"Spouses who otherwise meet requirements for a permit to acquire may jointly register firearms."

Hello, this is my first post and love reading 2ahawaii.com. I currently own a rifle and handgun, but considering adding my wife to it and possibly doing a future purchase for a handgun jointly.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated

• 1. Pros and Cons to adding my spouse? (Firearms don't go into limbo when I die. She can go shoot handgun with her friends w/o me)
• 2. Steps to add my wife to my currently owned firearms?  We both go down with birth/marriage certificate, long gun permit, handgun affidavit, fill out paperwork and sign. Are done that day, one trip together to HPD?
• 3. Does my wife have to be there for every step of acquiring a new handgun?
  3a. Both go gun shop and buy handgun.
  3b. Both go HPD apply for handgun permit to acquire.
  3c. Both go back to HPD to pick up permit.
  3d. Both go back to gun store to pick up handgun.
  3e. Both go to HPD to show gun and receive handgun registration papers
• 4. If it's yes to all Q#3, should I just buy myself, then add her on later? (That's if Q#2's answer was that it would be done in one trip to HPD)

 Welcome Shoboshi.
Here is an old post regarding "Joint Registration"

 Wifey and I are already in the process of JOINT REGISTRATION for all the firearms in our possession.
I am joint registering my pistols and rifles to her and vice-a-versa. 

  In our case, WE needed to bring OUR affadavits of firearms training, registration forms for all fire arms previously registered to be joint registered State I.D.'s and our MARRIAGE LICENSE.
If you are also joint registering rifle's, transferee will  need current Long arm's acquisition forms (or get them there on you're first trip as you're gonna wait the 14 days any how  ).

FYI
   Last time I went in they asked if I had a  permit to acquire Long arms.
I said yes, but it was expired. They told me I needed to return the expired form.
    Looked it up and could find no evidence of such requirement UNTIL I LOOKED AT THE BOTTOM OF MY PERMIT TO ACQUIRE LONG ARMS.
Yup, there it is right on the bottom of the form.

  We sat on the Group W bench and filled out all the forms we have numurously  filled out in the past (Medical, Medical Marijuane (NEW ), Mental Health, permit to acquire, Long Arm acqusition and then filled out the permit to acquire form for each of each others firearms.
Whew 
   
      I had brought all of our firearms the first time, but they did not look at them,  but did tell US to bring them back after the 14 day period along with our affadavits of firearms training, registration forms for all fire arms previously registered to be joint registered, State I.D.'s,  your MARRIAGE LICENSE and all  firearms to be joint registered and they will type out our JOINT REGISTREE'S NAME on our EXISTING FIREARMS REGISTRATIONS  and stamp in the upperish right hand corner with a little stamp  that says JOINT REGISTERED .

As for #3, I would have) purchased new  gun myself and then registered it jointly.
Time it so you can do all old and new guns at the same time.

Thanks Rocky for taking the time to share your own personal experience.

I called HPD and was told that my wife still would have to apply for a handgun permit and wait 14 days like if she were buying from a store, then at the last step when you physically bring in the firearm to verify that the SS# matches, that's when we both come in. She also said that there's no real benefit of having jointly except if she wanted to take my handguns to the range. Upon death, the survivor would still have to go down to HPD to either transfer the firearm from the estate or to change a joint registration into a single registration.

Adding a rifle jointly wouldn't be beneficial if she just wanted to go to the range, as you can loan your rifle to a qualified person for 15 days in-state, 75 days out-of-state.

I think this joint idea might be a wash as there is no huge benefit that anyone has told me for doing a joint firearm registration.

Once again, a big MAHALO for helping me out Rocky.

    The real reason we joint registered all of our firearms is so that no matter which firearm was grabbed by whom ever for HD necessity, it would be fired by the LEGALLY REGISTERED person, thereby avoiding additional BS for such an occassion.
Also beneficial if we had to evacuate (tsunami, hurricane, alien invasion) and only one of us were home.
These are "huge benefit(s)".

