In Michigan, a person under the age of 18 generally may not possess a firearm in public except under the direct supervision of an adult 18 years of age or older.¹ Persons under age 18 may possess a firearm while at, or going to or from, a recognized target range or trap or skeet shooting ground if, while going to or from the range or ground, the firearm is enclosed and securely fastened in a case or locked in the trunk of a motor vehicle.² Persons under age 18 may also possess a firearm while hunting game under the authority of a hunting license on land upon which a parent or guardian is regularly domiciled or where a parent or guardian, or another adult at least 18 years old authorized by a parent or guardian, accompanies the minor.³

Michigan prohibits any person from knowingly selling a firearm “more than 26 inches in length” to a person under age 18.⁴

Michigan also prohibits issuance of a handgun purchase license to any person under age 18.⁵ If the handgun is to be purchased from a federally licensed dealer, the applicant must be age 21 or older.⁶

A concealed carry permit may not be issued to a person under 21 years of age.⁷

 Federal law imposes additional age limits.

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1. Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. § 750.234f(1).[↩]
2. Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. § 750.234f(2).[↩]
3. Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. § 324.43517(1)(a). However, Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. § 324.43517(1)(a) provides separate rules if the minor’s hunting license is an apprentice license, if the minor is less than 14 years old and the license is a license to hunt deer, break, or elk with a firearm, or if the minor is less than 10 years old. Subject to other requirements, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources may issue a hunting license to a minor if a parent or legal guardian of the minor applies for the license on the minor’s behalf, pays the licensing fee, and agrees that the child will only hunt game under the conditions spelled out in Section 324.43517. Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. § 324.43520.[↩]
4. Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. § 750.223(2).[↩]
5. Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. § 28.422(3)(b).[↩]
6. This age prohibition for handgun possession does not apply to a person under these specified ages if the person: 1) is not otherwise prohibited from possessing the handgun; 2) is at a recognized target range; 3) possesses the handgun for the purpose of target practice or instruction in the safe use of a handgun; 4) has his or her parent or guardian physically present and supervising; and 5) has the handgun’s owner physically present. Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. § 28.422(11).[↩]
7. Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. § 28.425b(7)(a).[↩]