Can You Order a Gun Online and Have It Shipped Home?

In almost every case, you cannot order a gun online and have it shipped to your home. Federal law requires modern firearms bought online to ship to a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in your state, where you fill out paperwork, pass a background check, and then take the gun home. Two narrow exceptions allow direct home delivery: antique firearms made in or before 1898, and certain collectible firearms received by holders of a Curio and Relic license.

Why the Gun Has to Go to a Dealer First

The Gun Control Act makes it illegal for an unlicensed person to receive a firearm from an out-of-state source unless the transfer runs through a Federal Firearms Licensee in the buyer’s home state.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Almost every online firearm sale crosses state lines, so the gun ships to a dealer rather than to you. The dealer logs it, runs a background check through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), and then hands you the firearm.2Congressional Research Service. Firearms Dealers Engaged in the Business

Private online sales work the same way when the buyer and seller live in different states. An unlicensed person cannot transfer a firearm to someone they know or have reason to believe lives out of state.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts The gun still has to route through a licensed dealer on your end.

The Two Firearms That Can Ship to Your Door

Antique Firearms

Federal law defines an antique firearm as one manufactured in or before 1898, along with certain replicas that don’t use modern fixed ammunition and muzzle-loading black powder guns.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 921 – Definitions These are excluded from the federal definition of “firearm,” so the background check and FFL transfer rules don’t apply. A qualifying antique can ship directly to your home. Some states regulate antiques more strictly than federal law does, so check your state’s rules before assuming home delivery is fine.

Curio and Relic License

A Type 03 Federal Firearms License, usually called a Curio and Relic (C&R) license, lets collectors receive eligible firearms shipped directly to their home. Qualifying firearms are generally at least 50 years old or certified by the ATF as having special collector interest. The license costs $30 and is valid for three years.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal Firearms Licenses C&R holders keep their own acquisition and disposition records, and the license only covers firearms on the ATF’s curio and relic list. Modern firearms still require a standard FFL transfer.

How the Online Purchase Actually Works

The sequence has more moving parts than a normal online order, but none of the steps are complicated once you know them.

  • Find a local FFL first. Before you place an order, locate a licensed dealer near you willing to handle the transfer. Most offer this service, and many list their transfer policies online. Confirm the dealer will take your shipment and get their FFL information, which the seller will need.
  • Place your order and list the FFL as the shipping address. Most dealers can send a copy of their license directly to the seller.
  • Wait for the gun to arrive. Shipping usually takes a few business days. The dealer contacts you once the firearm is logged in.
  • Go to the dealer to complete the transfer. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID showing your name, photograph, date of birth, and current address. If the ID doesn’t show your current address, you can supplement it with another government-issued document that does. You will fill out ATF Form 4473, which asks about your eligibility to possess a firearm.5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identification of Transferee
  • Pass the background check. The dealer submits your information to NICS. If you’re approved, you take the gun home that day.

Inspect the firearm before you sign off. Check the serial number against your order, cycle the action, and look for damage. Once you sign the Form 4473 and leave, resolving problems with the online seller gets much harder.

Transfer Fees

The dealer handling your transfer charges a service fee on top of what you paid the online seller. Fees vary widely, but most run somewhere between $25 and $75 per firearm. Big-box retailers and high-volume shops tend to charge less; specialty dealers charge more. Confirm the fee before ordering, because a high transfer charge can wipe out the savings you found online.

What the Background Check Can Return

NICS gives the dealer one of three responses.

Proceed. The check comes back clean and the transfer happens right away. Most checks resolve within minutes.

Delayed. Your record is flagged for review. The FBI has three business days to make a final determination. If they don’t resolve it in that window, the dealer is legally permitted to complete the transfer under what’s called a “default proceed.”6Federal Bureau of Investigation. About NICS Not every dealer will do this, and some states prohibit default proceeds entirely, so a delay may stretch longer depending on where you live.

