Law Reportedly Has Eliminated One-Third of Gun Dealers

A county ordinance aimed at cutting the number of gun dealers has reduced their number by a third, a spokesman for Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said.

Rather than comply with the stiffened regulations, about a third of the county’s 180 gun dealers turned in their federal license, said Joel Bellman. Yaroslavsky sponsored the county ordinance, which complements federal licensing regulations.

The ordinance bans dealers from doing business in residential areas and from using post office boxes as addresses, said Bellman. Additional provisions require that gun dealers have liability insurance and store guns in a safe place, he said.

The ordinance was coupled with aggressive enforcement by the Sheriff’s Department, which found that more than 80% of the gun dealers in the county lacked a county license, he said. “We’re hoping that the fewer dealers you have, the fewer guns get sold,” Bellman said.