Pennsylvania House Bill 2244 is not law. That is the first thing to know.
HB 2244 is a proposed secure-storage bill that would create a new Pennsylvania offense called “Unauthorized access to firearms.” The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee in June 2026 and was laid on the table on September 8.
As of October 19, 2026, the official Pennsylvania General Assembly page still lists the bill as tabled. The House is scheduled to be in session October 19, 20, and 21, so the bill can still move.
This guide explains what the current bill text would require, how that wording could apply when a firearm is left in a parked vehicle, the proposed penalties, and what Pennsylvania vehicle owners should watch next.
HB 2244 has not passed the Pennsylvania House or Senate and has not been signed into law. If enacted in its current form, the bill says the act would take effect 60 days later.
What Pennsylvania HB 2244 would require.
HB 2244 would add a new Section 6143 to Title 18 of Pennsylvania law.
The proposed section would require a person possessing a firearm to ensure that the firearm is securely stored when it is not in use.
The bill also says a firearm can be treated as secure while it is being carried by the possessor or kept close enough that the possessor can readily retrieve it and prevent an unauthorized user from gaining access.
When the firearm is being stored instead, the current bill text provides two routes.
What would count as a gun safe?
The bill includes its own definition, which matters because it is more specific than simply saying “locked box.”
Under the current text, a gun safe would be a self-contained enclosure specifically designed and manufactured for securely storing a firearm.
The enclosure would need a locking mechanism such as a padlock, key lock, combination lock, keypad, electronic keypad, biometric scanner, or similar mechanism that prevents unauthorized access when properly locked.
The bill expressly says a gun cabinet does not count as a gun safe.
The bill requires the key or combination, when applicable, to be kept separately from the gun safe or locking device. If the bill becomes law, that language will matter when owners decide where to keep backup keys and access information.
Who counts as an unauthorized user?
The proposed definition reaches beyond a stranger or prohibited possessor.
HB 2244 defines an unauthorized user to include someone who cannot legally purchase or possess a firearm under federal or Pennsylvania law.
It also includes a person whom the owner has not expressly granted permission to use the firearm.
That second part is broad. Under the wording of the bill, simply knowing someone or living with them would not necessarily amount to express permission.
This article is general information about pending legislation, not legal advice. The final text could change before enactment, and no court has interpreted proposed Section 6143 because it is not law.
HB 2244 is tabled, not enacted.
- June 2, 2026: HB 2244 was introduced.
- June 3, 2026: The bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
- June 8, 2026: The committee reported the bill as amended by a 14 to 12 vote.
- September 8, 2026: The bill was re-reported and laid on the table.
- October 19, 20, and 21, 2026: Scheduled House session days.
- November 9 and 10, 2026: Additional scheduled House session days later in the current session.
The official bill page continues to list “laid on the table” as the most recent action.
That means the proposal has not become a legal storage requirement. It remains pending legislation that could move again before the session ends.
Check the current Pennsylvania HB 2244 status
Could HB 2244 apply to a firearm left in a vehicle?
The bill never specifically uses the word “vehicle.”
That is important because HB 2244 should not be described as a vehicle-specific storage law.
Its proposed storage duty is broader. It applies to a firearm that is not in use unless it is being carried or remains close enough to the possessor for the possessor to retrieve it and prevent unauthorized access.
Once an owner leaves a parked vehicle and walks away, relying on the close-proximity language could become difficult. Under a straightforward reading of the bill, a firearm left behind could then fall under the proposed secure-storage requirement.
That is an interpretation of the pending text, not a Pennsylvania court ruling.
HB 2244 also would not replace Pennsylvania's existing carry and transportation laws.
For that separate question, read: Where is it legal to keep a gun in your car?
Hidden and locked solve different problems.
HB 2244's two proposed storage routes highlight a practical vehicle-security distinction.
A locking device can limit immediate access to a firearm. It does not necessarily keep the firearm or its container attached to the vehicle.
Likewise, putting a firearm out of sight reduces visibility but does not make the vehicle itself secure.
That is why vehicle storage usually involves two separate questions: is the firearm locked, and how does the locked container stay with the vehicle?
For more on the first question, read: What counts as a locked container for a gun in your vehicle?
Vehicle gun theft is the other part of the conversation.
Proposed legislation is one reason to think about storage. Theft is another.
Everytown's analysis of FBI NIBRS data estimated that nearly 62,000 guns were stolen from vehicles in 337 cities during 2022.
Spread across the year, that produced the widely cited average of at least one gun stolen from a car every nine minutes.
That statistic is not a complete national count, and it does not tell us how every stolen firearm was stored. It does show that vehicle gun theft occurs at meaningful scale.
Read the underlying data here: ATF and Everytown stolen-gun data .
The proposed penalties include criminal and civil exposure.
If HB 2244 were enacted in its current form, violating the proposed storage duty could have two separate consequences.
Criminal penalties
- A standard violation would be a summary offense with no term of imprisonment.
- The violation would become a third-degree misdemeanor if the person knew, or reasonably should have known, that a minor or unauthorized user was present or likely to be present where the firearm was left unsecured.
- Firearm retailers would also have a separate posting requirement under the bill.
Civil liability
The bill also contains a strict-liability provision.
Under the current text, someone whose act or omission violates the proposed storage requirement could be strictly liable for bodily injury or property damage resulting from possession or use of the unsecured firearm.
That civil provision applies regardless of whether a criminal prosecution occurs.
The bill provides an affirmative defense when the firearm was obtained through unlawful entry or through a lawful act of self-defense.
The proposed summary offense is only one part of HB 2244. The bill also creates potential civil exposure when injury or property damage results from use of an unsecured firearm.
The bill also contains a proposed sales-tax exemption.
