Frequently Asked Questions

Federal and state restrictions on sales, trades, gifts or other transfers of firearms include:

• Anyone engaged in the business of buying and selling firearms for profit must be a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL). A dealer must maintain a record of every firearm received from, or transferred to, another person or dealer.
• Anyone who purchases a firearm from a dealer must pass a NICS check.
• It is against the law for anyone to transfer a firearm or ammunition to anyone known (or believed to be) prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
• It is against the law (with rare exceptions) for anyone to transfer a handgun to a non-dealer who resides in another state.
• It is against the law for a non-dealer to transfer any firearm to a non-dealer who resides in another state.
• Anyone who acquires a weapon from a dealer is required to sign a federal Form 4473, declaring under penalty of law that he or she is the actual buyer of the firearm. This law is particularly relevant to the question of straw purchasers (persons who can pass NICS checks) buying firearms for prohibited persons.
• Dealers are not allowed to sell handguns to persons under age 21 or to sell rifles or shotguns to anyone under age 18.
• It is illegal for anyone to provide a handgun to a young person (under age 18) as they cannot possess handguns, with limited exceptions.
• You can legally sell your firearm to a person living in your state (provided they meet the minimum age requirements) without using a dealer. However, you must take precautions to sell only to someone who is legally allowed to own a firearm and resides in the same state as you. If you do decide to sell a weapon, it is strongly suggested that you use an FFL to be sure a background check is run. Understand, you will be included in any firearm search done on any weapon if you purchased it legally. The weapon’s history, from the factory through all who had it, is searched. If you use an FFL, you will have proof you sold that firearm.
• However, if you have a buyer living in another state, an FFL dealer must be used to complete the transaction. Red Flag Armory Inc. can help you. We can send it to another FFL dealer and help you package and deliver your firearm.