• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Ignorance was bliss - living in PR and apparently I'm breaking the law by accident

budro

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2011
Messages
2
Location
PR
So I moved here more than 2 years ago, I have a 22, a deer rifle (.30-06), 12 gauge and a 20 gauge. The moving company had no problem boxing them up for me and shipping them here along with all my other stuff (I have pics and serial numbers ect like on any other high value item). But they couldn't ship the ammo of course. I didn't care, not like I'm doing any hunting down here anyway.

So last night my dog gets into it with a stray cat that came in my yard. The home owner's association is not doing anything to get rid of them and I don't want my dog losing an eye or anything else. The municipio (read: county) government does not have the time or resources or inclination to do anything about the stray cats. As my neighborhood is mostly used as a weekend/beach house area for people who have second homes, I figured I could just sit up on my balcony and do a little pest removal without anyone being unduly annoyed.

So in trying to find where to get some 22 rounds I have discovered that in order to possess 4 guns both my wife and I would have to get permits to have two guns each. Can't even buy ammo.

Edit: What I find frustrating is that gun ownership is so frowned upon that I can't even find where to go to tell the government that I have guns and pay the fees and what not to become legal.
 
Last edited:

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Welcome to OCDO.

Acknowledging having broken laws on a public forum is not particularly beneficial to yourself personally. The old adage about ignorance of the law is not an excuse applies.

Suggest that you take immediate action to correct the situation, although I have to admit that I do not have any recommendations. Good luck with that.
 

budro

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2011
Messages
2
Location
PR
Yes, I am aware that ignorance is not valid as a defense. Of course when I've been pulled over here I just claim that I can't speak spanish and they have sent me on my way...

Personally I find the requirement of registering firearms to be repellent. At the same time I am a hypocrite because I faithfully pay the taxes on and register my cars every year. But the gun situation bothers me. A lot.
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
That situation would bother me a lot too. I would have investigated the laws there before relocating, not after the fact. Not trying to be harsh, just saying.

Hope that you will find a way to resolve this within the law or get the laws changed.

OCDO does have a position on this:

"Posts advocating illegal acts of any kind are NOT welcome here. Even if you feel that a law is unconstitutional we do not break it, we repeal it or defeat it in the courts."
http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/misc.php?do=showrules

As innocent and informative (in a conversational way) as I think you intended this, the personal details might have been better left out and have limited yourself to discussing the general problems of ownership/possession there.
 

hermannr

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
2,327
Location
Okanogan Highland
I suggest you do some google searching.

I'm trying to remember where I read it, but I understand there is a case in PR Supreme Court that is just on this question...it may be settled by now, but up to this point the PR law was in the process of being thrown out. Appeals court had already ruled in favor of the person charged, that the PR gun law was unconstitutional.

try Look it up. The comment was made that maybe PR would have gun rights before DC or something along that line.

OK I found something, not exacty why I was looking for but should get you started Basically PR will be Shall Issue becasue of this court ruling, but yes, the PR Supreme court has ruled on this.

http://www.gunauction.com/news/arti...ment-Right-to-Carry-Guns-in-Public-Places.cfm
 
Last edited:

Badger Johnson

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2011
Messages
1,213
Location
USA
I would have investigated the laws there before relocating, not after the fact.

Wow. Some people are just perfect.

----
There are other methods of humane pest control. Research these in your area. I like the 'Bengal Tiger as Pet' method, myself. :dude:
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Wow. Some people are just perfect.

To be responsible and to recommend that others do likewise is cause for derisive remarks?

Also editing out the context of a poster's remarks to give a different impression of their statement is a violation of the rules. I did not speak harshly to the issue.
 

Jameson

New member
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
6
Location
Elizabeth City, NC
I know this thread is a few weeks old but are you stationed there in the military? I only as because of the lack of spanish and I was also stationed there from 2002-2005 in San Juan... That place is redicules to posses a firearm. I vaguely remember it being a 6 month wait back then but you had to get a permit from the police, finger prints and such and its not a permit to go buy a firearm when you find somthing you want but you have to buy the firearm you want to register with all the additional costs involved for permits and back ground check and they have the option of just up and saying "No" and you lose the money....

