Gun Permits & Concealed Carry Weapons

Purchasing a Pistol

If an individual is planning to purchase a pistol from a Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) dealer, a License to Purchase a Pistol (LTP) is no longer required. However, a Pistol Sales Record (PSR) will be completed. You do not need to come to the Police Department for a purchase permit. You may now go directly to a FFL dealer and they will have the proper paperwork to purchase the pistol.

The FFL dealer will be responsible for conducting the criminal history and background check instead of the Police Department. You will need to return the MSP copy to the Police Department within 10 days. You must be at least 21 years old to purchase from a FFL dealer.

License to Purchase a Pistol (LTP)

An individual may apply for a LTP at any police agency in Michigan, regardless of where they live, if they plan on purchasing a pistol from a private seller. You must be at least 18 years old.

To obtain a LTP from the Sterling Heights Police Department, you must go to the Records Bureau counter 9 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Be sure to bring your state issued ID or driver's license along with proof of citizenship (birth certificate, current valid passport, or enhanced driver's license). To obtain a LTP, you will be obligated to complete an application.

A permit will only be granted once a criminal history inquiry is completed and there are no felony convictions, other state disqualifiers, or criminal matters/cases pending. The permit must be used within 30 days of the date issued. Gun permits must be notarized before the purchase of a pistol can be made. The Records Bureau offers this service for $10.

The MSP copy will then need to be returned to the Sterling Heights Police Department within 10 days of the date of purchase. It may be sent back by mail or dropped off at the Police Department front desk or Record's Bureau window. “The “Registry” or “MSP” copies of completed Pistol Sales Records or Pistol Purchase Permits can be returned to:  Sterling Heights Police Department, Attention Records, 40333 Dodge Park Road, Sterling Heights, MI  48313.

Purchase Permit

To register a handgun that has been inherited, a purchase permit must be obtained at the Records Bureau counter or a Pistol Sales Record form for valid CPL holders. The executor of the estate will sign off as the seller by signing their own name and writing "In the estate of" and the deceased person's name in parenthesis. The MSP copy must then be returned to the Records Bureau in order to get the gun registered.

Concealed Carry Weapon & Concealed Pistol Licenses

Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) and Concealed Pistol License (CPL) packets are available on the county's website and processing is completed at the Macomb County Clerk’s Office in Mt. Clemens. Please call 586-469-5120 for more information.

Please note: The State of Michigan requires all pistol registrations to be physically turned in and will not accept the permit to be emailed at this time.