How To Register A Gun Is Stolen

Private party sales of stolen guns are also uncommon but can occur.

How to register a gun is stolen. Check if lost or stolen. The hotgunz stolen gun database is not all inclusive but it is quickly making it much more difficult for gun thieves to sell stolen firearms. Since the database was created in january 2009 we have never charged any fees to list a stolen gun or search a stolen gun. View local stolen guns. You are about to buy a second hand item or you just found something on the street it is always a good idea to check if it is reported as lost or stolen.

It is even more difficult to verify a gun in maryland because before oct 1st 2013 all firearms got registered voluntarily. If you are trying to trace a gun without a serial number submit the weapon to the atf where various techniques may be used to recover serial numbers that have been mechanically or chemically removed from legally manufactured firearms. Contained 330 000 records in 2010. Running a gun serial number search before you buy will make sure you get a gun that you can legally own and register in your name. Firearms reported as stolen to atf.

Locate the serial number for the gun you want to check. Contact your state firearms registration office if your state has one. New york s authority only registers handguns. If you are purchasing a gun or checking one that is already in your possession. Check if an item is reported as lost or stolen by entering any identifying information such as serial number imei vin mac etc.

Write down the serial number on the gun if it is available. In march 2010 atf reported receiving several hundred million records since 1968. Unless you buy a gun brand new there is a risk that the weapon may have been stolen or used in a crime. The easiest way to check a gun s history is to obtain the serial number from the body of the gun and then ask a gun professional to run a stolen weapons search. Resources for law enforcement if you are a law enforcement agency and require assistance in obtaining a serial number for a firearm reported stolen by an individual your request must be in writing.

Some websites also have searchable public databases of stolen registered weapons.