Traveler’s Gun Rights Act Clarifies Military Residency, Requires Home Address on Background Checks

The “Traveler’s Gun Rights Act” is focused on one thing: nailing down exactly where someone lives under federal law when they buy a firearm. For most people, the definition of “State of residence” remains straightforward—it’s where you actually live. However, the bill introduces some crucial updates that will affect active-duty military, full-time travelers, and anyone who values privacy during a gun purchase.

Where Do You Actually Live? The Military and the Nomads

This legislation clarifies residency in a few key ways. For active-duty military service members, your state of residence is now clearly defined as either the state where your permanent military base is located or the state you commute from daily to get to that base (SEC. 2). This is a big deal for military families who move frequently, potentially simplifying the process of buying a firearm when they are stationed far from their legal home state. For example, a soldier stationed in Texas but whose legal residence is New York can now use Texas as their state of residence for federal firearms purchases, cutting through a lot of red tape.

The bill also addresses those without a traditional physical home, such as full-time RVers or digital nomads. If you don't have a physical residence, your state of residence is now defined as the state where you keep a private mailbox or a P.O. box (SEC. 2). This provides a clear legal pathway for residency determination for people whose lifestyle keeps them constantly on the move, ensuring they can still comply with federal purchasing requirements.

The Address Mandate: Privacy vs. Paperwork

The biggest change for the average buyer comes in the required paperwork for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Currently, the purchase paperwork (Section 922(t)(1)(D)) requires a photo of the buyer. The new law mandates that this paperwork must also include the buyer’s home address. If the buyer doesn't have a physical home, they must use the address of the private mailbox or P.O. box they designated as their residence (SEC. 2).

This move standardizes the documentation, which could theoretically make background checks more accurate by linking the purchase directly to a verified location. However, it also means that your physical home address is now a mandatory piece of information collected during the federal background check process. For privacy-conscious gun owners, this centralization of location data linked to firearm purchases is a significant, mandatory disclosure that wasn't strictly required before. In short, if you were hesitant about having your home address tied to a federal firearm record, this bill removes that choice unless you qualify as a nomad using a P.O. box.

Finally, the bill removes an entire subsection (b) from Section 921 of Title 18. Without knowing the exact content of the removed text, it’s hard to say what impact this has, but removing a section of existing law always risks unintentionally eliminating established definitions or protections. This is one of those fine-print details that legislative analysts will need to watch closely to see if it creates any unexpected holes in the existing legal framework.