Starting July 1, a new Iowa gun law change will allow people aged 18 to 20 to carry firearms legally. This change aims to expand gun rights for younger adults while following federal rules that remain in place.
Kemlin Hart, who owns Hart Brothers, a gun store in Mason City, says that despite the new law, business for licensed gun dealers has not changed much. “I think there’s more in the bill for face value for politicians than anything else,” Hart said.
Federal law still requires gun buyers to be at least 21 years old to purchase firearms from licensed dealers. So, 18 to 20-year-olds cannot buy guns directly from stores with licenses. However, they can now own guns and carry them. They may also buy guns through private sales. These private sales include transactions between relatives or sales by unlicensed sellers.
Hart said the new rule is a positive step for the second amendment but presents challenges for his business. One challenge is identifying what counts as a legal sale versus an illegal straw purchase. A straw purchase happens when someone buys a gun for another person who cannot legally buy it themselves. It is a serious federal crime with penalties of up to 15 years in prison.
“If a father comes in and buys a firearm for his son or daughter, or if a mother buys one for her child, is that a straw purchase? That’s something we have to watch carefully,” Hart explained.
Under the new Iowa law, 18 to 20-year-olds still cannot buy guns from licensed dealers. Also, others, including parents, cannot buy guns from licensed dealers and then immediately give or sell them to someone else. This rule prevents illegal straw purchases.
Hart said it is legal to gift a firearm to a close family member. Still, licensed sellers must carefully answer questions on sales forms to ensure transfers follow the law. “If you are buying to gift a firearm to a nuclear family member, the forms and answers have to be clear to make it a legal transfer,” he said.
Hart believes the state law’s intent is to allow immediate family members to gift or sell firearms to 18 to 20-year-olds in private sales. This can happen as long as it is not part of an illegal straw purchase scheme.
The new law marks a shift in Iowa’s gun regulations by lowering the age at which people can legally carry firearms. It opens access to gun ownership for younger adults while maintaining federal protections to stop illegal sales.
