Legal Definitions - child-access prevention statute

A child-access prevention statute is a law that aims to prevent children from accessing firearms by prohibiting individuals from leaving them unattended in places where children may have access to them. This law is also known as a safe-storage statute.

• A father leaves his loaded gun on the kitchen table while he goes to run errands. His young child finds the gun and accidentally shoots themselves. This tragedy could have been prevented if the father had followed the child-access prevention statute and stored his firearm in a secure location.
• A gun owner keeps their firearm in a locked safe when not in use, ensuring that children in the household cannot access it. This responsible behavior is in compliance with the child-access prevention statute.

These examples illustrate how the child-access prevention statute aims to prevent tragic accidents involving firearms and protect children from harm. By requiring gun owners to store their firearms in secure locations, this law helps to ensure that children cannot access them and potentially cause harm to themselves or others.