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FFL from home in NH?
- Thread starter Sev
- Start date
There's a gun shop in Derry that is part of the owners house. He's not in a strictly residential zone though, as there are a few businesses in close proximity to him, so that may be why he's allowed to do it.
Twigg
NES Member
Check with your local zoning board, you'll need to address issues such as :
Is there zoning to permit a retail business where your residense is located ?
Do you have a seperate area within your residense or on your property (such as a garage) for business ?
Traffic - how many customers will be entering and leaving daily ?
How many parking spaces are available ? Note: "On street" parking isn't going to be well received.
How will trash removal be performed ? (yes they will ask.)
Noise levels; will there be any test firing on the premisis ? (yes they will ask.)
Business hours ?
Your zoning board members will ask "stupid" questions like;
What kind of customers will you be selling to ?
Where you gonna put all dem guns ?
Will you be selling AK-47's ?
If you are planning on building a garage/shed/doghouse the zoning boarb nay get nitpicky enough to ask or require specific kinds of siding, paint color, and or limit your days/hours of operation.
All of the above are actual questions I have heard.
Have a business plan and bring support if you need to go before the zoning board for any permit.
Might be a good idea to observe a Z/B meeting or two to determine what they are looking for just to get your ducks in a row before going.
Good luck.
Is there zoning to permit a retail business where your residense is located ?
Do you have a seperate area within your residense or on your property (such as a garage) for business ?
Traffic - how many customers will be entering and leaving daily ?
How many parking spaces are available ? Note: "On street" parking isn't going to be well received.
How will trash removal be performed ? (yes they will ask.)
Noise levels; will there be any test firing on the premisis ? (yes they will ask.)
Business hours ?
Your zoning board members will ask "stupid" questions like;
What kind of customers will you be selling to ?
Where you gonna put all dem guns ?
Will you be selling AK-47's ?
If you are planning on building a garage/shed/doghouse the zoning boarb nay get nitpicky enough to ask or require specific kinds of siding, paint color, and or limit your days/hours of operation.
All of the above are actual questions I have heard.
Have a business plan and bring support if you need to go before the zoning board for any permit.
Might be a good idea to observe a Z/B meeting or two to determine what they are looking for just to get your ducks in a row before going.
Good luck.
Not Londonderry-specific but you might want to ask John at Chester Arms (Chester NH) or Ty at American Weapons Systems (Rindge NH) what they went through to get their FFLs. Both have their shops attached or close to their houses.
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Many Towns have a zoning ordinance that allow "cottage businesses". Generally less than a handful of employees, infrequent customers, few deliveries. Basically it's the impact to the neighborhood that is important. How much land you have would be a factor, for instance.
Interesting thread and I would like to know how it works out.I have a 03 FFL and would like to go the full 01 and open a shop-not a fan of full time hours thou.I called the ATF about the home dealer FFL and the agent said it must have regular hours.Now I see several home FFL dealers up here with the "by appointment" and not sure how they can pull that off.
Anyone who is interested in going the full route with a shop feel free to shoot me off a PM,even if its to compare notes.
Dave
Anyone who is interested in going the full route with a shop feel free to shoot me off a PM,even if its to compare notes.
Dave
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
Depends on your town. Son Lance has the 01 in Fitzwilliam. The town has no problem with a in-home business. End of story. Your results, however, may vary. Just go and ask. BTW, ATF wants you to have business hours so that they can inspect you without notice. Jack.
Hi,
yes I know the regular hrs are for inspection,I have no problem with that,its the customer hrs.I would prefer,if I did it from home,not to have business hrs and go with,what apparently what some other dealers are doing "By appointment".
Really just want to take advantage of buying through auction,and estates and selling through G/B,and G/I and very little if any walk in customers, if I did this from home.My town has no restriction on home business as well.
yes I know the regular hrs are for inspection,I have no problem with that,its the customer hrs.I would prefer,if I did it from home,not to have business hrs and go with,what apparently what some other dealers are doing "By appointment".
Really just want to take advantage of buying through auction,and estates and selling through G/B,and G/I and very little if any walk in customers, if I did this from home.My town has no restriction on home business as well.
IIRC when they got rid of the "kitchen table" gun dealers somewhere in the not so distant past, it created a issue with the Feds that you had to have something that resembled retail space or something that is not your residence to transact business out of.
If that means converting your garage, adding on to the house, or other means to accomplish it, you have to do it and get past local zoning.
Wasn't there a NH story in the last year of a guy who was trying to get zoning approval and his neighbors showed up at the zoning hearing and raised all sorts of stink.
Effn Ma**h***s moving into Southern NH and thinking they are going to change the NH way of life.
If that means converting your garage, adding on to the house, or other means to accomplish it, you have to do it and get past local zoning.
Wasn't there a NH story in the last year of a guy who was trying to get zoning approval and his neighbors showed up at the zoning hearing and raised all sorts of stink.
Effn Ma**h***s moving into Southern NH and thinking they are going to change the NH way of life.
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Now that the ATF has ruled that gunwriters, technical consultants, sales reps, etc. cannot accept shipments of firearms without creating a "transfer" unless they are W2 employees, there is a solid and acceptable justification for the issuance of an FFL to such a person who has no intention of engaging in the retail trade or having business hours.
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
I would suggest that anyone wanting a FFL talk to the ATF, talk to the town and talk to the PD. Communication is everything. Has worked for me for 30 years. Except for during the Clinton years, I have found that ATF is actually the easiest of the bunch to work with. Jack.
This.
Start with the local PD as the BATFE will ask whether your local PD/Sheriff is Ok with you doing this. In my case they asked this shortly after they called my CLEO and talked with him about myself and the proposed business.
KBCraig
NES Member
Your business hours are listed on your application. If you'd like, you can set your business hours as 0100-0130 on Tuesdays only.
I did think about something like that,maybe a couple hrs on one or two days.When I called,and I have to say they are very polite and not hard to talk with,he said he wanted to see real business type hours not a couple a day type thing.
I agree asking is a great idea,however you sometimes get one persons "opinion" of what the rules are.My frustration with the business hr requirment is that I see so many other home FFL's (and some gun shops) using the "by appointment" successfully and the info I get from the ATF is you can't.
I don't have a separate building to put this in,could run it out out my walk out lower lever thou.Not real sure I like that thou,better to have it separate building from my home.
I have the capitol to invest in a full bore retail shop,just don't want to commit to the full time hours to make it worth while.
Thank you all for the help,again very good thread and very helpful.
I agree asking is a great idea,however you sometimes get one persons "opinion" of what the rules are.My frustration with the business hr requirment is that I see so many other home FFL's (and some gun shops) using the "by appointment" successfully and the info I get from the ATF is you can't.
I don't have a separate building to put this in,could run it out out my walk out lower lever thou.Not real sure I like that thou,better to have it separate building from my home.
I have the capitol to invest in a full bore retail shop,just don't want to commit to the full time hours to make it worth while.
Thank you all for the help,again very good thread and very helpful.
Must be a union shop.
Good one ! Could add the required two coffee breaks and lunch in the 1/2 hr work week too !
Form what I understand, and I'm not well versed, the "regular business hours" are about inspection and therefore a sort of minimal requirement. I would guess that if your regular hours were set for the ATF then you actual business hours in addition to those can be whatever you want. For instance, if you have regular reported hours as 1:00 to 1:30 every Tuesday you could also be open by appointment only in addition to that. Anybody confirm that?
