Moving guns into PA

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  • Skipjacks

    Ultimate Member
    Maryland may finally be too much for me.

    I am thinking about moving North of the Mason Dixon line. Preliminary thinking for now. I am just doing my homework.

    Is there any hassle to move guns into PA?

    I am talking registered handguns and a few unregulated long guns (per MD law). Nothing turret mounted or anything crazy.
     

    Skipjacks

    Ultimate Member
    I've thought about the same but mostly because of real estate prices.. What's always held me back were the public schools as I have younger kids.

    Both of those things are factoring in.

    Real estate is dirt cheap up there. Laws are less draconian. Schools can be good in Central PA from what I understand but it's not a universal thing. Each little town can be very different from the next.

    The guns are an after thought really. I'd just like to know if there are hoops to jump through so I'm not surprised later.
     

    Skipjacks

    Ultimate Member
    This is relevant: https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=245044

    You might be hassled for a whole 8 minutes to get a CCW permit if you don't already have a PA accepted permit. :lol:

    Enjoy the freedom if you do in fact make it to free country.

    An old Baltimore County cop I know who moved to PA did this

    He said a few days after he sent his application in the local police station called him to come pick up his CCW permit

    He was so shocked that he thought it was a trap...like he had come up on a warrant search by mistake and they were luring him to the station to arrest him. After spending his career as a Maryland coo he couldn't believe how easy it was

    When he got there he never even talked to a cop. The receptionist just handed him his permit

    This was 20 years ago but still...funny as hell
     
    Both of those things are factoring in.

    Real estate is dirt cheap up there. Laws are less draconian. Schools can be good in Central PA from what I understand but it's not a universal thing. Each little town can be very different from the next.

    The guns are an after thought really. I'd just like to know if there are hoops to jump through so I'm not surprised later.

    I'm from Harrisburg PA. The easiest way to explain it is as follows.... There is no concept of Baltimore County Schools or Baltimore County Taxes. There is a Towson SD and taxes, Catonsville SD and taxes, Essex SD and taxes, etc. Now Cockeysville and Hunt Valley may share a school district, but they are still different townships, so one could live in Cockeysville and still get the Hunt Valley schools. This way they would only pay the crazy school taxes, but not the crazy township tax as well.
    In a nutshell, the quality of schools and tax rates vary significantly based upon the school district and municipality combination.
     

    Dave MP

    Retired USA
    Jun 13, 2010
    10,603
    Farmland, PA
    Maryland may finally be too much for me.

    I am thinking about moving North of the Mason Dixon line. Preliminary thinking for now. I am just doing my homework.

    Is there any hassle to move guns into PA?

    I am talking registered handguns and a few unregulated long guns (per MD law). Nothing turret mounted or anything crazy.


    Where about are you looking for housing?
    Do you plan on commuting to MD for work?
     

    DontTreadOnMe

    Active Member
    Dec 10, 2016
    638
    Printed my CCW form and mailed it in with $20 money order. Week later had my license. York County


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


    I was approved in 5 days, including weekend, in York County. They didn’t contact my references.
     

    tourrider

    Grumpy
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 9, 2009
    2,327
    Corry, PA
    Maryland may finally be too much for me.

    I am thinking about moving North of the Mason Dixon line. Preliminary thinking for now. I am just doing my homework.

    Is there any hassle to move guns into PA?

    I am talking registered handguns and a few unregulated long guns (per MD law). Nothing turret mounted or anything crazy.

    Come on in! No hassle, just load them up and come on up.

    I made the move last October. On Day one got my DL and went two blocks to the Sheriffs office to plop down my $20. Had my CCL in the mail 5 days later.

    A week later I went to buy a new FNS and I forgot that there's no waiting period. I tried to remain cool as he handed me the handgun with the receipt.

    That's when it hit me.
     

    ed bernay

    Active Member
    Feb 18, 2011
    184
    What are you waiting for? PA is heaven compared to where I'm from. You are going to go broke from buying guns. I wish I moved here 20 years ago. I can't imagine what my collection would look like if I did.
     

    chooks9

    Bear with Arms
    Jan 3, 2013
    1,155
    Abingdon
    Congrats to the OP on their move to free country. I’d by lying if I said I wasn’t envious.

    If I could convince my family and was able to find suitable jobs for my wife and I, a nice house and spot of land, and good schools, we’d be in rural PA tomorrow.
     

    gamer_jim

    Podcaster
    Feb 12, 2008
    13,233
    Hanover, PA
    I'd be more worried about the surprising school township taxes. It's tough to find out what they are without an agent.

    Why do you say this? I thought they are clearly posted on the real estate listing and also in tax record?

    The real problem with school taxes is that they can change very easily. Up the road from me is Spring Grove school district. I don't know the amounts but a few years ago they raised their school tax rate to an astronomical level. This forced some retirees to relocate.

    Regarding guns, no worries bringing them in here, for now. The governor is very liberal so that is subject to change as well. Here's a good summary by pafoa.com (the MDS of PA, sort of)
    https://www.pafoa.org/law/


    Do I have to register my firearms in Pennsylvania?
    No, in fact in Pennsylvania it is actually illegal for any government or police agency to keep a registry of firearms per 18 Pa.C.S. § 6111.4 (Registration of firearms). If you legally possess bring your firearms into the Pennsylvania or come into possession of the firearms legally, no further action is required.

    It should be noted however that all transfers of handguns in Pennsylvania are required to go through the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) and as such the Pennsylvania State Police keep a "Sales Database" of all handguns purchased within the Commonwealth. While almost any casual observer can see that this database clearly violates the spirit of 18 Pa.C.S. § 6111.4 (Registration of firearms), in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed with the Pennsylvania State Police that because the database is not a complete record of all handgun ownership (as people bringing handguns into the state do not have to register them), it does not.



    The other thing you have to watch for is local townships can have their own weird rules. I wanted to add a patio but found out we would need about $20k in engineering a storm water system. We have a detached garage that is grandfathered in but because the patio would be next to it we would have to include that in our "save the bay" solution. I didn't have this problem in Carroll County.
     

    Fester60

    Active Member
    Feb 1, 2010
    782
    PA
    I've thought about the same but mostly because of real estate prices.. What's always held me back were the public schools as I have younger kids.

    I live in Delta, PA. I have worked as a teacher for Harford County Public Schools for 15 years. I have 2 daughters (7 and 9) and have been very pleased with South Eastern School District that covers Delta, Fawn Grove, and Stewartstown. In my personal and family experience I think the schools are better here in PA than in Harford county.

    The guns are no problem. Bring whatever you want. Get used to buying whatever you want when you want it. One page application for a concealed carry license, $20 for 5 years. I have no regrets about leaving MD 8 years ago and never plan on going back. Bonus perk, your vote actually counts for something because PA is a swing state.
     

    Skipjacks

    Ultimate Member
    Thanks for the feedback, everyone

    I am still in the "doing my homework" stage

    Not just for guns but for everything else. I am heading up there this weekend to explore the area more and see if I would want to live there

    I spend a lot of time further North in the Hershey area. I absolutely love it up there but for some specific reasons I don't want to be physically that far from Baltimore County. (I just don't want to live here anymore)
     
    Thanks for the feedback, everyone

    I am still in the "doing my homework" stage

    Not just for guns but for everything else. I am heading up there this weekend to explore the area more and see if I would want to live there

    I spend a lot of time further North in the Hershey area. I absolutely love it up there but for some specific reasons I don't want to be physically that far from Baltimore County. (I just don't want to live here anymore)

    Hummelstown (next to Hershey) is where I would go if I moved back to Central PA.
     

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