Non-Nebraska resident looking to purchase a gun.

[weekndornah]

Hey all,

I'm technically a Hawaii resident and I've been hesitant to relinquish it for Nebraska, even though I've lived in Omaha for >5 years now.

How would I go about all of the permits and paperwork so that I can legally own a gun in the state of Nebraska?

I have no desire to take my gun back to Hawaii with me. For all intents and purposes, the gun will stay in the state of Nebraska as long as I live here.

Thanks guys.

[SS_N_NE]

Long gun or pistol? You will be keeping the firearm in Omaha?

[SemperFiGuy]

You'll need either a NE Firearms Purchase Permit (Blue Card) or NE Concealed Handgun Permit to purchase a handgun in Nebraska, whether from a licensed dealer or an individual.    Either one will work OK.   However, only NE residents are eligible for these documents.

You could physically transport your personally-owned handgun from your home state to Nebraska/Omaha under federal law (18 USC 926a).  Then that handgun would need to be immediately registered with the Omaha Police Department, first thing upon arrival.

You can rent a handgun at a commercial shooting range without a Blue Card, if the range management will so permit.   (Many will not rent without a Blue Card, regardless.)

You can borrow a handgun for shooting so long as the legal owner is with you in immediate visual and aural contact.

Your first step is to clearly determine your legal state of residence, i.e., where you are registered to vote, your auto is licensed, driver's license is issued, place of work, mail is delivered, etc.   You may actually be a Nebraska resident whether you realize it or not.   You would benefit from a discussion with an attorney on that point.

Probably not a good idea to ever acquire (purchase, own, possess, receive in transfer) a handgun until all ducks are lined up in a nice, neat, clearly legal row.

sfg

[JAK]

According to Federal Law, as a non resident you can only purchase long guns from a licensed dealer (FFL) outside of the state you are a resident of.

Some states (I am not sure if Nebraska is one of them) ban the sale of guns to non residents except for bordering states.

The only exception to this that I am aware of is for Active Duty military.  If you are stationed in Nebraska, you are treated the same as a resident.  You will need to be able to prove you are stationed in Nebraska (orders) and your current address.

John K

[weekndornah]

Thanks for your responses so far guys.

I really want to do things properly, legally, and get my ducks in a row. The language of the law has been pretty difficult for me to navigate.

I have a Hawaii Driver's license, and I registered to vote in Hawaii.
My car is registered in Douglas County, and my utility bills are all in Omaha proper.
I am not active military nor have I served in the military.
Law abiding millennial in graduate school with a clean record.
I currently have no permits or registration or anything of the sort for firearms in HI/NE/any other state.

Right now I'm interested in a handgun, but a rifle is definitely something I would like in my future.

[JAK]

In order to purchase a handgun you have two choices,

1- Return to Hawii for a visit, purchase a handgun there, and bring it back.

2 - Get a Nebraska Drivers Lisence and go through the processof buying one in Nebraska.

I am not aware of any other legal way to do it.

John K

[SemperFiGuy]

Well, We All Know That It's Really None of My Business...............

But to leave a Nice Place like Hawaii on your own choice

and then to freely choose to

Come to Nebraska (of all places) to go to school..........

And nobody forced you.......

And then after coming and seeing the harsh, hateful Nebraska winters...............   (NOT this current thing.   It ain't winter.)

You STAYED??

Like We All Know, It's Really None of My Business.

But.......if your place in Hawaii is empty and nobody is living there, you could write down the address on a piece of paper and send it to me.

sfg

[Mali]

But.......if your place in Hawaii is empty and nobody is living there, you could write down the address on a piece of paper and send it to me.

Honestly, they could probably make good money just having us take turns taking care of their place in HI for a few weeks.

[sidearm1]

I hate to mention this, but Hawaii seems to be a great big Omaha when it comes to handguns, at least that is the way the gun press puts it.  There is some hunting and you can get a carry permit (Only 1 or 2 given out so far as the gun press will say).  Oh by the way,(and certainly not picking on you) but from the Nebraska Driver's guide: "NE Driver's License/ID Cards
If you have an out-of-state driver's license, you have 30 days to transfer it over to Nebraska after you move to the state. If you are found driving with your out-of-sate driver's license after this time, you risk fines and other penalties."

[weekndornah]

Well shoot I guess I might have to finally relinquish Hawaii residency and my sweet Driver's License for Nebraska. I've been here going on 6 years and I'm here until at least Summer 2020... I guess it's finally time. Doesn't help that I really don't have anything to help me retain Hawaii residency in a few years either.

Omaha isn't too bad. I wouldn't mind spending another decade here, which is pretty appalling given that I'm from Hawaii.


As for switching over -- it seems like that's only for permanent moves?

[AAllen]

Ok there is an option that folks have not brought up, Dual Residency. If you maintain a residence in both states you can claim dual residency. You may only vote and pay taxes in one of the states but yo can have residency in both. To get a purchase permit you will need to show you have residency established in Nebraska, property ownership or something that shows it. The most common time this happens is with military personnel who are here long term on temporary assignment while their permanentp station is elsewhere but it can be done.

This is common for folks that have a home in a southern state that they spend the winter months at and a home here, they can claim dual residency.

Now if you do not actually have an address in Hawaii you may have accidentally become a Nebraska resident without knowing. Recommend talking to an attorney.

I will note that you will need some form of Government issued identification that has your Nebraska address on it, vehicle registration can be used for this.