Buying a gun online: how FFL transfers work

Buying a gun online is mostly like buying anything else online, right up until delivery. Instead of shipping to your door, the firearm ships to a licensed dealer (FFL), and you complete the purchase there in person.

What an FFL is

An FFL is a business with a Federal Firearms License from the ATF. Gun shops, many sporting goods stores and some home-based dealers hold one. For online purchases, the FFL that receives your firearm is often called the receiving or transfer dealer.

Price Dope doesn't sell or transfer firearms. We compare prices and send you to the retailer. The retailer handles the sale and ships to the dealer, and the dealer handles the transfer and the legally required checks.

The federal basics

• Out-of-state purchases go through a dealer in your state. Federal law allows you to buy a firearm from an out-of-state source, provided the transfer takes place through an FFL in your state of residence.
• Handguns: your state only. A dealer may not sell or deliver a handgun to someone who doesn't live in the dealer's state.
• Rifles and shotguns: a narrow exception. A dealer in another state may sell a rifle or shotgun to you only if you meet in person to complete the transfer and the sale fully complies with the laws of both states. When you're ordering online, a dealer in your own state is the straightforward choice.
• Paperwork and background check. Before handing over a firearm, the dealer has you complete ATF Form 4473 and contacts the background check system: the FBI's NICS, or a state agency in states that act as a point of contact (POC).
• Federal minimum ages at a dealer. 18 for rifles and shotguns, 21 for handguns. Some states and localities set higher minimum ages.
• State law still applies. Passing the federal background check doesn't excuse a dealer from state law. ATF's guidance says dealers must follow state waiting periods.

Step by step

1. Check your state and local rules

Before shopping, make sure you can legally buy and own the firearm where you live. Some states and localities require permits, impose waiting periods, or restrict certain firearms, magazines or features. Your state attorney general's office or state police are good places to start.

2. Call the receiving dealer first

This is the step people skip, and it saves the most hassle. Ask:

• Do you accept transfers of firearms bought online?
• What's your transfer fee, and are there any other charges?
• How do you get your license to the retailer? Many dealers send it directly.
• What do I need to bring, and when can I pick up?
• Is there anything specific to our state I should know?

3. Buy from the retailer

Complete your order on the retailer's site and choose your receiving dealer. Some retailers don't ship certain firearms to certain states. Their policies and the law decide what they'll sell and ship to you.

4. The dealer receives the firearm

The retailer ships to the dealer. The dealer logs the firearm in and contacts you when it's ready.

5. Pick up and complete the transfer

At the dealer:

1. Show a valid government-issued photo ID. Ask the dealer ahead of time if your ID doesn't show your current address.
2. Complete ATF Form 4473. Answer every question truthfully. Making false statements on the form is a federal crime.
3. Background check. The dealer contacts NICS or your state's point of contact. The dealer will tell you the result. If the check is delayed, the dealer will explain what happens next.
4. Any state waiting period. If your state has one, the dealer must follow it.
5. Pay the transfer fee and take possession if everything is approved.

Transfer fees

Each dealer sets its own transfer fee, and fees vary from shop to shop. Confirm the full cost, including any extra charges, when you call. When comparing prices on Price Dope, remember to add the transfer fee, plus shipping and tax, to the listed price.

Using Price Dope to shop

Browse by type, such as handguns, rifles or shotguns. Listings show in-stock items first. Open any gun to compare current prices from each retailer, see its D.O.P.E. price history and find other versions of the same model. Every offer shows when it was last checked. When you click Go to deal, you complete the purchase on the retailer's site. See How it works for details.

Sources

• ATF eRegulations: 27 CFR 478.29, Out-of-State acquisition of firearms by nonlicensees, including the rifle and shotgun over-the-counter exception and ATF's Q&As on buying from an out-of-state source through a dealer in your state
• ATF eRegulations: 27 CFR 478.99, Certain prohibited sales, purchases, or deliveries, covering sales to nonresidents (paragraph a) and federal minimum ages (paragraph b)
• ATF eRegulations: 27 CFR 478.102, Sales or deliveries of firearms on and after November 30, 1998, covering NICS checks, including ATF's Q&As on state points of contact and state waiting periods
• ATF: Brady Law
• ATF: Brady State Lists, showing which states use the FBI and which act as a point of contact
• ATF: Minimum Age for Gun Sales and Transfers
• ATF: ATF Form 4473 – Firearms Transaction Record revisions
• Federal law: 18 U.S.C. § 922, subsections (a)(3), (a)(6), (b)(1), (b)(3) and (t) (Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School)

Common questions

Can a gun I buy online be shipped to my house?

Generally, no. Under federal law, a firearm you buy from an out-of-state source must be transferred to you through a federal firearms licensee (FFL) in your state of residence. The retailer ships it to that dealer, and you pick it up there after the required paperwork and background check.

What is an FFL transfer?

It's the process where a licensed dealer receives a firearm on your behalf and legally transfers it to you. At pickup you complete ATF Form 4473, show ID, and the dealer runs a background check through the FBI's NICS or your state's point of contact before handing over the firearm.

How much does an FFL transfer cost?

Each dealer sets its own transfer fee, and fees vary. Call the dealer before you order to confirm the fee and anything else they charge or require.

How old do you have to be to buy a gun from a dealer?

Under federal law, licensed dealers may not sell or deliver a rifle or shotgun to anyone under 18, or a handgun to anyone under 21. Some states and localities set higher minimum ages.

Can I have a gun shipped to a dealer in another state?

For handguns, no: the transfer must happen in your state of residence. A dealer in another state may transfer a rifle or shotgun to you only in person, and only if the sale fully complies with the laws of both states. The simplest option is a dealer in your own state.

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