Mentone TC Approves FFL Zoning
At the Mentone Town Council meeting on Monday, May 4, the council approved a zoning board recommendation to allow a Mentone resident to operate a home-based business.
Adam Wood, who lives on Elm Street in Mentone, applied for a Federal Firearms License, which would allow him to transfer gun ownership. Mentone Town Clerk Barb Ross said Wood’s FFL has been approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission.
“Basically, Adam Wood is going to have a business in his home to do background checks and transfer guns,” Ross explained. “He’s not actually selling guns or ammunition.”
The Federal Firearms Act of 1938 requires that firearm manufacturers or dealers have a license to ship or receive firearms and/or ammunition. As a result, a weapon may not be shipped directly to an unlicensed customer.
Wood’s business would act as the local intermediary for such transactions. Wood explained at the meeting, if a local resident orders a weapon, he would receive the weapon, run a background check on the purchaser and, once cleared, transfer the weapon to the owner.
Wood doesn’t expect to have a large inventory on-hand at any given time, and he told the council he has a vault for storage. He’s also not planning to build a storefront or additional parking.
Ross said the zoning board’s recommendation was approved unanimously by the town council.