1. (a) For the purposes of this section, the term “firearm” shall have the same meaning as defined in Section 13A-8-1.
2. (b) The Sheriff of Cullman County shall keep and maintain a separate permanent record of all abandoned and stolen firearms not subject to disposition by general law. The records shall include a description of the firearm, the date of recovery of the firearm, the serial or other identifying number, if any, of the firearm, and the place of recovery of the firearm.

3. (c) Unless otherwise provided by law, the sheriff may sell or destroy a firearm if all of the following have occurred:

   1. (1) The firearm has been recorded pursuant to subsection (b).
   2. (2) The sheriff has possessed the firearm for at least six months.
   3. (3) The owner of the firearm has not claimed the firearm.

4. (d)

   1. (1) The sheriff may sell or trade firearms pursuant to subsection (c) only to gun dealers who have held an active business license in this state for at least one year immediately prior to the date of the sale or trade.
   2. (2) The sheriff shall establish a procedure to notify gun dealers of all firearms available for trade or sale.

   3. (3) Proceeds of a sale, after deducting and paying all expenses incurred in the recovery, maintenance, and sale of the firearm, shall be dispersed as follows:

      1. a. Seventy percent to the office of the sheriff.
      2. b. Thirty percent to the office of the district attorney.
5. (e) The sheriff may establish a procedure to destroy firearms and may expend necessary sheriff department funds for that purpose.

(Act 2024-430, §1.)