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How to Ship a Gun to an FFL (and When You Can't)

Last updated: October 2026

Not legal advice. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Carrier policies change often. Check the current rules with the carrier and the receiving dealer before you ship.

Quick summary: As a private person, you can mail an unloaded rifle or shotgun through USPS to a licensed dealer (FFL) in any state, using a service with tracking and signature. You can't mail a handgun through USPS, and UPS's and FedEx's published policies (checked October 2026) don't accept gun shipments from unlicensed people. For handguns, the easy answer is to take the gun to a local FFL and have them ship it dealer-to-dealer.

What federal law says about shipping guns

  • A private person may ship a gun by common or contract carrier to a resident of their own state, or to a licensee in any state (ATF Q&A).
  • When you ship a gun interstate to anyone other than a licensee, you must give the carrier written notice that it contains a firearm (27 CFR 478.31(a); 18 U.S.C. 922(e)). Federal law doesn't require that notice for a shipment to a licensee, but carriers have their own rules. USPS, for example, may require you to open the package or certify that the gun is unloaded (USPS Pub. 52, 432.1). Always tell the carrier.
  • The outside of the box can't be labeled to show it holds a gun (27 CFR 478.31(b); USPS Pub. 52, 432.1).
  • Handguns can't go through the mail except between licensed dealers and manufacturers or to certain officials (18 U.S.C. 1715).

Can I ship a rifle or shotgun through USPS?

Yes. Under USPS Publication 52, section 432.3 (USPS Pub. 52):

  • To an FFL in any state: Non-FFL owners may mail rifles or shotguns to FFL dealers, manufacturers or importers in any state, using a service with tracking and signature capture at delivery.
  • Within Utah: You may mail a rifle or shotgun to someone in your own state, subject to state rules, marked "Return Service Requested" and sent with tracking and signature.
  • To yourself out of state (for example, a hunt): allowed with specific "in the care of" rules.
  • Short-barreled rifles and shotguns that can be concealed are not mailable.

USPS may ask you to open the package or certify in writing that the gun is unloaded and not concealable.

Can I ship a handgun?

  • USPS: No. Only licensees and certain officials can mail handguns (USPS shipping restrictions; 18 U.S.C. 1715).
  • UPS: UPS accepts firearms only from licensed importers, manufacturers, dealers or collectors under an approved UPS agreement, and handguns only by Next Day Air (UPS firearms page).
  • FedEx: Shippers without an FFL are not eligible to ship firearms with FedEx (FedEx firearms page).

So while federal law allows a private person to ship a handgun by carrier to an FFL, these carriers' published policies don't accept it from private persons as of October 2026. Policies change, so check before you ship. The simple route is a local dealer.

How to ship a gun to an FFL, step by step (rifle or shotgun by USPS)

  1. Confirm the receiving dealer will accept it. Call them at a number you look up. Ask about fees and whether they take shipments from private persons.
  2. Get a copy of their license. The receiving dealer usually emails it. Verify it on ATF's FFL eZ Check.
  3. Unload the gun completely. Don't ship ammunition with it. Check twice.
  4. Pack it securely. Use a hard case inside a sturdy outer box, so nothing shifts.
  5. No gun markings on the outside. Don't write "firearm," a gun brand, or a gun shop's name that suggests a gun. Address it to the dealer's licensed premises address shown on its license. If the business name suggests guns, ask the dealer how it wants the label addressed, for example the licensee's name without the word "guns."
  6. Put a note inside with your name, contact info, the buyer's name, and the gun's make, model and serial number, so the dealer can match it.
  7. Choose a service with tracking and signature. Required by USPS for regulated firearms (USPS Pub. 52, 432.1 and 432.3).
  8. Tell the clerk. Be ready to certify it's unloaded. Postmasters can't give legal opinions; they refer questions to ATF (USPS Pub. 52, 433).
  9. Share the tracking number with the buyer and the dealer.

The easy way: dealer-to-dealer shipping

Most sellers, especially with handguns, do this:

  1. Take the unloaded gun to a local Utah FFL.
  2. The dealer logs it in and ships it to the buyer's dealer using its own carrier account.
  3. The buyer completes the background check at their dealer.

You'll pay the local dealer's shipping and handling fee. It's often the simplest and safest choice. Find an FFL near you.

When you can't ship a gun

  • To a private person in another state. Not allowed. It must go to an FFL in the buyer's state (18 U.S.C. 922(a)(5)). See Can I Sell a Gun to Someone in Another State?
  • A handgun through USPS as a private person (USPS Pub. 52, 432.2).
  • Ammunition. GunTreasure doesn't list ammo, and you shouldn't pack any with the gun.
  • A gun that's illegal in the buyer's state. The dealer won't be able to release it.
  • NFA items (suppressors, short-barreled rifles, machine guns) without ATF approval. These have their own transfer and transport rules (18 U.S.C. 922(a)(4); 27 CFR part 479). GunTreasure doesn't allow NFA items to be listed.
  • Ghost guns, 80% kits, or unserialized frames or receivers. They aren't allowed on GunTreasure, and carriers may refuse them. (Never-serialized factory guns made before 1968 are allowed on GunTreasure.)

Shipping a gun for repair

You may ship a gun to a licensed gunsmith or the manufacturer for repair, and they can return it to you (ATF Q&A). Handguns still can't go by USPS from a private person. Ask the manufacturer for a prepaid label; many provide one.

Common shipping mistakes

  • Shipping before the dealer says yes. Some dealers refuse shipments from private persons.
  • Trusting a license copy without checking. Scammers fake them. See How to Avoid Gun Classifieds Scams.
  • Leaving a round in the chamber or magazine. Check again.
  • Labeling the box. It invites theft and breaks the rules.

Related guides

Next step

Find an FFL near you to ship dealer-to-dealer, or list your gun.