Plus nothing says"I love you" more than sharing your firearm.    and I got 2 more guns out of the deal !  )

Good to know

Hate to be a downer, but what happens to ownership if you decide to get divorced? Wouldn't it add another hurdle to an already messy situation? Sorry to bring this up but so many marriages end in divorce that it may be wise to consider this if anyone is considering joint registration.

Hate to be a downer, but what happens to ownership if you decide to get divorced? Wouldn't it add another hurdle to an already messy situation? Sorry to bring this up but so many marriages end in divorce that it may be wise to consider this if anyone is considering joint registration.

Hawaii has equitable distribution laws whereby the marital property,
or property which you acquired during the marriage unless it was
inherited or obtained by a personal injury settlement or award,
is divided by the court pursuant to certain guidelines.
These include the parties' financial circumstances, financial support
capabilities, education, which parent has custody of the children,
contributions to the marriage and other factors.

How does the judge decide what I'm entitled to?
The first thing to remember is that if the parties agree on the division of assets and debts, the judge doesn't have to decide it. If the parties can't agree, the judge will decide at trial. Hawaii follows the "partnership model" for dividing the marital estate. The marital estate consists of all assets presently owned by either party or both and all debts owed by either party or both. It does not include "separate property." Separate property is very rare, although it may exist if the parties entered into a premarital agreement or in certain other, limited circumstances. In allocating the net value of the marital estate, each spouse will get "off the top" their net worth on the date of marriage, and the value of any gifts or inheritances received during marriage (and not gifted over by the recipient spouse to the two of them). The remaining value will be divided equally. Most cases do not involve separate property, net worth on date of marriage, or gifts and inheritances. In these cases, the net value of the marital estate will usually be divided 50/50, although the judge can vary from an equal split if there is a valid reason for doing so.

Does title matter?
Yes and No. Title does not matter in deciding how much of the marital estate each party is entitled to receive. Title does matter when there is a claim by one spouse that certain property never became part of the marital estate, or if there is a claim that property owned by one spouse at marriage or acquired later by gift or inheritance was not, in turn, gifted by that spouse to the both of them. Title also matters in terms of efficiently dividing the marital estate. For example, if there are two automobiles with the same net value, the one titled in husband's name will likely be awarded to husband and the one in wife's name will be awarded to wife. If both cars are jointly owned, one will probably go to husband and one will go to wife. If husband's car is worth $5,000 more than wife's, he may get the car in his name but be ordered to pay her $2,500.

Rocky:

That is a very good point as far as using a joint firearm in a HD situation. I will talk this over with the wife. Just sucks so bad!! Too much hoops you need to jump through to make it happen.

Hate to be a downer, but what happens to ownership if you decide to get divorced? Wouldn't it add another hurdle to an already messy situation? Sorry to bring this up but so many marriages end in divorce that it may be wise to consider this if anyone is considering joint registration.

   Depends who could get to the guns first.
 

   Seriously, after 33 years together, neither one of us want or have the time left to train another spouse.
Now-a-days, "so many marriages"  don't have the fortitude, patience or strength to commit to a lifelong relationship.
Simply another contribution to the downfall of society.   

Going on 18 years here. Still young and many more roller coaster years ahead.

Boy did I ever get "LUCKY"  last night.   
Wifey must hav read post !

Boy did I ever get "LUCKY"  last night.   
Wifey must hav read post !

yeah, but if rockette reads this post, you're gonna be sleeping on the couch
 

yeah, but if rockette reads this post, you're gonna be sleeping on the couch
 

Hey Mac,   Are you kidding ?
With comments like that he's getting something EXTRA SPECIAL tonite .   
Why do you think he's not going to be at the get-together ?
Don't forget, I got 3 guns out of that deal !

Hey Mac,   Are you kidding ?
With comments like that he's getting something EXTRA SPECIAL tonite .   
Why do you think he's not going to be at the get-together ?
Don't forget, I got 3 guns out of that deal !

 

Thanx Mac