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Purchase of Firearms-Wisconsin

WISC. CONST. art. 1, § 25 states as follows: “The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose.”

Law permits a resident of Wisconsin or a corporation or other business entity maintaining a place of business in the state to purchase a rifle or shotgun in a state contiguous to Wisconsin if the transfer complies with federal law and the laws of both states[i].

State law requires that all Wisconsin firearms dealers licensed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms conduct a mandatory background check for any person requesting to purchase a handgun in Wisconsin.  The five day waiting period for handgun sales does not affect Wisconsin’s forty eight hour waiting period for handgun sales. Wisconsin is exempt from the longer waiting period because the state laws already requires criminal background checks for handgun purchases.

A person denied of approval to purchase a handgun is entitled to a time period of ten days for requesting review of the decision and an additional ten days to appeal.

A pawnbroker, secondhand article dealer or secondhand jewelry dealer may not purchase any secondhand article, including firearms and ammunition, from a customer without securing sufficient identification and completing a form detailing a description of the firearm and identifying information of the person from whom it is received.  Such a purchaser should make available the original completed form, or the inventory for inspection by a law enforcement officer within twenty four hours of purchase.

Primary government office that deal with issues relating to firearms is:

Attorney General

123 West Washington Ave.

PO Box 7857

Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7857

Phone: 608-266-1221 Fax: 608-267-2779

[i] Wis. Stat. § 175.30

Inside Purchase of Firearms-Wisconsin