Michigan’s RI-060 Pistol Sales Record is the form a seller uses to register a pistol transfer when the buyer is exempt from needing a separate License to Purchase. The seller fills it out at the time of sale, both parties sign all three copies, and the seller forwards the licensing authority copy to local law enforcement within ten days. The form is a free fillable PDF from the Michigan State Police.
When the RI-060 Is the Right Form
Most private pistol sales in Michigan start with the buyer getting a License to Purchase (form RI-010) from their local police department or county sheriff. The RI-060 replaces that step only when the buyer has already been screened through another channel under MCL 28.422a.
You use the RI-060 when the buyer is one of the following:
- A holder of a valid Michigan Concealed Pistol License. This is the most common private-sale scenario.
- A buyer purchasing from a Federal Firearms Licensee who has already run a NICS background check.
- An active law enforcement officer certified by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards.
If the buyer does not fit one of those categories, the sale requires an RI-010 instead. Using the wrong form delays registration and can result in a civil infraction.
What You Need Before You Start
The form will not work without one of three identifying numbers: the buyer’s CPL number, the buyer’s MCOLES certification number, or the seller’s FFL number paired with the NICS transaction number from the dealer background check.
Have the rest of the information ready too:
- Buyer’s full legal name, home address, and the applicable license or certification number.
- Seller’s full legal name and current address.
- Pistol manufacturer, model, caliber, and serial number. Copy the serial number straight from the firearm rather than from a bill of sale or memory.
How to Fill Out the Form
The seller completes the form. Under the statute and the printed instructions on the form itself, the seller fills in the purchaser information, pistol information, and seller information sections.
If you use the fillable PDF from the Michigan State Police, data you enter on the licensing authority copy automatically carries over to the purchaser and seller copies. Print all three on white paper when you are done. Both parties then sign each copy by hand. Electronic signatures are not accepted.
Filling the form out on paper works too. Use black or blue ink and print clearly. Illegible handwriting is a common source of errors when the licensing authority keys the information into MiPISTOL, the state firearms registration database.
The three copies have different destinations:
- The licensing authority copy goes to local law enforcement.
- The purchaser copy stays with the buyer and functions as a temporary registration certificate for 30 days.
- The seller copy stays with the seller as proof the transfer was documented.
Filing the Licensing Authority Copy
Under MCL 28.422a, the seller must get the licensing authority copy to the police department of the city, village, or township where the seller lives within ten days of the sale. If the seller lives somewhere without a local police department, it goes to the county sheriff. You can deliver it in person or send it by first-class or certified mail postmarked within the ten-day window.
One wrinkle: the instructions printed on the RI-060 itself tell the purchaser to return the licensing authority copy. The statute places responsibility on the seller, and the $250 civil infraction penalty for noncompliance falls on the seller. Agree at the time of sale who will handle delivery, and confirm it arrives. The seller carries the risk, so sellers generally should handle it personally or verify delivery.
Once the local agency receives the form, it enters the pistol into MiPISTOL and forwards the copy to the Michigan State Police Firearms Records Unit.
The Buyer’s 30-Day Carry Rule
For the first 30 days after the purchase, the buyer must have the purchaser copy in physical possession whenever carrying, possessing, or transporting the pistol. It is the proof of lawful ownership during the window before the registration appears in MiPISTOL. After 30 days the copy no longer needs to be on your person, but keeping it with your records is still a good idea.
Penalties for Late Filing or False Statements
A seller who fails to complete the form or misses the ten-day filing deadline is responsible for a state civil infraction and can be fined up to $250. The court also notifies the Michigan State Police, and if the seller holds a CPL, notifies the seller’s licensing authority.
Making a material false statement on the form is a felony. Forging information, lying about identity, or fabricating firearm details carries up to four years in prison, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. The felony exposure applies to either party who falsifies the record.
Federal law adds its own penalty for straw purchases, where a buyer acquires a firearm on behalf of someone who is the actual recipient. Under 18 U.S.C. §§ 932 and 933, a straw purchase carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Inherited Pistols
If you inherit a pistol and hold a valid CPL, you complete an RI-060 within ten days of taking possession, treating it the same as a private sale. The personal representative of the estate, or the next of kin with legal authority to dispose of the pistol, signs as the seller.
If you inherit a pistol and do not hold a CPL, you need to obtain an RI-010 License to Purchase from your local police department or county sheriff before taking possession. Contact the licensing authority before the firearm changes hands so the background check can start.
Buying from an Out-of-State Seller
Federal law prohibits an unlicensed person from transferring a firearm directly to a resident of another state. A pistol bought from an out-of-state seller must be shipped to a Michigan FFL dealer, who runs the NICS check through ATF Form 4473 and then completes the RI-060 to register the pistol with the state.
Inheritance is the exception. A person who inherits a pistol from an out-of-state decedent may bring it into Michigan without routing it through an FFL, provided the estate’s personal representative furnishes a signed order. State registration still applies once the pistol is in Michigan: an RI-060 if the heir holds a CPL, an RI-010 if not.
Gifts to Family Members
There is no family exemption from Michigan’s pistol registration requirements. A gift between family members follows the same path as any other private transfer. If the recipient holds a CPL, the parties complete an RI-060 and the seller files the licensing authority copy within ten days. If the recipient does not have a CPL, the recipient must first obtain a License to Purchase.