<section number="53-5a-502"><effdate>5/7/2025</effdate><enddate type="SC">5/6/2026</enddate><catchline>Voluntary commitment of a firearm by cohabitant -- Law enforcement to hold firearm.</catchline><subsection number="53-5a-502(1)"><subsection number="53-5a-502(1)(a)">A cohabitant or owner cohabitant may voluntarily commit a firearm to a law enforcement agency or request that a law enforcement officer receive a firearm for safekeeping if the owner cohabitant or cohabitant believes that the owner cohabitant or another cohabitant with access to the firearm is an immediate threat to:<subsection number="53-5a-502(1)(a)(i)">a cohabitant;</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(1)(a)(ii)">the owner cohabitant; or</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(1)(a)(iii)">another individual.</subsection></subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(1)(b)">Except as provided in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="53-5c-201(2)" start="0">(2)</xref>, if the owner of a firearm requests return of the firearm in person at the law enforcement agency's office, the law enforcement agency:<subsection number="53-5a-502(1)(b)(i)">may not hold the firearm under this section; and</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(1)(b)(ii)">shall return the firearm to the owner.</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(2)">A law enforcement agency may not return a firearm to an owner under Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="53-5c-201(1)(b)" start="0">(1)(b)</xref> if the owner of the firearm:<subsection number="53-5a-502(2)(a)">is a restricted person under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="76-11-302">76-11-302</xref> or <xref depth="3" refnumber="76-11-303">76-11-303</xref>; or</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(2)(b)"><subsection number="53-5a-502(2)(b)(i)">has been arrested and booked into a county jail on a class A misdemeanor or felony domestic violence offense;</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(2)(b)(ii)">has had a court:<subsection number="53-5a-502(2)(b)(ii)(A)">review the probable cause statement detailing the incident leading to the owner's arrest; and</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(2)(b)(ii)(B)">determine that probable cause existed for the arrest; and</subsection></subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(2)(b)(iii)">is subject to a jail release agreement or a jail release court order arising out of the domestic violence offense.</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)">Unless a firearm is an illegal firearm subject to Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="53-5a-503">53-5a-503</xref>, a law enforcement agency that receives a firearm in accordance with this chapter shall:<subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(a)">record:<subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(a)(i)">the owner cohabitant's name, address, and phone number;</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(a)(ii)">the firearm serial number and the make and model of each firearm committed; and</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(a)(iii)">the date that the firearm was voluntarily committed;</subsection></subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(b)">require the cohabitant to sign a document attesting that the cohabitant resides in the home;</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(c)">hold the firearm in safe custody:<subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(c)(i)">for 60 days after the day on which the firearm is voluntarily committed; or</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(c)(ii)"><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(c)(ii)(A)">for an owner described in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="53-5c-201(2)(b)" start="0">(2)(b)</xref>, during the time the jail release agreement or jail release court order is in effect; and</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(c)(ii)(B)">for 60 days after the day on which the jail release agreement or jail release court order expires; and</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(d)">upon proof of identification, return the firearm to:<subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(d)(i)"><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(d)(i)(A)">the owner cohabitant after the expiration of the 60-day period; or</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(d)(i)(B)">if the owner cohabitant requests return of the firearm before the expiration of the 60-day period, at the time of the request; or</subsection></subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(3)(d)(ii)">an owner other than the owner cohabitant in accordance with Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="53-5a-503">53-5a-503</xref>.</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(4)">The law enforcement agency shall hold the firearm for an additional 60 days:<subsection number="53-5a-502(4)(a)">if the initial 60-day period expires; and</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(4)(b)">the cohabitant or owner cohabitant requests that the law enforcement agency hold the firearm for an additional 60 days.</subsection></subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(5)">A law enforcement agency may not request or require that the owner cohabitant provide the name or other information of the cohabitant who poses an immediate threat or any other cohabitant.</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(6)">Notwithstanding an ordinance or policy to the contrary adopted in accordance with Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="63G-2-701" start="0">63G-2-701</xref>, a law enforcement agency shall destroy a record created under Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="53-5c-201(3)" start="0">(3)</xref>, Subsection <xref tempid="887" depth="4" refnumber="53-5a-503(3)(b)(iii)">53-5a-503(3)(b)(iii)</xref>, or any other record created in the application of this chapter immediately, if practicable, but no later than five days after immediately upon the:<subsection number="53-5a-502(6)(a)">return of a firearm in accordance with Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="53-5c-201(3)(d)" start="0">(3)(d)</xref>; or</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(6)(b)">disposal of the firearm in accordance with Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="53-5a-503">53-5a-503</xref>.</subsection></subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(7)">Unless otherwise provided, the provisions of <xref depth="1" refnumber="77-11d" start="0">Title 77, Chapter 11d, Lost or Mislaid Property</xref>, do not apply to a firearm received by a law enforcement agency in accordance with this part.</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(8)">A law enforcement agency shall adopt a policy for the safekeeping of a firearm held in accordance with this part.</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(9)">The department shall: <subsection number="53-5a-502(9)(a)">create a pamphlet to be distributed by a law enforcement officer under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="77-36-2.1" start="0">77-36-2.1</xref> that includes information about a cohabitant's or owner cohabitant's ability to have the owner cohabitant's firearm committed to a law enforcement agency for safekeeping in accordance with this section;</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(9)(b)">survey all law enforcement agencies in the state and publish a publicly searchable registry that will allow the public to see whether each law enforcement agency is or is not available to receive a voluntarily committed firearm in accordance with this section; and</subsection><subsection number="53-5a-502(9)(c)">subject to available funding, create and implement a marketing plan to educate law enforcement agencies and the public regarding the options available under this chapter.</subsection></subsection></section>