69-2401. Legislative findings and declarations.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the state has a valid interest in the regulation of the purchase, lease, rental, and transfer of handguns and that requiring a certificate prior to the purchase, lease, rental, or transfer of a handgun serves a valid public purpose.

Source:Laws 1991, LB 355, § 1.
69-2402. Terms, defined.

For purposes of sections 69-2401 to 69-2425:

(1) Antique handgun or pistol means any handgun or pistol, including those with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system, manufactured in or before 1898 and any replica of such a handgun or pistol if such replica (a) is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition or (b) uses rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition which is no longer manufactured in the United States and which is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade;

(2) Criminal history record check includes a check of the criminal history records of the Nebraska State Patrol and a check of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Instant Criminal Background Check System;

(3) Firearm-related disability means a person is not permitted to (a) purchase, possess, ship, transport, or receive a firearm under either state or federal law, (b) obtain a certificate to purchase, lease, rent, or receive transfer of a handgun under section 69-2404, or (c) obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun under the Concealed Handgun Permit Act; and

(4) Handgun means any firearm with a barrel less than sixteen inches in length or any firearm designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand.

Source:Laws 1991, LB 355, § 25; Laws 1996, LB 1055, § 2; Laws 2006, LB 1227, § 1; Laws 2011, LB512, § 2.

Cross References

69-2403. Sale, lease, rental, and transfer; certificate required; exceptions.

(1) Except as provided in this section and section 69-2409, a person shall not purchase, lease, rent, or receive transfer of a handgun until he or she has obtained a certificate in accordance with section 69-2404. Except as provided in this section and section 69-2409, a person shall not sell, lease, rent, or transfer a handgun to a person who has not obtained a certificate.

(2) The certificate shall not be required if:

(a) The person acquiring the handgun is a licensed firearms dealer under federal law;

(b) The handgun is an antique handgun;

(c) The person acquiring the handgun is authorized to do so on behalf of a law enforcement agency;

(d) The transfer is a temporary transfer of a handgun and the transferee remains (i) in the line of sight of the transferor or (ii) within the premises of an established shooting facility;

(e) The transfer is between a person and his or her spouse, sibling, parent, child, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or grandparent;

(f) The person acquiring the handgun is a holder of a valid permit under the Concealed Handgun Permit Act; or

(g) The person acquiring the handgun is a peace officer as defined in section 69-2429.

Source:Laws 1991, LB 355, § 2; Laws 2010, LB817, § 4.

Cross References

69-2404. Certificate; application; fee.

Any person desiring to purchase, lease, rent, or receive transfer of a handgun shall apply with the chief of police or sheriff of the applicant's place of residence for a certificate. The application may be made in person or by mail. The application form and certificate shall be made on forms approved by the Superintendent of Law Enforcement and Public Safety. The application shall include the applicant's full name, address, date of birth, and country of citizenship. If the applicant is not a United States citizen, the application shall include the applicant's place of birth and his or her alien or admission number. If the application is made in person, the applicant shall also present a current Nebraska motor vehicle operator's license, state identification card, or military identification card, or if the application is made by mail, the application form shall describe the license or card used for identification and be notarized by a notary public who has verified the identification of the applicant through such a license or card. An applicant shall receive a certificate if he or she is twenty-one years of age or older and is not prohibited from purchasing or possessing a handgun by 18 U.S.C. 922. A fee of five dollars shall be charged for each application for a certificate to cover the cost of a criminal history record check.

Source:Laws 1991, LB 355, § 3; Laws 2006, LB 1227, § 2; Laws 2009, LB63, § 33.

Annotations

69-2405. Application; chief of police or sheriff; duties; immunity.

Upon the receipt of an application for a certificate, the chief of police or sheriff shall issue a certificate or deny a certificate and furnish the applicant the specific reasons for the denial in writing. The chief of police or sheriff shall be permitted up to three days in which to conduct an investigation to determine whether the applicant is prohibited by law from purchasing or possessing a handgun. If the certificate or denial is mailed to the applicant, it shall be mailed to the applicant's address by first-class mail within the three-day period. If it is determined that the purchase or possession of a handgun by the applicant would be in violation of applicable federal, state, or local law, the chief of police or sheriff shall deny the certificate. In computing the three-day period, the day of receipt of the application shall not be included and the last day of the three-day period shall be included. The three-day period shall expire at 11:59 p.m. of the third day unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday in which event the period shall run until 11:59 p.m. of the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. No later than the end of the three-day period the chief of police or sheriff shall issue or deny such certificate and, if the certificate is denied, furnish the applicant the specific reasons for denial in writing. No civil liability shall arise to any law enforcement agency if such law enforcement agency complies with sections 69-2401, 69-2403 to 69-2408, and 69-2409.01.

Source:Laws 1991, LB 355, § 4; Laws 1996, LB 1055, § 3; Laws 2006, LB 1227, § 3.
69-2406. Certificate; denial or revocation; appeal; filing fee.

Any person who is denied a certificate, whose certificate is revoked, or who has not been issued a certificate upon expiration of the three-day period may appeal within ten days of receipt of the denial or revocation to the county court of the county of the applicant's place of residence. The applicant shall file with the court the specific reasons for the denial or revocation by the chief of police or sheriff and a filing fee of ten dollars in lieu of any other filing fee required by law. The court shall issue its decision within thirty days of the filing of the appeal.

Source:Laws 1991, LB 355, § 5; Laws 2006, LB 1227, § 4.
69-2407. Certificate; contents; term; revocation.

A certificate issued in accordance with section 69-2404 shall contain the holder's name, address, and date of birth and the effective date of the certificate. A certificate shall authorize the holder to acquire any number of handguns during the period that the certificate is valid. The certificate shall be valid throughout the state and shall become invalid three years after its effective date. If the chief of police or sheriff who issued the certificate determines that the applicant has become disqualified for the certificate under section 69-2404, he or she may immediately revoke the certificate and require the holder to surrender the certificate immediately. Revocation may be appealed pursuant to section 69-2406.

Source:Laws 1991, LB 355, § 6; Laws 2009, LB63, § 34.
69-2408. False information on application; other violations; penalties; confiscation of handgun.

Any person who willfully provides false information on an application form for a certificate under section 69-2404 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class IV felony, and any person who intentionally violates any other provision of sections 69-2401, 69-2403 to 69-2407, and 69-2409.01 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor. As a part of the judgment of conviction, the court may order the confiscation of the handgun.

Source:Laws 1991, LB 355, § 7; Laws 1996, LB 1055, § 4.

Annotations