Asking for a friend. He has a PTA. Somebody offered to sell a firearm they say is not registered. Can he take it in to get it registered and legal? What if it actually was registered, or worse, even stolen?
Recommend having the seller clarify registration status. Never registered? Unknown registration status? Etc.
A couple of friends went through similar when they purchased a bunch of guns through an estate sale, where at least one turned up wasn't registered under the seller (deceased husband). I went through similar with a pistol that I inherited from my dad where the registration was "misfiled".
Not sure if Maui PD process and folks will approach same as what I went through, as well as my buddies. For my case, HPD misfiled the registration paperwork (during transition from paper to electronic), so gun showed up as registered to owner prior to my dad. HPD wouldn't disclose who it was registered under (which I can understand). So transfer or chain of ownership put into question, which my understanding is one of the main things, so would have been treated as unregistered and confiscated. At least what I was told by multiple folks at firearms registration and a couple who went through similar. Luckily they ended up finding the paperwork, so ended up all good.
Another friend went through unregistered pistol that his father brought back from the war. So when he passed, he inherited. In that case, HPD acknowledged transfer of ownership through the will and my friend registered like normal.
Anyways, just sharing experiences that I and buddies went through. Not a lawyer, expert, etc. . . Proceed at our own discretion. . .