Do You Have To Register Your Gun In Indiana

Final Updated: June eleven, 2017

Disclaimer: While the information provided here is legal in nature, information technology is not to be construed every bit legal advice, and is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Beingness a responsible gun possessor can sometimes be harder than it sounds because gun laws constantly changing.

Fortunately, it turns out that there aren't too many gun laws you'll need to continue in heed to stay on the right side of Johnny Constabulary when it comes to owning a gun in Indiana, and w eastward'll give y'all all the information you need to know on buying and owning guns to become you going on your new gun collection!

Indiana State Flag — Indiana Country Flag

How to buy a gun

Let's get direct to it! In Indiana, there are 2 slightly different sets of rules when it comes to buying handguns and buying long guns.

Ownership handguns

No permit is required to purchase a handgun in Indiana. That doesn't hateful in that location are no other requirements though!

To buy a handgun in Indiana, yous must:

Be 18 or older;
Present state ID; and
Submit to an instant background check.

It is important to keep in heed that these requirements use when you are purchasing from a licensed firearms dealer, like your local gun shop. However, even if you run into those requirements you might still be prohibited from owning a gun in Indiana.

You are prohibited from owning a gun if you:

Take been convicted or a felony;
Accept been bedevilled of domestic battery;
Are a drug abuser or under the influence of a drug;
Are an alcohol abuser or are intoxicated; or
Are mentally incompetent.

If you don't fall into whatever of these categories, then yous're good to go!

If that sounds similar likewise much work…

Yous can make the process even less painless by fugitive the background check in some situations.

A background check is not required for:

Law enforcement officers;
Indiana CCW permit holders;
Firearms importers, collectors, manufacturers, or dealers; and
Private sales betwixt individuals.

For near of us, this ways the best selection to avert having to do a background check would be to purchase from a private seller or to get a CCW permit.

Indiana gun store Point Blank — So many guns!

But be conscientious!

Even though the state only requires you to exist 18 or older to buy a handgun, federal law requires you to be 21 or older to buy a handgun. What that ways is a licensed firearms dealer would not be able to sell y'all a handgun unless you are 21 or older, simply a private seller tin still legally sell y'all a handgun.

One more matter…

With all these laws on ownership handguns, there is one big exception when it comes to antiquarian and replica handguns. Any firearm that is not designed to utilize stock-still cartridges or fixed ammunition, or is made earlier 1900, is non covered by the Indiana handgun laws.

That means, if you come across a handgun from 1898, you can buy it just like any other item you lot would buy in a shop, and not accept to leap through all the hoops you unremarkably would in buying a handgun.

Pair of antique flintlock pistols — Antique flintlock pistols

Don't forget about long guns!

The laws regarding purchasing long guns is almost identical to the ones for handguns, with a few important differences.

To buy a long gun, you must:

Be xviii or older;
Present ID (of whatever state!)
Submit to an instant background bank check.

The same prohibited categories that applied to handguns all the same apply hither.

So what is the difference and then? Aside from allowing someone with an out-of-state ID to buy a long gun, equally long as yous are xviii or older, you can buy a long gun from your local gun store. At that place are no issues with conflicting federal laws you need to worry nearly hither, and then go grab that shiny new shotgun you've had your eye on and put in some range fourth dimension!

But what about the children??

If you are under 18, y'all are considered a child in the eyes of the country (sorry). But that doesn't mean y'all can't take fun too.

Yous can ain a handgun if your parent or guardian transfers it to you. Substantially, this is a private sale, but it is express to a auction between a parent or guardian, and the person under eighteen. So if you lot want to own that Beretta before you turn 18, be dainty to your parents!

If you tin can't convince your parents to transfer a handgun to you, that's ok likewise. You can yet utilize a firearm in certain situations.

A person under 18 is immune to possess a firearm if he is:

Attending a hunter safety or firearms safety grade and an adult is supervising the person during the course;
Target shooting at a shooting range or expanse where shooting is not prohibited and supervised past an adult while at the range;
Participating in an organized firearms competition or practicing for a performance past an organized group that uses firearms as role of the functioning;
Hunting or trapping (with a valid license!);
Travelling to or from any of the activities listed to a higher place, with an unloaded firearm;
On belongings controlled by the person's parent, adult family member, or legal guardian, with permission from the parent or guardian to have the firearm;
At home, and has permission from a parent, adult family member, or legal guardian, to have the firearm.