The amended HB 2244 would change Pennsylvania's Tax Reform Code so that retail sales or use of qualifying gun safes and gun locks would be excluded from sales tax.
The same gun-safe definition appears in that portion of the bill.
Pennsylvania HB 2245 is a separate companion proposal focused on the sales-tax exclusion. Its official bill page also lists the latest action as “laid on the table” on September 8, 2026.
Neither proposal creates a Pennsylvania gun-safe sales-tax exemption today.
What to look for in a vehicle gun safe.
HB 2244 is still only a proposal, but its wording highlights several features worth considering when comparing vehicle storage.
- A self-contained steel enclosure designed for secure firearm storage.
- A deliberate locking mechanism such as key, combination, keypad, or fingerprint access.
- Backup keys and access information kept away from the safe rather than stored beside it.
- A way to connect the safe to the vehicle instead of leaving the container loose.
- Concealment that reduces obvious visual cues from outside the vehicle.
- Enough interior room for the intended firearm while allowing it to be stored unloaded.
- Confirmed fit with the actual vehicle and seating position before purchase.
Check: Will it fit my vehicle?
For a broader comparison, see: Best vehicle gun safes in 2026 .
Where Boosted Safe fits.
Boosted Safe uses the lower child-seat anchors already built into compatible rear seating positions.
Your car has steel anchors. We lock a safe to them.
The release is accessed from inside the locked safe, and a booster-seat-style cover helps the full-size safe blend into the rear seating area.
Locked to the car. Looks like a booster seat. Opens with your thumb.
For firearm-focused storage, the Golden Gate family uses 12-gauge steel. Golden Gate Elite adds fingerprint, keypad, and key access and is the only Boosted Safe model currently listed as a California DOJ certified firearm safety device.
That California certification is separate from Pennsylvania HB 2244 and should not be treated as Pennsylvania approval or certification.
We also would not claim that a Boosted Safe automatically complies with HB 2244. The bill is not law, its final wording could change, and Pennsylvania has not created a product certification list under the proposal.
No safe is theft-proof and we will never say otherwise.
Pennsylvania vehicle storage checklist.
HB 2244 is not currently enforceable law. These steps are a practical vehicle-storage routine rather than a statement that Pennsylvania presently requires each one.
- Store the firearm unloaded when it must lawfully remain in the vehicle.
- Use a dedicated locked enclosure designed for firearm storage.
- Keep backup keys and access information away from the safe.
- Attach the storage container to the vehicle when the setup allows it.
- Keep the safe and firearm out of obvious view.
- Remove visible firearm cases, holsters, range bags, and other clues.
- Check Pennsylvania's current carry and transport rules separately.
- Check this bill's official status before relying on any summary of HB 2244.
Work parking lots add another layer.
A firearm left in a vehicle at work can raise questions beyond a general storage rule.
Employer policies, property rules, carry restrictions, and state law can all matter depending on where the vehicle is parked.
For that broader issue, read: Gun in your car at work? Parking lot laws explained .
Related state storage guides.
How Illinois's enacted Safe Gun Storage Act affects firearm owners and vehicle storage.
Read the Illinois guideColorado's vehicle-specific firearm-storage requirements under HB 24-1348.
Read the Colorado guideOfficial sources.
Official bill page, current text, history, amendments, and legislative status.
Read HB 2244Current amended bill text containing the proposed storage duty, definitions, penalties, civil liability, and tax provision.
Read the bill textCompanion proposal addressing the gun-safe and gun-lock sales-tax exclusion.
Read HB 2245Source for the 337-city analysis and the one-gun-every-nine-minutes vehicle-theft estimate.
Read the Everytown reportFrequently asked questions.
Is Pennsylvania HB 2244 law right now?
No. HB 2244 was reported from the House Judiciary Committee in June 2026 and laid on the table on September 8, 2026. As of October 19, 2026, the official bill page still lists it as tabled and it is not in effect.
Does HB 2244 specifically regulate vehicles?
The current bill text does not specifically mention vehicles. It proposes a broader secure-storage duty for firearms that are not in use unless they are carried or remain within sufficiently close proximity to the possessor. That language could affect a firearm left behind in a parked vehicle, but no Pennsylvania court has interpreted the proposed section.
What would count as a gun safe under HB 2244?
The bill defines a gun safe as a self-contained enclosure specifically designed and manufactured for securely storing a firearm and equipped with a qualifying lock or similar mechanism that prevents unauthorized access when properly locked. The bill expressly excludes gun cabinets.
What penalties would HB 2244 create?
Under the current amended bill, the standard violation would be a summary offense with no imprisonment. It would become a third-degree misdemeanor when the person knew or reasonably should have known that a minor or unauthorized user was present or likely to be present where the firearm was left unsecured. The bill also contains a separate strict-liability civil provision.
Would gun safes become tax free in Pennsylvania?
Only if legislation is enacted. HB 2244 includes a proposed sales-tax exclusion for qualifying gun safes and gun locks, and HB 2245 proposes a similar exclusion separately. Neither proposal is currently law.
Would buying a Boosted Safe guarantee compliance with HB 2244?
No. HB 2244 is pending legislation, its final wording could change, and Pennsylvania has not created an approval or certification list under the proposal. Product features should be compared with the final law if one is enacted, and a Pennsylvania attorney can provide advice for a specific legal situation.
HB 2244 may change. A better vehicle-storage routine still makes sense.
If a firearm lawfully has to remain in the vehicle, keep it unloaded, locked, out of obvious view, and connected to the vehicle when the setup allows it.
For firearm-focused storage, start with the 12-gauge Golden Gate Elite, then confirm your vehicle fit before ordering.
Last updated October 19, 2026. HB 2244 is pending legislation and is not currently in effect. This article is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Check the official Pennsylvania General Assembly bill page for the latest status and final statutory text before relying on any summary.
