Michigan Bill Would Require Carry-Level Training for Any Gun Purchase

A new Michigan bill would require anyone buying a firearm, including a hunting rifle or shotgun, to first complete the same roughly eight-hour training course now required for a concealed carry license.

Snapshot

House Bill 6477, sponsored by Democrat Rep. Sharon MacDonell, would add a concealed-carry-level training mandate to Michigan's existing License to Purchase process. Bearing Arms columnist Cam Edwards argues the measure piles a costly, time-consuming requirement onto a system that already includes background checks, with no carve-out for buyers who have no intention of carrying concealed.

Key points

• What it requires: Buyers would need at least five hours of classroom instruction and three hours of range time, firing a minimum of 30 rounds, before getting a License to Purchase for any firearm.
• Applies to all guns: The training mandate covers rifles and shotguns, not just handguns, meaning someone buying a deer rifle would have to learn concealed-carry law first.
• Penalty risk: Edwards notes that buying a firearm without complying with purchase-license rules is already a misdemeanor carrying up to 90 days in jail and a $100 fine, a burden he says conflicts with Democrats' usual criminal-justice concerns.
• Domestic violence concern: Edwards argues the bill would delay someone facing an abusive ex-partner from quickly obtaining a handgun for self-defense, since they'd first need to find an instructor, complete the course, and wait on approval.
• Political context: Michigan is one of six states where Democrats won a full governing trifecta this election cycle, giving the bill a real path to passage if party leadership backs it.

Quick take

Edwards contends the bill is self-defeating even by gun-control logic, since requiring carry-level training for home-defense buyers could push more people toward getting carry licenses or, in some cases, toward unlicensed sales. He calls on Michigan gun owners to raise these concerns with lawmakers before the 2027 session begins.

Read the full story: bearingarms.com