# What are you supposed to do if you find a gun? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813 "2016-09-25T12:43:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/101 "2020-05-06T18:49:52Z")
I’ve never found a gun, but for some reason I’ve found a ton of knives. When’s my luck gonna change?? ---
**Author:** ![Dana\_Scully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5daacb/32.png) [@Dana\_Scully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dana_Scully)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/102 "2020-05-06T21:51:11Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Don’t worry, don’t need answers fast. > > I’m guessing it varies with state jurisdiction, but what are you supposed to do if while going about your business you see a pistol, rifle, shotgun or any other sort of firearm just lying around on the street? > > Obviously the answer would be “call the fucking police!” but what are you meant to do while they arrive? Is there any expectation that you should pick it up, make it safe, or are you supposed to just leave it there, wait and hope nobody else picks it up? Don’t touch it, and call the cops. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/103 "2020-05-06T22:35:27Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > You can disagree with facts all you want, but they are still facts. > > [Here.](http://smartgunlaws.org/gun-laws/policy-areas/gun-owner-responsibilities/registration-of-firearms/) > > [Here.](http://smartgunlaws.org/gun-laws/policy-areas/gun-owner-responsibilities/licensing-of-owners-purchasers/) Actually I went back and checked the actual laws. The law only applies to new guns purchased or brought into the state: §_134-3 Registration, mandatory, exceptions. (a) Every person arriving in the State who brings or by any other manner causes to be brought into the State a firearm of any description, whether usable or unusable, serviceable or unserviceable, modern or antique, shall register the firearm within five days after arrival of the person or of the firearm, whichever arrives later, with the chief of police of the county of the person’s place of business or, if there is no place of business, the person’s residence or, if there is neither a place of business nor residence, the person’s place of sojourn. A nonresident alien may bring firearms not otherwise prohibited by law into the State for a continuous period not to exceed ninety days; provided that the person meets the registration requirement of this section and the person possesses:_ Same with CA, the require registration upon transfers or purchase. In effect both states have grandfather clauses. If you owned the gun before the law was passed, you dont need to register it. and just to correct my earlier answer- the best idea is to call the police. I mean, if you dug up a old lockbox and it had a revolver from 1888 in it, then sure, I think no need to call the police. But for a firearm found just lying there - call the police. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/104 "2020-05-06T23:02:18Z")
> [@](#): > > I mean, if you dug up a old lockbox and it had a revolver from 1888 in it, then sure, I think no need to call the police. In _that_ case, I’d call the local historical society. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/105 "2020-05-06T23:10:57Z")
For those who say you could get in trouble wasting 911’s time on a non-emergency call, when you call 911 here in Honolulu they ask you “emergency” or “non-emergency” and route you accordingly. I’d say “non-emergency” and let the cop I talk to decide how fast to send a car out. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/106 "2020-05-07T03:17:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > In _that_ case, I’d call the local historical society. Fair enuf. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/107 "2020-05-07T09:05:51Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > For those who say you could get in trouble wasting 911’s time on a non-emergency call, when you call 911 here in Honolulu they ask you “emergency” or “non-emergency” and route you accordingly. I’d say “non-emergency” and let the cop I talk to decide how fast to send a car out. In many areas there are specific non-emergency numbers that you can use, but it’s not a universal standard like there is for 911. In many larger cities, the non-emergency number is 311. I know that works in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Not sure what other cities use it. In the small town where I live (southern PA) we don’t have 311, but the police do have a normal 7 digit phone number that you can use for non-emergencies. Whatever number is used in your area will usually be posted on the police web site. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/108 "2020-05-07T10:12:48Z")
I would absolutely always call the police and wait there. No possible other course. But, I am a small white educated middle class menopausal female. I have all of society’s credit for harmlessness and good faith. If I were a young black male I’d cross the street and forget I ever saw it. If I was a irresponsible self-absorbed idiot, I’d gleefully smuggle it home, and hide it under my mattress. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/109 "2020-05-07T14:51:08Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Because it is a threat to public safety, which police are supposed to protect? > > Glad it’s not just me that thought it’s a bit of a no-win situation, between leaving it in situ where some anyone could grab it while you wait for the po-po or picking it up and getting your stinking DNA all over it. Over here in the UK the local police often have ‘gun amnesties’ where you can hand in a firearm to a police station no questions asked, but I’ve got a feeling it would be a bad idea to walk into a police station with a gun which may be loaded and have been used in the commission of a felony. The UK cops would get pretty shirty with you if you “tampered with evidence” by picking it up, however careful you were. I would have no hesitation in calling 999. My brother was walking down a street and saw the keys sticking out of the boot (trunk) of a parked car. He looked around for the owner but there was no one in sight, so he took them out and handed them into the local police station, which was quite close by. He expected to be asked for name and address etc, but he did not expect to be put in an interview room, kept waiting for some time, and then grilled by a young policewoman who was clearly under the impression that he had done something illegal. You will have no problem working out what he would do in a similar situation today. ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/110 "2020-05-14T16:37:20Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > For those who say you could get in trouble wasting 911’s time on a non-emergency call, when you call 911 here in Honolulu they ask you “emergency” or “non-emergency” and route you accordingly. I’d say “non-emergency” and let the cop I talk to decide how fast to send a car out. You probably aren’t talking to a cop. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2020, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/111 "2020-05-14T16:48:41Z")
The point is, you’d be talking to someone who’s a professional in the field of deciding how urgent police response is. ---
**Author:** ![FollowMeDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6a8cbe/32.png) [@FollowMeDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FollowMeDown)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2020, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/112 "2020-05-15T01:30:16Z")
I found one once when I was a drain cleaner in a sidewalk vent in Camden NJ, which was a really high crime area. I called the cops and they took it. I dont remember much else. I dont even remember them taking my contact info. Pretty much the same deal when I found a body in North Philadelphia. They were pretty much unconcerned with me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813.md?page=5)