A firearm (gun) bill of sale serves as official documentation that a firearm was sold from one person to another. It contains the contact information of the buyer and seller, details on the firearm(s), the type of payment used , and the parties’ signatures. While it is not always legally required that a bill of sale be used for this type of transaction, using one serves as proof that the buyer is the new rightful owner and the seller no longer has possession of the firearm.
By State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Contents |
How to Sell a Firearm
Step 1 – Check State Laws
As the table below points out, firearm laws are diverse across the United States, as certain states contain heavy restrictions on how private transactions can take place (if at all). Even if the parties need to go through a dealer to complete the transaction, a bill of sale should be used.
Step 2 – Prepare the Firearm
If the firearm has been fired considerably prior to its last cleaning, the owner should take the time to completely strip the weapon, clean any carbon fouling, re-lubricate high-friction parts, and check for any broken or damaged components. A functioning, good-quality firearm will sell for far more money than one that is visibly of lower quality. In other words, spending money on maintenance and parts will almost always be worthwhile.
Step 3 – Determine its Value
One of the best ways of identifying the selling price of a used handgun or rifle is by looking at online postings for the same (or similar) firearm make and model. Sites that host used gun listings include:
For more valuable or collector-type firearms, using GunValues can produce more ‘accurate’ results (cost is $5 for 3-day access).
Step 4 – Sell In-Person / List Online
There are generally three (3) ways one can go about selling a firearm:
1. In-person (most recommended)
For states that don’t require a background check on private sales, the in-person route is the easiest. As long as the seller knows the buyer is a trustworthy/upstanding individual, the process is quite straightforward. Payment exchanges hands, the bill of sale is signed, and the firearm is given to the buyer.
2. Through a Pawnshop or Retail Store
Pawnshops that purchase used firearms are a good place for a firearm owner to bring in their gun for a valuation. Because the pawnshop purchases firearms with the intention to re-sell them for a higher price, the offer they give will be far lower than retail.
Selling the firearm to a retail store that purchases firearms (Cabelas, for example), can bring a slightly higher price, although the same principle applies.
Important: When handling a firearm, it should be unloaded, pointed in a safe direction, and treated as if it were loaded at ALL TIMES.
3. Online
While listing online can be practical and effective, such as reaching a wide range of potential customers, it requires certain actions to be taken in order to comply with state law. For example, firearms can only be shipped to an FFL (Federal Firearms License) holder. In other words, the buyer would need to receive information on the buyer’s FFL and ship it to that individual. There are several requirements when shipping firearms, which should be reviewed prior to starting the process.
Firearm Sale/Transfer Laws by State
STATE | REQUIREMENTS |
Alabama | None |
Alaska | None |
Arizona | None |
Arkansas | None |
California Laws – §§ 28050 – 28070 |
|
Colorado Laws – § 18-12-112 |
|
Connecticut Laws – § 29-33 |
|
Delaware Laws – § 1448B |
|
Florida | None |
Georgia | None |
Hawaii Laws – § 134-2 |
|
Idaho – Ch. 33 |
|
Illinois Laws – 430 ILCS 65 |
|
Indiana | None |
Iowa Laws – § 724.15 |
|
Kansas | None |
Kentucky | None |
Louisiana | None |
Maine | None |
Maryland Laws – § 5-124 |
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Massachusetts Laws – § 128A |
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Michigan Laws – § 28.422a |
|
Minnesota | None |
Mississippi | None |
Missouri | None |
Montana | None |
Nebraska Laws – § 69-2403 |
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Nevada Laws – NRS 202.2547 |
|
New Hampshire | None |
New Jersey Laws – Ch. 54 |
|
New Mexico Laws – § 30-7-7.1 |
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New York Laws – § 898 |
|
North Carolina Laws – § 14-402 |
|
North Dakota | None |
Ohio | None |
Oklahoma | None |
Oregon Laws – § 166.435 |
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Pennsylvania Laws – § 6111 |
|
Rhode Island Laws – § 11-47-35.2 |
|
South Carolina | None |
South Dakota | None |
Tennessee | None |
Texas | None |
Utah | None |
Vermont | None |
Virginia Laws – § 18.2-308.2 |
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Washington Laws – § 9.41.113 |
|
West Virginia | None |
Wisconsin | None |
Wyoming | None |
Firearm Bill of Sale: Sample
Download: PDF, Word (.docx), OpenDocument
How to Write
Download – PDF, Word (.docx), OpenDocument
Note: Colors are used for showing contrasting options only.
Step 1 – Party Names
On the first page of the form, the following information will need to be entered for both the seller and the buyer:
- Full name
- Drivers license number (#)
- Street address
- City
- State
- ZIP
- Phone number
An email address, fax number, or other means of contact info can be written manually beneath the listed fields if need be.
Step 2 – Firearm(s)
The bill of sale contains fields for up to three (3) firearms. The following information will need to be added for each firearm:
- Cost ($) of the firearm (the price agreed upon by both the seller and buyer).
- The make of the firearm (e.g., Ruger, Winchester, H&K).
- The model of the firearm (e.g., 10/22, Model 70, VP9SK).
- Action (how the weapon loads ammunition into the chamber – check just one box).
- Caliber/gauge (the type of ammunition the firearm takes; e.g., .40 S&W, .45, 9mm).
- Serial number (this is specific to the individual gun and can be found stamped on the firearm itself).
- Total cost ($) (applicable if selling multiple weapons; add up the cost of all firearms).
Step 3 – Payment
This section covers how the buyer will pay for the firearm(s). If accepting money in exchange for the gun(s), check the first box. Next, write out the total amount (in words) followed by the numerical value (in numbers). Below that, check one (1) of the three boxes to indicate when the buyer will pay the total owed amount. If they are paying on the date of sale, check the first box and write the date in which the bill of sale will be signed by all parties.
If accepting a trade (doesn’t have to be another firearm), check the second box and write a description of the item(s) the seller is accepting in exchange for the gun(s).
Step 4 – Buyer’s Disclosure
For liability purposes, the buyer will need to read through the declarations in the bullet list. So long all of the points are true, they should sign their name on the line provided.
Step 5 – Seller’s Disclosure
The seller also needs to read through a list of declarations before signing their name, as long as all of the listed points are true.
Step 6 – Signatures
Start by writing the date (day, month, and year) in which the parties will be recording their signatures onto the bill of sale. Then, the seller AND the buyer will need to inscribe their signatures (by hand or with eSign). If the parties had witness(es) observe the signing of the form, each witness will need to print and sign their names.
Step 7 – Notarization (if applicable)
If the parties decide to have their signatures notarized, the last page is reserved for a Notary Public only. The first section is for notarizing the buyer’s signature, and the second section for the seller’s signature. At this point, the bill of sale is complete. The original should be provided to the buyer, and a copy can be made for the seller (if desired).