Voluntary Out-of-Home Firearm Storage During Dementia: Your Options

When a family decides that firearms should leave the home during cognitive decline, the next question is where they go. The good news is that 2026 offers more options than ever before, and most of them are free or low-cost. The choice depends on how long the storage will last, whether the gun owner wants the firearms returned later, and how comfortable the family is with each setting.

The most well-known option is Hold My Guns, a nonprofit founded in 2018 that operates a national network of partner gun shops and Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders who agree to store firearms for free or low cost on a voluntary basis. The owner brings the firearms to the partner shop, fills out a short intake form, and the firearms go into a locked safe behind the counter. Storage runs from a few weeks to several months or longer depending on the partner shop. To get the firearms back, the owner returns and the shop runs a standard NICS background check before release, same as any firearm transfer. The website at holdmyguns.org has a partner finder by zip code.

Many county sheriffs offices and local police departments also offer voluntary firearm storage, though policies vary widely. Some hold firearms indefinitely for residents in crisis, with no fee. Others limit storage to 30, 60, or 90 days. A few require a court order. Call the non-emergency line and ask specifically about voluntary safe storage during a medical situation — that wording usually gets you to the right person. Bring photo ID, the firearms unloaded and in a case, and any paperwork the department asks for.

Local gun shops outside the Hold My Guns network often store firearms informally for trusted customers, especially in smaller communities where the shop owner knows the family. Fees range from zero to about 20 dollars per firearm per month. Ask about the safe, the insurance coverage, and whether the storage area has climate control to prevent corrosion. Get the agreement in writing, including how the firearms will be returned and to whom.

Family and friends can also legally hold firearms in most states, but the rules vary, and a transfer to a non-spouse family member can sometimes count as a legal transfer requiring an FFL background check (especially in California, Colorado, Washington, New Mexico, and several other states with universal background check laws). Spousal transfers are exempt in most states. Before handing a firearm to a son, daughter, sibling, or friend, search for your states laws on private firearm transfers or call a local FFL dealer for a quick check.

Whatever option the family chooses, keep three documents: a written list of every firearm transferred (make, model, serial number, condition), a signed receipt from the storage location, and a written agreement about return conditions. These documents protect the gun owner, the family, and the storage location if questions come up later.

(Sources: Hold My Guns at holdmyguns.org; ATF private transfer guidance; Giffords Law Center state-by-state private sale background check summary; National Sheriffs Association firearm storage policy survey 2024)