In an odd announcement that came from the Department of Justice on Monday, federal officials now are requiring that firearms retailers certify that they are selling gun safes, or similar products.
The DOJ explained its new rule is “to help enable the safe and secure storage of firearms” and “implements the existing Gun Control Act requirement that federal firearms licensees that sell firearms to the general public must certify that they have available secure gun store or safety devices.”
Merrick Garland, the attorney general, cast the rule in the light of gun safety.
“We will continue to take all appropriate steps to help reduce the number of people killed and injured by the misuse of firearms,” he said.
The rule, however, has no application for consumers, or a requirement the gun safes be used; it just requires that retailers certify they have them for sale.
That was confirmed by the DOJ announcement, which said, “The Department of Justice has submitted to the Federal Register for publication a final rule, which will take effect Feb. 3, requiring FFLs to certify that they have secure gun storage devices available to their customers for purchase. ”
Those products could include a “safe, gun safe, gun case, lock box or other device that is designed to be or can be used to store a firearm and that is designed to be unlocked only by means of a key, a combination or other similar means.”
The BATF also is requiring that the retailers that sell guns carry safety devices to fit those guns. In other words, no selling rifles if all the retailer has is a handgun box.
The BATF also announced it is publishing “Best Practices Guide” for licensed gun dealers, to “assist FFL in complying with all required firearm laws and regulations…”
Just the News reported the guide “also encourages sellers to provide other ATF reading materials to individuals purchasing firearms, so that ‘owners better understand their legal obligations, as well as practical steps they can take to help keep firearms out of the hands of prohibited persons and facilitate the safe storage of firearms.'”
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