Inheriting a firearm can be a complicated process. A fiduciary of an estate cannot just give the firearm directly to an heir without the risk for potential criminal liability. Unlike other personal property, passing firearms on to a loved one after the death of the owner has its own unique rules and can be a challenge to the estate’s fiduciary if not specifically addressed during the estate planning stage.
New York’s Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, better known as the SAFE Act, can create the risk of criminal liability for executors and administrators as well as for the estate’s heirs where the parties are unaware of the rules.
Pursuant to the SAFE Act, a fiduciary must lawfully dispose of the firearm within fifteen days after the death of the owner. If the fiduciary is unable to transfer the firearm to the heir within fifteen days, the firearm must be surrendered to a law enforcement agency. The law enforcement agency will hold the firearm until the heir is licensed or otherwise permitted to take possession. However, if the agency does not receive a request to deliver the firearm within one year of the delivery, the firearm will be deemed a nuisance and destroyed (NY Penal Law § 400.05[6]). Fifteen days is a relatively short amount of time in which to make the transfer because a fiduciary cannot lawfully transfer or dispose of a firearm until he has been appointed by the Court.
Before the firearm can be given to the heir, the fiduciary must (1) know that the decedent legally owned the guns; (2) know that the specific beneficiary of the guns may legally own a gun and (3) adhere to proper transfer procedures. The heir receiving the decedent’s firearm must hold a valid New York State gun permit. Illegal possession of a decedent’s registered firearm without following the statutory protocol for estate transfer to an heir is a misdemeanor, specifically, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree (NY Penal Law § 265.01).
In addition to a state firearm permit, a federal background check is required for a firearm to be transferred. But there is an exception to his rule when it comes to transfers between immediate family members such as spouses, domestic partners, children and step-children (General Business Law § 898).
Contributed by Jacque K. Vincent, J.D.