To fill out Michigan’s RI-060 firearm sales record, the seller completes the fillable PDF with the buyer’s identifying information and one qualifying credential number, records the pistol’s serial number, make, model, caliber, and measurements, prints three identical copies on white paper, and both parties sign by hand. The seller then delivers the Licensing Authority Copy to their local police department or county sheriff within ten days. The buyer keeps their copy on their person for the first 30 days after the sale.
When the RI-060 Is the Right Form
The RI-060 replaces the License to Purchase process only when one of three conditions is met: the buyer has a valid Michigan Concealed Pistol License, the buyer holds active MCOLES certification, or the seller is a federally licensed dealer running the transaction through NICS.1Michigan State Police. Pistol Sales Record RI-060 If none of these apply, the buyer must obtain a License to Purchase from local law enforcement before the transfer.
A few boundaries worth checking before you start writing anything down. An expired CPL does not qualify; if the license has lapsed, the RI-060 is not available and the buyer needs a License to Purchase instead. The form is also pistol-specific: under Michigan law, a pistol is a firearm 26 inches or less in overall length, or one constructed to conceal itself as a firearm.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 28.421 – Definitions Measure before you file. For inherited pistols, the inheritor uses the RI-060 if they hold a valid CPL or MCOLES certification; otherwise they need a License to Purchase to register the firearm in their name.
Where to Get the Form
The RI-060 is a fillable PDF on the Michigan State Police Forms page.3Michigan State Police. MSP Forms Many sheriff’s offices and local police departments also post it or keep blank copies at the front desk. One easy-to-miss requirement: the form must be printed on white paper. Colored paper or cardstock will not be accepted.4South Lyon, Michigan. Michigan Firearm Sales Record Form
Filling Out the Purchaser Section
Type into the Licensing Authority Copy first. Data entered there automatically populates the Purchaser’s and Seller’s copies, so you fill everything once.1Michigan State Police. Pistol Sales Record RI-060 Complete every field. A blank field can delay or invalidate the registration.
The buyer’s section collects full legal name (last, first, middle, suffix), date of birth, race, sex, street address, city, county, ZIP code, and phone number. The buyer must also provide one qualifying credential number:4South Lyon, Michigan. Michigan Firearm Sales Record Form
- The CPL number from a valid, unexpired Michigan Concealed Pistol License.
- The MCOLES number from an active law enforcement certification.
- The FFL number, if the purchaser is a federally licensed dealer.
Only one credential is required, but at least one is mandatory. Without it, the form is not valid.
Filling Out the Pistol Section
Take the pistol details from the firearm itself, not from memory or the listing photos. The required fields are the serial number stamped on the frame or receiver, the manufacturer, the model name or number, the caliber, the type (selected from a code on the form, with an “Other” write-in option), the barrel length in inches, and the overall length in inches.
The Additional Notes field is available for anything relevant that does not fit the standard fields, such as a second serial number, modifications, or distinguishing marks.
Filling Out the Seller Section
The seller enters their full legal name, or business name if the seller is an FFL dealer, along with the purchase or transfer date. FFL dealers add the last nine digits of their FFL number and the NICS Transaction Number from the background check.1Michigan State Police. Pistol Sales Record RI-060
Printing and Signing
Signatures cannot be entered electronically. Fill in all fields on screen, print on white paper, then both parties sign by hand.4South Lyon, Michigan. Michigan Firearm Sales Record Form The purchaser signs in the purchaser section and the seller signs in the seller section. Each of the three copies gets original hand signatures.
By signing, both parties certify that the information is accurate and that the buyer is legally eligible to possess a firearm. Falsifying any information on the RI-060 is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison, a fine of up to $2,000, or both.1Michigan State Police. Pistol Sales Record RI-060
Who Gets Which Copy
The three copies split as follows:
- The Seller’s Copy stays with the seller as proof the firearm was transferred out.
- The Purchaser’s Copy goes with the buyer immediately as proof of legal ownership.
- The Licensing Authority Copy is delivered by the seller to local law enforcement within ten days of the sale.
The submission duty is the seller’s, not the buyer’s. This is where most transactions go wrong. The Licensing Authority Copy goes to the police department or county sheriff with jurisdiction over where the seller lives, not the buyer’s jurisdiction.5Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 28.422a – Duties of Seller If the seller’s city, village, or township has its own police department, submit there. If not, it goes to the county sheriff. You can deliver in person or send it by first-class or certified mail postmarked within the ten-day window. The ten-day clock starts on the date of the transaction, not the date you get around to mailing it.
The Buyer’s 30-Day Carry Rule
The buyer must carry their Purchaser’s Copy whenever they possess the pistol for the first 30 days after the sale. It is a temporary bridge that proves legal acquisition while the state processes the registration. After 30 days, you are no longer required to keep it on your person while carrying, using, or transporting the pistol.5Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 28.422a – Duties of Seller
Even after the 30 days, both parties should keep their copies permanently. If the pistol is later lost, stolen, or comes up in a law enforcement inquiry, your copy proves you legally transferred or acquired it. Clerical errors happen in the state database, and a physical copy is cheap insurance.
Penalties for Getting It Wrong
A seller who fails to submit the Licensing Authority Copy within ten days commits a state civil infraction and can be fined up to $250.5Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 28.422a – Duties of Seller The court also notifies the Michigan State Police and, if the seller holds a CPL, the licensing authority that issued it. That notification can create problems beyond the fine.
Falsifying entries on the form is the more serious exposure: up to four years in prison, a $2,000 fine, or both.1Michigan State Police. Pistol Sales Record RI-060 This covers any material false statement, not just forged signatures. Transposing a serial number digit by accident is an honest mistake; deliberately entering a wrong number is a felony.
Mistakes That Delay or Void the Transfer
Assuming the buyer handles submission is the most common error. The statute puts that duty on the seller.
Leaving the barrel length or overall length fields blank is another frequent problem. These measurements decide whether the firearm even qualifies as a pistol under the 26-inch threshold, and a clerk with blank length fields has no way to confirm the RI-060 is the right document.
Using the form with an expired CPL invalidates the entire transfer. If the buyer’s CPL expires between the agreement and the meeting, stop. The buyer needs to renew or obtain a License to Purchase before the sale can proceed.
Handwriting the form rather than using the fillable PDF creates legibility issues that slow database entry and can produce mismatches between the three copies. Use the electronic fields, print on white paper, then sign by hand.