Michigan RI-60 Form: 10-Day Filing Deadline and Penalties

Michigan’s RI-60 form, officially the Pistol Sales Record, is the handgun registration document used when the buyer is exempt from Michigan’s License to Purchase requirement. The exemption covers Concealed Pistol License holders, federally licensed firearms dealers, and certified Michigan police officers. The seller and buyer fill it out together in triplicate at the time of the transaction, and the seller must forward one copy to local law enforcement within 10 days or face a civil infraction fine of up to $250.¹

Who Can Use the RI-60

Only three categories of handgun buyers can use the RI-60 in place of a License to Purchase under MCL 28.422a:²

Holders of a full, active Michigan Concealed Pistol License.
Individuals licensed under 18 USC 923 to deal in firearms.
Officers currently employed and licensed or certified under the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards Act.

The CPL category has an important carve-out. Emergency CPLs issued under section 5a(4) and temporary receipts serving as a CPL under sections 5b(9) or 5l(3) do not qualify. If you just applied and are carrying a receipt while you wait for the card, you still need a License to Purchase from your local police department or county sheriff.¹

The qualifying credential also has to be valid at the moment of the sale, not just at some earlier point. An expired CPL no longer makes you eligible for the RI-60 shortcut.

What Goes on the Form

The RI-60 captures identifying information for the buyer, the seller, and the firearm itself.

The buyer fills in their full legal name, residential address, and the number of the credential that makes them eligible: the concealed weapon license number for a CPL holder, the federal dealer license number for an FFL, or the certificate number issued under the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards Act for a certified officer.¹

The seller provides their name and address. The firearm section asks for the manufacturer, model, caliber, type (semi-automatic, revolver, and so on), and serial number. Check the serial number against the stamping on the frame or receiver more than once. A single transposed digit can get the registration rejected or tied to the wrong firearm.

Filing the Form and the 10-Day Deadline

The RI-60 is available as a fillable PDF from the Michigan State Police website and from local law enforcement offices. Both parties complete it at the time of transfer and the purchaser signs it. Three identical copies are produced:¹

One copy the seller keeps as a personal record of the sale.
One copy the buyer keeps as proof of registration and ownership.
One copy for law enforcement, submitted to the police department in the seller’s city, village, or township, or to the county sheriff if there is no local police department.

The law enforcement copy must reach the agency within 10 days of the transaction. It can be hand-delivered, or sent by first-class or certified mail postmarked inside the 10-day window. The statute puts this duty on the seller.¹ Some county sheriff offices, especially for private sales, ask the purchaser to drop the form off in person.³ Either way, the civil infraction for missing the deadline falls on the seller. Local agencies may charge up to $1.00 for processing the record.

Keep the Form With the Pistol for 30 Days

For 30 days after the purchase, the buyer has to keep the RI-60 (or the License to Purchase, whichever applies) with the firearm whenever they’re carrying, transporting, or using it. After 30 days the carrying requirement drops away, though holding onto the paper for your own records is still worth doing.⁴

Gifts, Inheritances, and Moving to Michigan

Michigan treats every transfer of a pistol as a registration event, not just commercial sales. A gift or an inheritance triggers the same paperwork. A CPL holder who inherits a handgun uses the RI-60 and has 10 days from taking possession to complete it. Someone without a CPL has to obtain a License to Purchase first, even though no money changed hands.⁵

New residents who bring pistols with them from another state face the same system. Contact the local law enforcement agency promptly after establishing residency, pass the background check, and complete a License to Purchase listing yourself as both seller (noting the state of original purchase) and buyer. CPL holders who transfer their license to Michigan can use the RI-60 instead.⁴

Penalties

Failing to forward the law enforcement copy inside the 10-day window is a state civil infraction with a fine of up to $250.¹ It’s not a criminal charge, but it leaves the pistol missing from the state database, which creates problems if the firearm is ever recovered or if ownership later needs to be proved.

Making a materially false statement on the RI-60 is a different matter. It’s a felony, punishable by up to four years in prison, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.¹ That covers intentional misrepresentation of the buyer’s identity, the qualifying credential, or the firearm’s serial number. Honest clerical errors are not the same thing, but they can still cause real headaches, which is why double-checking the serial number before signing is time well spent.

1
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 28.422a – Individuals Not Required to Obtain License
2
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 28.422a – Individuals Not Required to Obtain License
3
Otsego County, MI. Handgun Registration Process
4
Jackson County, MI. License to Purchase FAQ
5
Michigan Legislature. House Legislative Analysis – Grace Period for Licensing Inherited Pistol