How to Buy a Gun Online

Last updated: October 14, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Gun laws change and differ by state and city, so check the current rules with your dealer and official sources before you buy.

Buying a gun online is legal in the US, but the gun never ships straight to your door. You pay the store online, the store ships the gun to a licensed dealer (FFL) near you, and you pick it up there after a background check. Here is how it works, step by step.

Step 1. Check the laws where you live

Federal law sets the baseline, and many states add their own rules: a permit or safety certificate to buy, a waiting period, a list of approved handgun models, limits on magazine capacity or on how many guns you can buy in a month. Some products simply can't be sold in some states, and stores will cancel those orders. If you live in California, read our California buyers guide.

Step 2. Compare prices and pick a reputable store

Prices for the same gun often differ by a lot between stores. On GunsNPrices you can compare current prices and stock across dozens of US online retailers on one page, and our gun deals page lists guns that are actually below their usual price today.

Buy from established, licensed retailers. Be careful with sites that offer to ship a gun directly to your home, ask you to pay only by wire transfer, gift cards or crypto, or sell popular guns far below everyone else; these are common signs of a scam.

Step 3. Choose a local FFL dealer

An FFL (Federal Firearms License) dealer is a licensed gun store, pawn shop or home-based dealer who can legally receive the gun for you. Handguns must go to a dealer in the state where you live.

Call before you order. Ask whether the dealer accepts transfers from online stores, how much the transfer fee is and what you need to bring.
Check the license. You can confirm a dealer's license with ATF's FFL eZ Check. Many online stores also let you pick a dealer from their own list at checkout.

Step 4. Place your order

Add the gun to your cart and select or enter your dealer at checkout, exactly as the dealer's name and address appear on the license. The store gets a copy of the dealer's license (often directly from the dealer) before it ships. A typo or the wrong dealer is the most common reason an order is delayed.

Step 5. Shipping to your dealer

The store ships the gun to your dealer, not to you. When it arrives, the dealer contacts you to set up pickup. If your state has a waiting period, it may start when the dealer submits your paperwork.

Step 6. Pick up your gun

Bring a valid government-issued photo ID with your current address. If the address on your ID isn't current, ask the dealer which additional documents they accept.
Fill out ATF Form 4473, the federal transaction record, honestly and completely.
Pass the background check. The dealer runs it through the FBI's NICS system or your state's own system. If NICS hasn't answered within 3 business days, federal law allows the dealer to complete the transfer, but the dealer doesn't have to. For buyers under 21, NICS also checks juvenile and mental-health records, and the transfer can be held for up to 10 business days.
Pay the transfer fee and any state fees and taxes, then take your gun home once any waiting period is over.

Age rules

Under federal law, licensed dealers may not sell rifles, shotguns or their ammunition to anyone under 18, and the statute sets 21 as the minimum age for handguns and handgun ammunition. In September 2026 the US Department of Justice said it considers the handgun age limit unconstitutional for law-abiding 18- to 20-year-olds and won't use it to prosecute dealers, but the law itself hasn't been repealed, and many dealers still sell handguns only to buyers 21 and older. State law can be stricter: California, for example, requires buyers to be 21 for handguns. Ask your dealer before you order.

Buying ammunition online

Federal law allows ammunition to be shipped directly to your home, but it can't be sent through the US Postal Service, and sellers must follow the age rules above. Some states are stricter: in California, ammunition bought online must be delivered to a licensed ammunition vendor, where you pick it up and pass a background check. Our ammo deals page compares prices per round across stores.

Buying from a private seller

If you buy a gun from a private seller who lives in another state, the gun must be shipped to an FFL dealer in your state, and you complete the same Form 4473 and background check there. Rules for private sales within a state vary; many states require them to go through a dealer as well.

Gun kits and unfinished frames

Kits that can readily be completed into a working gun are treated as firearms under federal law (the Supreme Court upheld this rule in March 2025). They must carry a serial number and are sold like any other gun: shipped to a dealer, with Form 4473 and a background check.

What may change

In 2026 ATF proposed several changes, including a rule that could let dealers complete some in-state sales without an in-person visit and a revised Form 4473. As of this update, they are proposals only, so the process above still applies.

Common mistakes to avoid

Not calling the dealer first. Some dealers don't accept online transfers or charge more for them.
Wrong dealer information. Enter the dealer exactly as licensed, or the store will hold the order.
Ignoring state and local rules. Approved handgun lists, magazine limits, waiting periods and purchase limits can block a sale after you've paid.
An ID with an old address. It can stop the transfer at the counter.
Forgetting the extra costs. Shipping, the dealer's transfer fee, state fees and taxes are usually not included in the online price.

Before you shoot

New to firearms? Read our gun safety rules and consider a basic safety class.