Buying a firearm online: how the FFL transfer actually works

You can order a pistol or rifle online, but it never ships to your house. It ships to a licensed dealer near you, and you finish the purchase there. Here is the whole process, step by step.

1. Pick a dealer before you order

Any holder of a Federal Firearms License can receive a transfer: gun shops, many pawn shops and plenty of home-based dealers. Call first and ask two things: whether they accept transfers from online retailers, and what they charge. Fees usually run $20 to $75.

2. Order and name the dealer

Give us the dealer's name and address at checkout. We need a copy of their license before we ship; most dealers email it within a day if you ask them to send it to us directly.

3. The dealer receives it

The firearm ships to the dealer by tracked, signature-required carrier. They log it into their records and call you when it arrives.

4. Background check and pickup

At the counter you fill in ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs the background check. Some states add a waiting period, a permit or a safety certificate. Once the check clears and any waiting period ends, you take it home.

What does not need a dealer

Unfinished Polymer80 frames and 80% lowers, parts, triggers, magazines and accessories ship to your door, except to states that restrict them. Suppressors are different again: they go to a dealer licensed for NFA items, and only after the ATF approves your Form 4.

If the check is delayed or denied

A delayed check usually clears within three business days. If it is denied, the dealer cannot release the firearm; email us and we arrange its return and a refund less shipping.

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws on unfinished frames, receivers and firearms vary by state and city and change often. Check the current law where you live before ordering.