions must be taken. If somebody violates it, they could face a separate charge of illegal possession of ammunition as well as a firearm.

Reach Out to an Attorney For Help with Voluntary Surrender of Firearms in Prince George’s County

If a person is considering the voluntary surrender of firearms in Prince George’s County, they are recommended to do so as quickly as possible and ensure they are not tempted to still retain some access to them. This is notably true if they are required to turn in their guns. Giving firearms to another individual who lives in another part of the house is a not surrender of firearms. For more information, call today.