Firearms in Estate Administration: Legal Issues, Executor Liability, Transferring Title I and II Guns, Penalties
Understanding Gun Legal Designations, In-State and Out-of-State Transfers, Use of Gun Trusts
Recording of a 90-minute CLE webinar with Q&A
This CLE webinar will guide estate planners and administrators on managing the legal challenges of firearms in estate and trust administration. The panel will discuss federal gun laws and firearm designations, issues for beneficiaries inheriting guns, in-state and out-of-state transfers, and legal ownership. The panel will also review the use of trusts and other entities to transfer guns legally, and best practices to avoid mishaps in the administration of estates or trusts holding firearms.
Outline
- Firearm classification, ownership, and transfer rules
- Federal and state gun laws
- Title I vs. Title II firearms
- In-state and out-of-state transfers
- Handling the estate administration of firearms
- Key considerations for gifts and bequests
- Valuation
- Legal ownership
- Potential penalties and liability
- Gun trusts
- Key provisions
- Liability issues
- Sale or transfer of estate-held firearms
- Best practices for estate planners and administrators
Benefits
The panel will review these and other key issues:
- The impact of federal and state gun laws on estate administration
- Valuation issues for firearms and processes to overcome them
- Transferring or selling Title I vs. Title II firearms
- In-state vs. out-of-state transfer processes and considerations
- Handling the estate administration of firearms outside of a trust
- Creating gun trusts and critical provisions
Faculty

Matthew J. Bergstrom
Managing Attorney
Arsenal Attorneys
Mr. Bergstrom has 20 years of combined legal and business experience helping clients pursue opportunities and reduce... | Read More
Mr. Bergstrom has 20 years of combined legal and business experience helping clients pursue opportunities and reduce risks. His work in firearms law includes service to thousands of gun owners nationwide, Second Amendment litigation in various jurisdictions, numerous public speaking appearances, interviews with major media outlets, and teaching fellow attorneys in numerous continuing legal education programs.
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Sam Hosey
Sole Practitioner
Mr. Hosey currently practices as a sole practitioner. He discovered he wanted to be an attorney when he began... | Read More
Mr. Hosey currently practices as a sole practitioner. He discovered he wanted to be an attorney when he began watching Law and Order episodes with his mom in junior high. Mr. Hosey worked for a few years as a personal injury attorney after law school, fought for his clients, and successfully obtained seven figures in settlements over that time span. He discovered he wanted to leave personal injury and become an estate planning attorney when he had his first son and discovered that many people, even an attorney who just became a father, are ill-prepared if something happens to them. Mr. Hosey now enjoys helping his clients prepare estate plans and protect the families they may leave behind.
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Michael W. Zarlenga
Attorney
The Trophy Room
Mr. Zarlengais a corporate and regulatory attorney that currently serves as the General Counsel to a venture capital... | Read More
Mr. Zarlengais a corporate and regulatory attorney that currently serves as the General Counsel to a venture capital fund family. He previously practiced law with Arsenal Attorneys, served as the General Counsel and firearms policy advisor to Dr. Ben Carson’s Presidential Campaign, and practiced law with the international law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. Mr. Zarlenga regularly submits comments to the BATFE on proposed regulations and has represented clients before the staff of the BATFE. He currently owns The Trophy Room, LLC in Alexandria, Virginia, which has held a Federal Firearms License with a Special Occupancy Tax since 2002. The Trophy Room concentrates on transferring Title I and Title II firearms in interstate transfers and assisting individuals and executors in appraising, handling, and disposing of firearms in estates
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