If you don’t have a federal firearm license, FFL transfers need to be tracked and done with caution, to ensure that there are accurate records. The government wants to have a paper trail on file, in the case of an emergency. The paperwork and local laws can prove inconvenient to people that want more choices in buying a gun.
You require a local FFL dealer to provide you with long guns, rifles, or other firearms in question. If you can’t pick up from them, then the burden of shipping and return fees fall on the customer. With that said, you don’t have to be limited to purchasing from them.
What Is An FFL Transfer?
Usually, a firearm transfer is when an FFL-accredited business gives ownership of a weapon to an individual lacking the license in question. An FFL transfer is when an FFL dealer runs a background check on a consumer when making a gun purchase out of state, online, or from a private party. By private party, we mean “individual”. It involves sending or receiving a gun, usually via shipping. Thus, it is part of the purchasing process. If you are the customer, or a middleman, you will be a liaison making a purchase.
Depending on the state, all of your purchases may need to go through an FFL dealer. If you and the other party are residents of the same state, you may not need a dealer but you still need to handle shipping issues with a potentially deadly weapon. It’s thus best to err on the side of caution and locate the nearest one for a transfer.
Usually, FFL transfers happen when the owner doesn’t want to buy directly from an official physical gunshop, instead preferring to have options. This can happen if the dealer in question doesn’t have the gun they want to buy, or the necessary ammunition.
How To Do An FFL Transfer
First, locate an FFL dealer nearby and ask about their transfer fees. The ballpark should be twenty to thirty dollars for standard purchases, though it may change depending on the individual dealer or type of purchase.
Second, obtain a copy of their license to send to the other person either buying or selling the gun. Even if they are a private party and this is not required, it never hurts to have paperwork on hand.
Third, only go to the dealer when the firearm in question enters inventory. Otherwise it wastes everyone’s time, including yours. Then fill out the background check paperwork for purchasing a firearm if you are the buyer. Only then will you have to pay the necessary fees.
Locate FFL Dealers With FFL API
FFL API will help your business keep your records on track when selling guns. Our website integrations and dashboards are designed to be user-friendly. What’s more, we comply with federal law as well as local ones to ensure that you follow regulations.
Reach out to us today to start your regular integrations. Let us simplify the purchasing process for buying firearms online, for you and your customers
