We warned them, but Democrat lawmakers and Governor Whitmer didn’t care.
After all, they’ve shown their disdain for gun owners and are fine with making it as difficult as possible for Michiganders to practice their right to keep and bear arms.
As of last year, it’s no longer just handguns that require government permission slips, but every single firearm purchase — including rifles and shotguns — now requires a purchase permit.
Let that sink in. Want to buy a .22 rifle for plinking or a shotgun for home defense? You’ll have to apply in person at your local police department, submit to a background check, and wait… and wait… and wait.
In Grand Rapids, according to a recent news report police are already overwhelmed with demand for purchase permits — some applicants are waiting weeks just to get an appointment. This isn’t a surprise since the already overburdened system is now expected to handle permits for every single firearm sold in the state.
Of course, criminals don’t care and will continue to ignore the law just as they did before it was expanded back in 2023, but law-abiding gun owners across the state are now wrongfully having their rights denied.
A right delayed is a right denied.
A Right Turned Into a Privilege
Michigan’s universal permit to purchase law — MCL 28.422, as amended — states that no one may purchase any firearm (not just pistols) without first obtaining a state-issued license.
(Keep in mind that the de facto registration scheme still exists for pistols, but does not apply to long guns)
This means the state has effectively created a gatekeeping system for gun ownership, giving local law enforcement the power to delay — and potentially deny — your right to self-defense.
This is not about safety. This new law adds nothing — except delays, bureaucracy, and an extra layer of control over law-abiding citizens.
Worse still, the communities most impacted are the ones that can least afford to navigate this system. Working-class Michiganders — many of whom don’t have a CPL — are now looking at multi-week delays just to get the green light to buy a basic home-defense firearm.
And what happens in the meantime? Criminals don’t wait for permits. When danger comes knocking, the government won’t be there — but your legally owned firearm could be, if only the state would let you have it.
The Supreme Court Has Spoken — Michigan Isn’t Listening
In Bruen (2022), the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed that the Second Amendment protects individual rights, and that states must justify gun regulations based on historical tradition — not modern bureaucratic preferences.
There’s no historical tradition of requiring government permission to purchase a firearm. There’s no tradition of treating rights like privileges. What Governor Whitmer and legislative Democrats have done is ignore Bruen, sideline Heller, and spit in the face of the Constitution.
Repealing Permit to Purchase is the Only Solution
Michigan’s universal permit to purchase law is not just a delay — it’s a denial. It creates a two-tiered system where only those with time, money, and connections can exercise their rights quickly, while the rest of the public is told to get in line.
This is government control masquerading as “common sense.” It’s a burden on lawful gun owners, a gift to criminals, and a direct violation of the freedoms we hold dear.
It’s time for Michigan lawmakers to repeal this dangerous expansion of the permit system and restore the right of every Michigander to protect themselves — without delay and without permission.
Great Lakes Gun Rights is working with lawmakers to introduce legislation this year to repeal this unconstitutional and burdensome licensing scheme as well as to repeal Michigan’s draconian pistol registration scheme, something Republican should have done over a decade ago when they had the chance.