House Bill 145 Summary

• Allows defendants subject to domestic violence protective orders (DVPOs) to transfer surrendered firearms to a qualified licensed firearms dealer for storage or sale after 15 days in sheriff custody.

• Requires the Administrative Office of the Courts to create a standardized form with notarized signatures for firearm transfers and mandates sheriffs provide no-fee storage for the first 15 days.

• A qualified licensed firearms dealer must have a federal firearms license, operate a commercial business open to the public, and cannot release firearms to the defendant unless the protective order is dismissed or expired.

• Allows defendants to request return of surrendered firearms by written request (not motion) within 30 days of order expiration, subject to National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) verification that they are not legally prohibited from firearm ownership.

• Becomes effective December 1, 2021, and applies only to protective orders issued on or after that date.