In a number of States, such as California, it is a legal requirement that you must have a gun safe or safe place to store your gun in order to be allowed to own it.

We can argue about exceptions all day, but the reality of it is that having a gun safe really should be the main priority when it comes to owning a gun. You need to take the utmost care to ensure that your gun is kept safely away from anyone else and will not present a danger to anyone in your home. 

It also needs to be safely stored away from intruders in a place where it cannot be accessed. A gun safe allows for this as they can be locked with codes and keys that only you can unlock. 

If you do not have a gun safe then, at the very least, you need to be able to store it in a safe place where no one else can see it or access it. This may be a place with a lockable door, such as a cupboard or wardrobe. 

If you are questioning whether you really need a gun safe or a safe place to store it, then perhaps you should not be allowed a gun. Gun safety is extremely vital, and any gun owner should know this. 

Can I store my gun in someone elses safe?

Yes, you can store your gun in someone else’s safe according to California Gun Storage Law. However, it is not quite so simple as just leaving your gun with anyone. There are other things to consider first to ensure you and the other person are both legally within your right to do this. 

If you and the other person are both legally allowed to own a gun (by this we mean that you are of age, have the necessary permits, and have the adequate storage space needed for the gun, such as a gun safe), then yes, you can store your gun at someone else’s safe. 

You should also ensure that the person storing the gun for you is not a felon or has been banned from owning firearms in any way. 

To do this safely, you should make sure that only you have the right to access the gun. Even though you are storing it at someone else’s house, you should be the only person allowed to access it, and you should take responsibility for ensuring that young children and anyone else cannot access it. 

For this reason, you may want to consider a trigger lock that only you can open, as well as a tag with your name on it. 

Can you store a loaded gun in a safe?

No, you should never, ever keep a loaded gun in a safe. In fact, this is one of the basics of gun safety. You should never load a gun until you are ready to use it. Loaded guns should not be stored, as they present a risk. The slightest touch may cause them to go off. 

It is especially important that you consider this if you live in a home with other people. Any gun is a risk, even if it is in a safe. Safes can fail, and if the wrong person is to get their hands on a loaded gun then there could be drastic and lethal repercussions. 

A gun in a safe is not ready to use, and nor should it ever be. You should always consider storing ammunition in the safe too, so you can access it safely when needed. Some people may even choose to keep ammunition separately, close by the gun safe so that if the wrong person were to break into the safe, they would not have immediate access to the ammo. 

Do you have to keep your gun in a safe?

Yes. It is highly recommended that you keep your gun in a safe. The safest way to keep your gun stored is locked and unloaded in a locked safe that has a code or lock that only you can open. A trigger lock is a good idea for this. 

You should also practice further safety by locking your ammunition away in a separate safe, although many people keep it in the same place. Sadly, it is thought that many gun owners do not practice gun safety in this way, with as many as more than half of all gun owners storing at least one of their guns unsafely. 

In California, it is a legal requirement that you must have a gun safe in order to be allowed to own a gun. Many states have the same, or similar laws, and it is certainly a recommendation in all states that safe gun storage is vital, whether in a specific gun safe or not.