Denied. The check turned up information suggesting you’re prohibited from possessing a firearm, and the dealer cannot complete the transfer. If you believe the denial was an error, you can appeal directly to the FBI in writing. Including fingerprints strengthens your case by proving you aren’t the person in a matched record. The FBI must provide the general reason for denial within five business days of receiving your inquiry.7Federal Bureau of Investigation. NICS Guide for Appealing

Age Limits and Who Can’t Buy

A licensed dealer cannot sell a rifle or shotgun to anyone under 18, and cannot sell a handgun to anyone under 21.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts These limits apply to online purchases because the transfer runs through a licensed dealer.

Buyers under 21 also face a more thorough background check under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, enacted in 2022. NICS examiners must contact state juvenile justice agencies, mental health agencies, and local law enforcement. If those inquiries turn up potentially disqualifying information, the FBI can take up to 10 business days to resolve the check.8Federal Bureau of Investigation. NICS Enhanced Background Checks for Under-21 Gun Buyers Showing Results

Federal law bars several categories of people from buying or possessing firearms, and NICS is designed to catch them:1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts

  • Anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison
  • Fugitives from justice
  • Users of, or people addicted to, controlled substances
  • Anyone adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution
  • People in the U.S. unlawfully or on a nonimmigrant visa, with limited exceptions
  • Those dishonorably discharged from the military
  • People who have renounced U.S. citizenship
  • Anyone subject to certain domestic violence restraining orders
  • Anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence

Lying on the Form 4473 about any of these is a federal felony, even if the background check misses the disqualifier.9Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons

Handguns vs. Long Guns Across State Lines

The interstate rules treat the two categories differently. A licensed dealer cannot sell a handgun directly to someone who lives in a different state. If you buy a handgun online from an out-of-state dealer, the gun has to ship to a licensed dealer in your state, who runs the check and completes the transfer.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts

Rifles and shotguns have more flexibility. A licensed dealer in another state can sell you a long gun directly, provided you meet in person and the sale complies with the laws of both states. Most online long gun sales still route through a local FFL, but the legal requirement is looser than for handguns.

Ammunition, Parts, and Receivers

Ammunition is not classified as a firearm under federal law, and there is no federal requirement that it ship through a licensed dealer. Most online ammunition retailers will send it to your home. Some states impose their own restrictions, including requiring a licensed vendor or a background check at the point of sale. The age limits still apply: federal law prohibits selling handgun ammunition to anyone under 21, and rifle or shotgun ammunition to anyone under 18.

Most accessories, including optics, stocks, grips, and magazines, can also ship to your home under federal law because they aren’t firearms. The exception is frames and receivers. A 2022 ATF rule expanded the definition of “frame or receiver” to include partially complete or disassembled versions that can readily be finished with common tools and online instructions.10Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Definition of Frame or Receiver and Identification of Firearms Products once sold as unregulated “80% kits” now generally require an FFL transfer, a serial number, and a background check.

State Rules That Can Slow or Block the Transfer

Federal law is the floor. Your state may add requirements that affect what you can order and how long the transfer takes.

  • Waiting periods. Some states require a delay between passing the background check and picking up the firearm. These range from a few days to over a week.
  • Purchase permits. A handful of states require a permit or license before you can buy at all. Without it, the dealer won’t complete the transfer even if NICS clears you.
  • Restricted firearms. Several states ban or heavily regulate certain semi-automatic rifles, features, or configurations. An online retailer in a permissive state will happily sell you something that’s illegal to own where you live. Your FFL should catch this, but the responsibility ultimately falls on you.
  • Magazine capacity limits. About a dozen states cap magazine capacity, most at 10 rounds. If your firearm ships with a standard-capacity magazine that exceeds your state’s limit, the dealer may need to swap or hold it before completing the transfer.

Your local FFL handles these rules daily and can tell you what applies where you live. Contact the dealer before you place the order rather than after the gun has shipped.