Firearm owners’ support for policies regulating firearms left in vehicles

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Firearms stolen from vehicles are a leading source of gun theft in the US. In response, there has been growth in the number of proposed and enacted policies at the state and local levels. Yet firearm owners’ attitudes toward policies regulating firearms left in vehicles remain unexamined. The current study aimed to estimate firearm owners’ support for and opposition to seven policies governing firearms left in vehicles and assess correlates of support. Methods Data come from a national survey of US firearm-owning adults conducted in February–March 2026 by YouGov ( n = 1,856). Survey-weighted ordinal logistic regression models were estimated to examine support for seven different policies related to owner/storage requirements, penalties for owners, and penalties for thieves. Results There was mixed support across policies. A mandatory prison sentence for vehicle firearm theft was most supported (~ 80%), while holding owners criminally liable for crimes committed with their stolen firearms was most opposed (~ 64%). Older age, female sex, greater perceived local seriousness of theft, and residing in states with stricter firearm laws were associated with higher support for owner-focused policies. Conservative ideology and more frequent vehicle firearm storage were associated with lower support for owner-focused policies but higher support for punitive measures against thieves. Conclusions The findings provide new insights into support and opposition for various policy initiatives regulating firearms left in vehicles. Future research is needed to understand how attitudes change following policy enactment, what reasoning underlies firearm owners’ positions, and whether such policies meaningfully alter storage behavior and reduce firearm thefts from vehicles. Clinical trial number Not applicable.