??? RE Private sales across state lines

WC145

Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2008
Messages
3,290
Reaction score
3,836
Location
Maine
I buy, sell, and trade stuff locally (FTFdeals), or over the internet using a gun shop for the tranfers. A guy in NH has made me an offer on a pistol I have for sale, can anybody tell me the rules on FTF private sales to someone living in another state?
 
Register to hide this ad
Any sales across state lines have to be done through a FFL dealer.

In the case of a handgun, it must be a FFL in the buyer's home state. In most cases, that involve shipping to a FFL through a contract carrier. In a case like yours, you can bring the handgun to a New Hampshire FFL of your choosing (in essence using yourself as the shipping carrier, rather than UPS or FedEx), and the FFL can then transfer the gun to the buyer.

In the case of a long gun or shotgun, the deal still has to go through a FFL, but it can be in either state. According to Federal law, a buyer can purchase a long gun from a FFL dealer in another state to take to their home state, provided that the rifle or shotgun is legal in both states. So if you were selling a rifle or shotgun instead, you could utilize either a NH or ME FFL for the FTF deal, provided NH or ME law doesn't state otherwise.
 
Last edited:
No way around BATFE regs: cross state lines, transfer of ownership requires FFL. Period.

Within state between residents of that state FTF is another matter.
 
Thanks guys, that's what I thought but I figured someone here would know for sure.
 
Any sales across state lines have to be done through a FFL dealer.

In the case of a handgun, it must be a FFL in the buyer's home state. In most cases, that involve shipping to a FFL through a contract carrier. In a case like yours, you can bring the handgun to a New Hampshire FFL of your choosing (in essence using yourself as the shipping carrier, rather than UPS or FedEx), and the FFL can then transfer the gun to the buyer.

In the case of a long gun or shotgun, the deal still has to go through a FFL, but it can be in either state. According to Federal law, a buyer can purchase a long gun from a FFL dealer in another state to take to their home state, provided that the rifle or shotgun is legal in both states. So if you were selling a rifle or shotgun instead, you could utilize either a NH or ME FFL for the FTF deal, provided NH or ME law doesn't state otherwise.

Just to clarify, I believe they have to be ajoining states. Which in the case of the OP, would still work.
 
The adjoining-state provision was dropped in the late 80s.
 
Back
Top