Safe Gun Storage at Home: A Plain Guide for Gun Owners

The safest way to store a gun at home is locked, unloaded, and with the ammunition locked up in a separate place. That is the guidance from Project ChildSafe, the safety program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearm industry’s trade association. A gun that is hidden is not a gun that is stored. This guide covers the options, how to choose, and how to talk to the people in your home about it.

It is general safety information from the sources linked below. It is not legal advice, and it does not cover any state or local storage rules. Those vary, and we have not cited any here. It is current as of November 2026.

What “safe storage” means

Safe storage means a gun cannot be picked up and used by someone who should not have it. That includes children and teens. The gun is secured when you are not holding it.

Two sources are worth knowing.

Project ChildSafe. The program launched in 1999 and is the official firearm safety program of the NSSF. It provides free safety education and works with law enforcement, ranges, retailers and others to help prevent accidents, theft and misuse, including suicide (Project ChildSafe, About). Its advice is to store a firearm in a secure storage device when it is not in use, and to keep ammunition in a locked location separate from the firearms (Securing your firearm).

The CDC. The CDC says it is important to store all firearms safely when not in use. It also says that putting a firearm out of sight or out of reach is not safe storage and not enough, and that secure storage, such as in a safe or lock box, can help prevent unauthorized access and use (CDC, Firearm injury and death prevention). The CDC also points to Project ChildSafe’s emphasis on storing firearms unloaded and locked, with ammunition secured separately.

So the two sources line up. Lock the gun. Keep it unloaded. Lock the ammunition up somewhere else.

Your storage options

Project ChildSafe lists these storage devices: a gun safe, a gun lock box, a gun case, and a gun lock. Here is how they differ.

Gun safe. A locked cabinet made to hold guns.

Lock box. A smaller locked container. Project ChildSafe’s page presents lock boxes as a storage solution for a firearm kept for home protection. It also shows biometric lock boxes as an option, which open with a fingerprint.

Gun case. A gun case is on Project ChildSafe’s list of storage devices. Lock it when you are not using the gun.

Gun lock. A lock that blocks the gun from working. Project ChildSafe offers locks for autoloading pistols, revolvers, shotguns and bolt-action rifles, and links to an installation brochure on its website. Its safety kits include a cable-style gun lock.

Which one is right depends on how many guns you own, who lives in the house, and how fast you need access. We do not tell you which one to pick. We only point you to what the sources list.

Store ammunition apart from the gun

This is the step people skip, so it gets its own section.

Project ChildSafe says to store ammunition in a locked location separate from the firearms. That means the box of rounds is not in the same drawer as the gun, and not sitting loose on a shelf.

Get a free gun lock

If you do not have a lock yet, you can get one without paying. Project ChildSafe says its safety kits include a cable-style gun lock and educational resources to help families store firearms securely. It reports that more than 42 million locks have been distributed through law enforcement kits. Its website has a page to get a free safety kit: projectchildsafe.org.

Talk to the people in your home

A lock alone does not finish the job. Project ChildSafe says to talk with your family about firearm safety often, and to make sure young people in the home understand the safety guidelines.

It also says something worth hearing if you have kids: children and teenagers may be naturally curious about guns, and tempted to go looking for one in your home. Just because kids are not asking questions does not mean they have none (Project ChildSafe, Understanding gun safety).

Learn the safe handling basics

Project ChildSafe says new owners and experienced ones both benefit from a firearms safety class at a local range or retailer. It also says to keep your finger off the trigger until you intend to shoot. Look to a local range or retailer for one.

Putting it together in three steps

Project ChildSafe’s tagline is “Own It? Respect It. Secure It.” Here is what that looks like in practice, using only what its pages say.

Step one: pick a storage device. Choose a safe, lock box, case or lock from the list above. If you are not ready for a safe, a lock is a start, and a free one is available.

Step two: use it every time. Project ChildSafe says to place firearms in their secure storage location when not in use. The device only works when the gun is in it. A lock box that sits empty on a shelf while the gun sits on the nightstand does nothing.

Step three: keep the ammunition apart. Lock it in a different place from the gun.

Then add the human part: talk with your family often, and take a class if you have not. Do these every day, not once. A storage plan only helps if everyone in the home knows where the gun is kept, that it stays locked, and that the ammunition lives somewhere else.

What this guide does not cover

This guide is about storage at home. It does not cover storing a gun in a vehicle or any state or local law on how guns must be stored. We could not confirm a Georgia statute on the Georgia General Assembly’s website (legis.ga.gov) to cite for home storage, so none is cited here, and we are not saying there is or is not one. If a legal question applies to your home, ask a lawyer.

It also does not replace instruction. A safety class is the right place to learn how to handle a gun.

A short checklist for a new gun owner

1. Decide where the gun will be kept, and get a safe, lock box, case or lock before you bring it home.
2. Keep the gun unloaded and locked when you are not using it.
3. Keep the ammunition locked in a separate place.
4. Do not rely on a hiding place. The CDC says out of sight is not safe storage.
5. Talk with everyone in the home about the rules.
6. Take a safety class.

First gun, first steps

If you just bought your first gun, or are about to, plan the storage before it comes home. Our guide to buying your first gun in Georgia covers what to expect at the counter. If your gun is shipping to a shop for pickup, our FFL transfers page has the steps and what to bring. Questions? Contact us or stop by the shop in Cumming.