But if you are in the military, people who would get stationed there with firearms would register them on base and have them locked up in there armory.
 
Last edited:

reillo584

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2011
Messages
110
Location
Post Falls, ID
Hello everybody

Hello budro... first thing I have to say is that I'm born and raised in the Island, I join the U.S. Army (active duty) in 2004 and left the Island since then. I'm been stationed in Fort Lewis Wa for the last five or six years so I'm not sure about how much of an improvement we had in recent years (if any)... I hate to be the bad news carrier but as you probably already find out gun laws in P.R. are very restrictive, for people that never been there before, think something like N.Y. gun laws... (at least till 2004) I'm currently station in South Korea so probabily I can't help you too much but all that I know is that you may be able to keep your guns at home for what they call "poccesion de Armas" that translate in the states to home protection wich means you keep your guns at home and use it in case of a home invasion or trasspasing of you property... The other type of permit is call "Portacion de armas" which is basically your conceal carry... This one was very hard to obtain in PR if you are "regular joe"... you got to have "friends in high places" in order to obtain one those and yes, there is a six month (up to a year) waiting period...:( If you are in the military or in any type of relationship w/ the federal government I think you may be able to obtain "portaccion de Armas" with no problems (if you are trying conceal carry)... Open Carry is basically prohibit in P.R. :(
 

Np3ba

New member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Messages
1
Location
Puerto Rico
Hi I am currently waiting for my gun permit and is not as dificult as it sounds. Yes you need time but it's not that bad. I recently talked to a sales person at one of the local armories and he told me that if a person has a gun and is not regsitered with the police there are ceartain things you need to do to make them legal. First get you're gun permit. It costs about $340 and it will take about 2 to 3 months. Once you get your permit find evidence of where you bought the guns and go to a local armory they will help you register the guns for a fee but they need evidence that the gun was purchased legally.
 

bradco

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
140
Location
Puerto Rico
Don't mean to hijack but I am also going to be moving to P.R timeframe between January and March 2013, I currently live in Ct and I know I cannot bring all 3 of my pistols and my rifle there, but wanted to know where exactly to start to go thruy permit process so I can at least take one of them with me when I move, I have CT Permit, Pennsylvania and new Hampshire, my CT permit expires April of next year so I will probably apply for a non resident or as I will still have residence here will need to check on that, but I do have a house in P.R so my intent is moving there full time, can you point me in the direction to get started as I want to get a head start.

Hi I am currently waiting for my gun permit and is not as dificult as it sounds. Yes you need time but it's not that bad. I recently talked to a sales person at one of the local armories and he told me that if a person has a gun and is not regsitered with the police there are ceartain things you need to do to make them legal. First get you're gun permit. It costs about $340 and it will take about 2 to 3 months. Once you get your permit find evidence of where you bought the guns and go to a local armory they will help you register the guns for a fee but they need evidence that the gun was purchased legally.
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Don't mean to hijack but I am also going to be moving to P.R timeframe between January and March 2013, I currently live in Ct and I know I cannot bring all 3 of my pistols and my rifle there, but wanted to know where exactly to start to go thruy permit process so I can at least take one of them with me when I move, I have CT Permit, Pennsylvania and new Hampshire, my CT permit expires April of next year so I will probably apply for a non resident or as I will still have residence here will need to check on that, but I do have a house in P.R so my intent is moving there full time, can you point me in the direction to get started as I want to get a head start.

http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/showthread.php?47007-Gun-Rights-in-Puerto-Rico

http://handgunlaw.us/states/puertorico.pdf

http://www.usacarry.com/puerto_rico_concealed_carry_permit_information.html

http://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/articles/2008/puerto-rico-firearms-laws.aspx

Please not that their is some conflict/disagreement in these sites. Best to check the out personally.
 

bradco

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
140
Location
Puerto Rico
Thanks I have already read the information on what needs to be done,monetary etc, what I am looking for is someone actually there that can point me to thge starting place, armory etc in the process

 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Top