Michigan Bill Would Require Carry-Level Training to Buy Any Gun

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 currently required for a concealed pistol license.

Snapshot

Michigan Rep. Sharon MacDonell, a Democrat, has introduced House Bill 6477 ahead of the 2027 session. According to Bearing Arms, the bill would add a concealed-carry-level training requirement to the state's existing License to Purchase process, applying it to every firearm purchase, not just handguns meant to be carried.

Key points

• Training mandate: Buyers would need at least five hours of classroom instruction and three hours of range time, firing a minimum of 30 rounds, including concealed-carry law instruction, before getting a License to Purchase.
• Applies to long guns too: The requirement would cover rifles and shotguns, not just handguns, so someone buying a used hunting rifle would need the same course as a concealed-carry applicant.
• Penalty stays on the books: Bearing Arms notes that buying a firearm without complying with purchase-license law remains a misdemeanor carrying up to 90 days in jail and a $100 fine.
• Delay for people in danger: Bearing Arms argues the bill would slow down someone facing an immediate threat, such as a woman seeking a handgun because of an abusive former partner, by adding scheduling, cost, and paperwork before she could legally buy one.
• Political path: Michigan Democrats hold a governing trifecta after this year's elections, which Bearing Arms says gives the bill a real chance of becoming law if party leadership backs it.

Quick take

Bearing Arms argues the bill is self-defeating even by gun-control logic, since requiring carry-level training for a simple home-defense purchase could push more people toward actually carrying, or toward informal transfers, rather than fewer guns changing hands. The outlet's broader point: existing background-check and licensing rules already govern Michigan purchases, and stacking an eight-hour course on top hits hardest the people who need a firearm quickly, not criminals working outside the system.

Read the full story: bearingarms.com