HB532 Alabama 2016 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Mark Tuggle
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2016
Title: Coosa Co., sheriff, sale of abandoned or stolen property, sale of firearms and personal property further provided, use of Internet auction for peronal property, use of proceed exclusively for law enforcement, Sec. 45-19-231 am'd.
Summary: HB532 rewrites Coosa County’s abandoned and stolen property rules by restricting firearm sales to eligible gun dealers, enabling Internet auctions for non-firearm items, and dedicating sale proceeds to law enforcement.
What This Bill Does
The bill changes firearm sales: the sheriff may sell firearms only to gun dealers who hold a current federal firearms license and who have held a Coosa County business license for at least one year before the sale (the prior requirement that dealers have a Coosa County business license at the time of sale is removed). It also authorizes the sheriff to sell abandoned or stolen non-firearm property via an Internet auction provider and requires notice and a public sale process. Proceeds from all sales must go exclusively to law enforcement, and owners can claim property before sale by showing proof of ownership and paying related costs.

Who It Affects
Gun dealers in Coosa County who want to buy abandoned firearms; they must have a current federal firearms license and have held a Coosa County business license for at least one year prior to sale (the requirement for a current county license is removed).
Owners and potential owners of abandoned or stolen property in Coosa County; their property may be sold after unclaimed for six months, with rights to claim and to recover costs, and sale proceeds go to law enforcement.

Key Provisions
Firearms may be sold only to gun dealers who hold an active federal firearms license and have held a Coosa County business license for at least one year prior to the sale; the requirement for a current Coosa County business license at the time of sale is removed.
The sheriff may sell abandoned or stolen non-firearm personal property through an Internet auction provider, in addition to public auctions, with sales conducted for cash and proceeds payable to the Sheriff’s office.
At least every six months, non-firearm property not claimed by the owner may be sold at public auction or Internet auction after proper notice published in a newspaper and posted at the courthouse.
The sheriff must maintain separate permanent records for abandoned/stolen firearms and for other property, including descriptions, dates, identifiers, and recovery locations; these records are open to public inspection.
Owners may claim property before sale by proving ownership and paying recovery, storage, and related costs; if property is sold, the sale proceeds are collected and handled by the Sheriff’s Office.
All proceeds from sales (firearms and non-firearm) must be used exclusively for the purposes of law enforcement.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Coosa County