I’m Worried About Firearms in the Home

There are firearms in the home, and something has changed.

Memory, judgment, serious illness, pain, medication effects, grief, or talk about dying can change whether access is still safe.

If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911. If someone may be thinking about suicide, call or text 988.

If Someone May Be Thinking About Suicide

Ask directly:

“Are you thinking about killing yourself or doing something to make yourself die?”

Take the answer seriously.

Call or text 988. You can call about someone else.

If they say yes, call or text 988 with them if you can. If they have a plan, access to a firearm, or you believe they may act soon, get immediate help. Call 911 if there’s immediate danger.

If you can do so safely, create distance between the person at risk and the firearms. Don’t approach, take away, or handle a firearm if doing so could put you in danger.

Secure medications too. Lock them up or have someone else manage them while the risk is high.

Tell 988, the clinician, or the crisis team:

“There are firearms in the home. I need help figuring out how to make this safer.”

If Someone Has Dementia or Declining Judgment

Don’t rely only on an agreement not to touch the firearms.

Someone with memory loss may agree and later not remember.

Ask:

“Is it still safe for them to have access to firearms?”

If you’re unsure, ask the person’s clinician to help with the conversation.

“Will you talk with them about whether firearm access is still safe?”

If no clinician is involved, start with their primary care office if they have one.

If you’re worried about suicide, call or text 988. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

If another gun owner is more likely to be heard, ask that person to help with the conversation and with finding a lawful storage option.

If the person is also driving, see I’m Worried About Someone With Dementia Driving →
If the person may not be safe left alone, see Can This Person Be Left Alone? →
If the person is wandering, see I Need Help Keeping Someone With Dementia Safe at Home →

If You Don’t Know What’s in the House

Ask rather than searching.

“Are there guns in the house? I’m not asking you to get rid of anything. I need to know what’s here.”

Ask whether any are in a vehicle, at another property, or loaned to someone.

If home health, hospice, or aides ask about firearms, they’re usually asking so they can plan for safety. If you’re concerned about what happens with that information, ask what the agency is required to do with it.

Make the Plan About Safety

The goal is to create time and distance between the person at risk and the firearm.

Someone may be protective of their firearms. Keep the ask focused on what has changed and what would make things safer for now.

“Nobody’s trying to take ownership of your guns. We’re just keeping them somewhere else for now.”

Lead with what changed.

“The medication is making him confused at night. I want us to make the firearms inaccessible until we know what we’re dealing with.”

Or:

“Her memory has changed. We need a plan for the guns before something happens.”

Ask about lawful temporary storage outside the home.

That might include a trusted family member, friend, or neighbor who can legally receive the firearms, or a gun dealer, shooting range, law-enforcement agency, or other local storage program that offers temporary storage.

Call first. Availability and transfer rules vary by state and locality.

If the firearms have to stay in the home, store them unloaded and locked, with ammunition locked separately, and make sure the person at risk can’t access the keys, codes, or combinations.

If someone else may store the firearms, make sure they’ve agreed and that the transfer is allowed before anything is moved.

A locked vehicle or trunk shouldn’t be the default plan when someone in the household may be at risk. The goal is to create real distance from the firearms, including firearms kept in vehicles.

If the Person Refuses and You’re Still Worried

Don’t try to take the firearm yourself.

If you believe someone may be in danger, call 988, the person’s clinician or crisis team if they have one, or law enforcement.

Say:

“I’m worried this person may hurt themselves or someone else. They have access to firearms and won’t agree to a safer plan. What options are available where we live?”

Some states have a court process that can temporarily restrict firearm access when someone presents a serious risk. The name, rules, and who can request one vary by state.

Ask local law enforcement, the court clerk, or legal aid what applies where you live. Ask who can request the order, where to start, and whether anything can happen today.

If the danger is immediate, call 911.

If Children Are Coming to the House

Ask before the visit where every firearm is and how it’s stored.

Firearms should be unloaded and locked, with ammunition locked separately.

Make sure children can’t access the keys, codes, or combinations.

Don’t rely on hiding firearms, putting them out of reach, or telling children not to touch them.

After a Death

If firearms remain in the home after someone dies, keep them secured so children, visitors, and others in the home can’t access them.

If you find a firearm you didn’t know was there, keep other people away from it. If you don’t know how to handle or secure it safely, don’t pick it up. Call your local law-enforcement non-emergency number and ask what to do.

Don’t give, sell, or move firearms to someone else until you know what transfer or inheritance rules apply.

National Center for Unwanted Firearms ↗

Helps firearm owners and families responsibly sell, donate, or dispose of unwanted firearms.

For help with transfer or inheritance rules, see I Need Legal Help →

Before You Stop

Know:

where the firearms are
who can access them
what safer-storage plan was agreed to
who will carry it out
what you’ll do if the person refuses or the risk gets worse

Helpful Resources

safetyindementia.orgSafety in Dementia

A free decision aid for families deciding how to handle firearm access when someone has dementia or declining judgment.

firearmlifeplan.orgFirearm Life Plan

Free planning tools for firearm owners and families preparing for changes in health, memory, judgment, or the ability to safely manage firearms.

Learn More

publichealth.jhu.eduLethal Means Safety Counseling (Johns Hopkins)

How families and clinicians can work together to temporarily reduce firearm access during periods of increased risk.

dyingtruth.org/help-finder/firearms-in-the-home/Dying Truth provides general educational information, not medical, legal, or financial advice. Programs, laws, services, and contact information change. Confirm anything on this page before you rely on it.