Senate Bill No. 3 Summary

• Creates a handgun qualified purchaser card system administered by the Department of Safety and Homeland Security; applicants must be age 21+, pass background checks, and complete a firearms training course within 5 years (exempting current concealed carry permit holders).

• Requires licensed firearms dealers and unlicensed persons to obtain a valid handgun qualified purchaser card before selling or transferring a handgun; card is valid for 180 days and can be revoked if holder becomes disqualified.

• Mandates firearms dealers and private transferors submit federal firearms transaction records (or a state-developed form) to the Department within 72 hours of handgun sales; records must include the qualified purchaser card identification number.

• Establishes that records related to handgun transfers cannot be retained by the Department longer than 2 years except in furtherance of open criminal investigations or prosecutions; records are not subject to public disclosure under freedom of information laws.

• Implementation of the qualified purchaser card requirement is delayed until the Department is ready or 18 months from enactment, whichever is earlier; allows applicants to appeal denials or revocations to Justice of the Peace Court with further appeal to Superior Court.