Moving with Firearms
Basic Guidelines and Responsibilities:
Firearms are extremely sensitive items to handle and must be provided the highest level of security at all times.
Compliance with the law is your responsibility. Local and state laws vary regarding possession and registration of firearms. To be safe, do not carry firearms on your person, except as authorized by local laws and regulations. When carrying a weapon, be sure to check the laws of all states or countries through which you intend to travel.
You must remove all ammunition from the firearm.
Firearms cannot be transported inside a gun safe.
Within the Continental United States
Firearms can be included with your household goods shipment. When shipping firearms within the Continental United States, you must comply with local and/or state laws as well as Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regulations.
Ammunition of any kind cannot be included in your household goods shipment.
Before the Move
Advise your Schroeder counselor if you have any firearms to ship with your household goods.
Provide the make, model, and serial number for each firearm to be shipped, to the Schroeder counselor.
Keep gun registration documents with you and do not include them in your household goods shipment. Take them with you personally to destination.
Packing of Firearms
The packer will write the make, model, serial number, unique characteristics, and caliber/gauge on the inventories. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that this information is written on the inventories.
The packers will pack firearms in normal fashion to prevent damage to the item, ensuring that all firearms are not loaded. Large firearms may have their own padded case. Firearms that will not fit in a carton will be properly padded.
The outside of the carton will be marked as household items. It is against ATF regulations to in any way indicate that there is a firearm in the carton.
The carton(s) must be sealed in the presence of the customer. If the carton with the firearm is to remain in the home with the customer until loading, the carton will not be sealed. The van operator or load crew leader must re-inventory the firearm before closing and sealing the box in front of the customer prior to loading.
Loading of Firearms
The van operator or loading crew leader will take physical possession of the firearm(s) or carton(s) containing firearms upon arrival at the residence or the origin warehouse.
The van operator or loading crew leader will ensure that the firearms are physically present in the appropriate carton and the inventory is properly completed. The van operator will jointly inventory the firearm(s) with the customer.
The firearm(s) or the carton(s) containing firearm(s) will be loaded in the van such that it is inaccessible without unloading several other items (bury it in the load).
This completes the transfer of the firearm(s) from the customer to the van operator, who is then responsible for the firearm(s) until arriving at destination.
En Route
While en route, the van operator must ensure that the trailer remains locked at all times and prudent care must be taken to monitor the trailer so that theft of firearms cannot take place.
Storage
If the shipment delivers into storage, the van operator must transfer the custody of the firearm(s) to an authorized agency warehouseman. The van operator and warehouseman should jointly inventory the firearm(s) to ensure the make, model, and serial number are correct and all firearms are present at the time the custody of the firearm(s) transfers to the warehouseman.
Delivery at Residence
At destination, when the carton containing the firearm(s) is unloaded, it must be opened and inventoried jointly with the customer and the van operator / delivery crew leader.
The customer must sign for the firearm(s) in the “exception” column of the descriptive inventory. This serves as a written receipt that the firearm(s) was/were delivered.
Theft
Any suspected or actual theft of firearms must be reported immediately to the customer and to local law enforcement authorities, as well as to your United Van Lines representative.
Overseas Shipments
For shipments to overseas countries, you must abide by the laws of the host country.
When returning firearms from overseas to the U.S., you must identify your firearms on your individual customs declarations and obtain ATF Form 6, Part II and ATF E 6A. These forms are required to bring firearms into the U.S. They are available on the ATF website: http://www.atf.gov. The process period may be as long as six weeks.
Firearms shipped in containerized shipments must be placed in the number one container to insure easy access by customs officials.