Can I own a gun if I was voluntarily admitted to a mental hospital as a child?
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Can I own a gun if I was voluntarily admitted to a mental hospital as a child?
I had behavior problems as a child, so my psychiatrist, parents and myself decided it might to me good to go. From my understanding, “committed to a mental hospital” is through a court and is involuntary. Mine was not involuntary; we made the choice. No court ever knows what happened to me.
Asked on January 12, 2015 under Criminal Law, Kentucky
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 9 years ago | Contributor
It is my understanding that the state of Kentucky defaults to the Federal rule. Federal law bans firearm ownership by anyone who “has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to any mental institution.” The interpretation would rely on a court's order committing a person to the mental institution. So a voluntary commitment would not seem to ban your gun ownership.
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