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Was your firearm purchase delayed?

On Behalf of | Apr 27, 2017 | Blog |

Many Washington residents adamantly support Second Amendment rights to bear arms. Whether you’re a hunter or target shooting enthusiast, or possess firearms for the purpose of self-protection and defense, you likely studied all applicable state and federal laws on buying and selling guns before purchasing any. Perhaps yours was one of many firearm purchases flagged and delayed in the state.

If you plan to buy a gun from a shop, the owner must be a licensed firearms dealer. In certain situations, you may be part-way through the buying process when you suddenly learn your purchase is a delayed one.

What is a delayed purchase?

A firearm purchase delay signifies there is some type of information about you in the National Crime Information Center. When the gun shop owner runs your background check, if the information on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms form matches documentation at the National Crime Information Center, it will flag your purchase and cause a delay.

Top reasons for prohibiting firearm possessions

The process to clear a delay can be very time consuming. If, after three days, you do not have a cleared purchase, the gun shop owner may transfer the weapon to you anyway. If you have a particular type of incident or situation in your background, the law may not permit you to possess a firearm. The following reasons would be on such a list:

  • If you received a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. military, you can’t own a firearm.
  • If you renounce your citizenship, you can’t own a gun here.
  • If the state involuntarily committed you to a mental institution, you may not be able to purchase a gun.
  • You can’t own a firearm if you failed any type of drug test within the past year.

Sometimes, a person with a similar name, age, gender, race, etc. to yours may cause the flagging of your firearm purchase for delay. If you believe the prohibitive criteria delaying of your firearms purchase is invalid, you can reach for support by contacting a criminal defense attorney experienced in defending firearms rights in court. If police charge you with a firearms violation, it’s obviously a serious matter.

By acting alongside experienced representation, you may be able to protect your rights while overcoming delays and obstacles in your firearms purchase in Washington. If authorities accuse you of a firearms crime, you can explore all available options to avoid conviction by building as strong a defense as possible.

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