Father teaching daughter shooting — Never too young to start learning!

So at present what?

In one case y'all've got your new guns in hand, you'll need to be careful about where you take it!

Carrying that handgun

Indiana requires a let for both open up acquit and concealed bear of a handgun. That doesn't mean you need a allow everywhere you lot go, though.

You can deport a handgun without a permit if:

You are carrying it on on belongings you lot own, lease, rent, or is legally under your control;
You are carrying it while legally on property owned or legally controlled by someone else, and:
- You have permission from that person; or
- Yous are attending a firearms related result on the property (gun testify, training form, gun repair, etc.)
You are at a shooting range; or
You are hunting (with a valid license).

To avoid all of these restrictions, you'll want to apply for an Indiana license to bear. For those of you who are interested, be certain to check out our Indiana CCW section to learn all the steps to getting the carry license and what to do once yous become one.

That's non all

Because open and concealed carry crave permits, you will need to be careful when transporting your firearms in your car.

In order to (legally!) transport your handgun in a motorcar, it must be:

Unloaded;
Not readily accessible; and
Secured in a case.

If you leave your handgun in the automobile while you are at piece of work, y'all must keep the gun locked in the trunk, glove compartment, or stored somewhere out of sight. Do not go out it sitting on the passenger'due south seat.

Bring your rifle forth also!

After you've made sure you lot followed all the laws on carrying and transporting your handgun, you'll want to be careful about your long gun too.

Or not.

Indiana does not specifically address carrying or transport of long guns, so none of the laws on carrying or transporting that utilise to handguns would matter here. Since there's no laws near long guns, you can do whatever you want!

Well, sort of.

Don't forget to follow the laws of common sense when information technology comes to your long guns. Merely considering there are no specific laws on how to transport your rifle, you probably don't desire it loaded in the backseat pointed at your head while you lot're cruising around town.

Camo rifle tucked between passenger's seat and center console of car — Locked and loaded!

Out of ammo!

Dissimilar nigh other states, Indiana has a few restrictions when it comes to handgun ammunition. It is illegal to have, transfer, or make handgun ammo that has a metal cadre with a plastic outer coating.

Nylon-coated ammo or plastic shot capsules are ok though. And don't worry if any of your burglarize or shotgun ammo meets the "metal cadre with plastic coating" clarification, because the police just applies to handgun ammo. But maybe don't put the ammo in your handgun.

When tin you lot use your gun?

Indiana is very gun-friendly when information technology comes to defending yourself, and has adopted the "Stand Your Ground" policy that says you practise not have a duty to retreat in most situations. In fact, the laws are and then gun-friendly that they fifty-fifty utilize if police illegally enter your dwelling!

Under Indiana law, you tin can utilise reasonable force against someone to protect yourself or another person from the imminent use of unlawful force.

You do not have a duty to retreat if yous reasonably believe deadly forcefulness is necessary to prevent:

Serious bodily injury to yourself or someone else;
A felony; or
Unlawful entry or assault on your house or car.
Someone from trespassing onto property owned by you, a member of your immediate family, or or someone you have authority to protect;
An attempt or actual hijacking of an airplane (!).

All of these situations apply, fifty-fifty if the person trying to crusade damage is a constabulary officeholder.

Lookout man out!

You lot are not justified in using deadly forcefulness, if:

You provoked the illegal action of the other person with the intent to harm them;
Yous initiated the disharmonize, and did not indicate your intent to withdraw from the conflict;
The police officer is acting within his legal duties (i.e. entering with a warrant).

In general, it is a good idea to continue in mind that just because yous practice not have a duty to retreat does non hateful you must use deadly forcefulness in every situation. Always utilize your all-time judgement to determine what type of force is appropriate to defend yourself.

That's all, folks!

While picking upward that brand new shotgun, don't forget to proceed it somewhere prophylactic!

Indiana does not have any laws on storage of firearms, just for those of you with children, or just desire to keep your drove of firearms safely locked abroad when you're out of the house, a strong safe or inexpensive gun cabinet volition do only fine.

If you've only got a couple handguns, then a handgun safe may be all yous demand to keep your shiny toys away from the bad guys while y'all're out of the house.