Transferring a firearm from HI to CA

[zperk]

My fiance just found out that her deceased grandfather had a bolt action .22 on his farm in Hawaii, and no one else in the family wants it. She is currently visiting the family in HI, and we'd like her to be able to take the gun back with her to CA when she returns next week.

Can anyone provide guidance on how to take a firearm, owned by a deceased relative in HI (and likely without any existing paperwork anymore), and transferring it into her possession for ownership in CA? We'd like her to be able to just take it back with her on the plane, and avoid having to ship it.

Thanks!

[Occams Rasor]

Hmm.

Putting it on the plane maybe a bigger issue. I looked into it when I was planning on taking my 10/22TD with me on vac. Needless to say, it has to go as check luggage. But, even then you have to declare it. How many hoops you have to go through after that (strip search?) don't know. they can ask you to open the luggage and inspect the gun.
If you don't tell then, and it gets random X-rayed, s&*t will really hit the fan.

I also looked into shipping it by US airmail. That might be a better option.
In the end, for me, the hassle was not worth it, so I did not take it.
For info on getting it transferred to Ca, I would just call a local FFL.
They should be able to help you out.

[Occams Rasor]

Hmm.

Putting it on the plane maybe a bigger issue. I looked into it when I was planning on taking my 10/22TD with me on vac. Needless to say, it has to go as check luggage. But, even then you have to declare it. How many hoops you have to go through after that (strip search?) don't know. they can ask you to open the luggage and inspect the gun.
If you don't tell then, and it gets random X-rayed, s&*t will really hit the fan.

I also looked into shipping it by US airmail. That might be a better option.
In the end, for me, the hassle was not worth it, so I did not take it.
For info on getting it transferred to Ca, I would just call a local FFL.
They should be able to help you out.

[JoshuaS]

It is not a big deal, most of the time, to fly with a gun. It has to be in a locked hard-sided case. You must use the ticket-counter check in and declare it. No more than 11lbs of ammo stored with it or in another container. Gun must be unloaded. Ammo must be either in factory boxes, in mags, or something similar. Not loose. The lock should not be a TSA lock, as they must have you present to open it. Carry the key or know the combo

Some airlines have their own policies. Check with them. Usually it is about how many guns per checked item, etc. It isn't that difficult really.

Long guns do not have to have any paperwork with them.

In fact, she can just pick up the rifle and take it home with her. No FFL, to background check, no fee, no paperwork. It is an interfamilial inheritance. Were it a handgun she would have to fill out the Oplaw forms. But it isn't. Under both federal and California law it is a lawful inheritance. Grandparent to grandchild. Were he living and in CA he could have just given her the rifle, no paperwork

The difficulty only arises with siblings and such, but even that can be worked out.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

My fiance just found out that her deceased grandfather had a bolt action .22 on his farm in Hawaii, and no one else in the family wants it. She is currently visiting the family in HI, and we'd like her to be able to take the gun back with her to CA when she returns next week.

Can anyone provide guidance on how to take a firearm, owned by a deceased relative in HI (and likely without any existing paperwork anymore), and transferring it into her possession for ownership in CA? We'd like her to be able to just take it back with her on the plane, and avoid having to ship it.

Thanks!

If the rifle was left to her in her grandfather's will or if Hawaii's law of intestate succession says that the rifle passes to her from her grandfather's estate then she can just take it with her on the plane as checked baggage. Federal law exempts such transfers from having to go through an FFL.

However, it's more likely that Hawaii's law of intestate succession says the rifle belongs to either the grandmother or one of your fiance's parents, aunts or uncles. It that's the case then the new owner would have to ship the rifle to an FFL in California to be transfered to your fiance.

[JoshuaS]

NB: I was thinking she was bequethed it. Since it sounds like it was just found among his belongs, and not explicitly dictated to by the will, that might cause issue. It would depend on HI law about inheritance, what an executor can do, etc. Assuming to inherits it directly from the grandfather (and not her parents inheriting it, then them giving it to her), what I said above applies.

Though, if her parents are CA residents and are the inheritees, then they may take possession and give it to her, no FFL involved

[zperk]

Thanks for your help everyone. I called the airline and they confirmed how easy the process would be.

Though, if her parents are CA residents and are the inheritees, then they may take possession and give it to her, no FFL involved

Yeah, this is exactly the situation. Better yet, her CA resident mother is with her in Hawaii and flying back to CA with her, so there should be no issue.

[redcliff]

She can also mail it to herself as the legal owner via US Postal Service.

[villageidiot]

i didnt read everything posted above, but.....

i sent my sister back to oklahoma with her 2 shotguns she had left here before she moved.

locked gun case, and a simple tsa inspection, wasnt a big deal at all

there was no paperwork necessary, but maybe a notarized note from grandma or a parent etc.