Under Michigan law, a pistol is any firearm 26 inches or shorter in overall length, or any firearm whose construction and appearance conceal that it is a firearm. That is the Michigan pistol definition set out in MCL 28.421 and MCL 750.222, and it catches more guns than most owners expect because the state measures length in the shortest configuration a firearm can still fire in.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 28.421 – Definitions2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.222 – Definitions
The Two Prongs of the Definition
A firearm is a pistol under Michigan law if it meets either of the following:
- It has an overall length of 26 inches or less, measured using the state’s method.
- Its construction and appearance conceal it as a firearm, such as a weapon built into a pen or a cane.
Nothing in the statute limits pistols to firearms designed to be fired with one hand. That “one-hand” language comes from federal classifications, not Michigan law. A shoulder-fired weapon with a folding or collapsing stock can be a pistol in Michigan if it collapses to 26 inches or less and still functions.
How to Measure a Firearm the Michigan Way
Michigan measures a firearm in its shortest fully operable configuration. A 1984 Attorney General opinion established the rule: if a firearm with a folding or telescoping stock can still fire with the stock collapsed, the collapsed length is the one that counts.3Michigan Department of Attorney General. Michigan Attorney General Opinion No. 6280
To measure correctly:
- Collapse any folding or telescoping stock completely.
- Measure from the tip of the muzzle to the rearmost point of the firearm.
- Use a rigid measuring tool, not a flexible tape. A fraction of an inch changes the classification.
Removable muzzle devices such as flash suppressors or brakes do not add to the length unless they are permanently attached. Michigan does not publish its own permanence standard, so the federal benchmarks are the widely used reference: full-fusion welding, high-temperature silver soldering at 1,100°F or above, or blind pinning with the pin head welded over.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act Handbook
Why Michigan’s Measurement Differs From Federal
Federal law generally measures a firearm with its stock extended. A rifle with a 16-inch barrel and a collapsible stock that reaches 28 inches extended clears the federal 26-inch line comfortably. Collapse that same rifle to 24 inches and it becomes a pistol under Michigan law, with all the registration obligations that follow.
This gap matters for anyone bringing a firearm into the state. The federal interstate transport protection under 18 U.S.C. 926A applies only when a firearm is unloaded and stored outside the passenger compartment (or in a locked container if the vehicle has no separate compartment).5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms Anyone traveling into Michigan with a collapsible-stock firearm should measure it the Michigan way before assuming it is a long gun here.
Rifles and Shotguns That Become Pistols
Short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns sit at the intersection of federal and state rules. Federally, they are National Firearms Act items requiring ATF registration. In Michigan, if the same firearm measures 26 inches or less overall, it also has to be registered as a pistol under MCL 28.422 and 28.422a.6Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 750.224b – Short-Barreled Shotgun or Rifle A federal tax stamp does not substitute for state registration.
The 1984 AG opinion also noted that a standard rifle or shotgun with a folding stock that collapses below 26 inches and remains operable can fall into the short-barreled category, subjecting it to further restrictions on sale and possession.3Michigan Department of Attorney General. Michigan Attorney General Opinion No. 6280 In other words: buy a rifle, add a folding brace or shorter stock, and you may have quietly turned it into a Michigan pistol without knowing it.
What Classification as a Pistol Triggers
Once a firearm meets the state’s pistol definition, three things follow.
Registration through purchase paperwork. A buyer without a Concealed Pistol License needs a License to Purchase (LTP) from the local licensing authority before acquiring the pistol, and the seller must return a copy of the license to that authority within 10 days.7Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 28.422 – License to Purchase Pistol A buyer with a CPL skips the LTP; instead, the seller completes a Pistol Sales Record (RI-060) and submits a copy to law enforcement within 10 days. Keep your copy. For the first 30 days after purchase you may need it as proof of lawful possession.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 28.422a
Universal background checks. Since February 2024, all firearm sales in Michigan, including private transactions, require a background check on the buyer.9State of Michigan. New Gun Safety Laws to Protect Families Go Into Effect February 13 For private pistol sales, that means using the LTP process or a CPL, and submitting the sales record to local law enforcement.
Concealed carry rules. Carrying a pistol concealed requires a Michigan CPL. Open carry of a registered pistol is not specifically authorized by any statute, but it is not prohibited either, and remains legal for people not otherwise barred from possessing a firearm.10State of Michigan. Michigan State Police Legal Update No. 86 The pistol still has to be registered. An unregistered pistol, openly carried, is still an unregistered pistol.
Penalties for Getting the Classification Wrong
The stakes for misclassifying a firearm are real:
- Obtaining a pistol without following the LTP requirements is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail.11Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 750.232a
- A seller who fails to submit the required paperwork within 10 days commits a civil infraction with a fine of up to $250.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 28.422a
- Possessing an unregistered NFA short-barreled rifle or shotgun carries federal penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, on top of any Michigan violations.
The most common problem is quieter than any of these headline penalties. Someone buys a rifle with a collapsible stock, never measures it in the collapsed position, and unknowingly owns an unregistered pistol for years. Every day they carry or transport it, they are technically in violation. Measuring every folding-stock or collapsible-stock firearm using the shortest-operable-length method, with a rigid tool, is the single step that keeps a Michigan gun owner on the right side of the definition.