A quick reference for the most important rules every US firearms dealer should know when selling online. This is a general overview, not legal advice. Consult an attorney or your local ATF office for specifics that apply to your business.
You must be a licensed FFL
Federal law requires you to hold a valid Federal Firearms License (FFL) to sell firearms commercially in the United States. Your license type depends on what you sell (Type 01 dealer, Type 07 manufacturer, and so on).
If you do not yet hold an FFL, you must apply through the ATF before transacting. Gunly can host your storefront before you are licensed, but you cannot sell firearms until you have your FFL number.
Firearms cannot be shipped to customers directly
Federal firearms cannot be shipped to a buyer's home address. They must be transferred through a licensed FFL near the buyer, who completes the background check on your behalf before releasing the firearm.
Gunly automates this through the FFL Checkout flow. When a customer with a firearm in their cart reaches checkout, they select a dealer to receive the transfer. The shipping address is automatically replaced with the dealer's address.
See the article Setting up FFL checkout for setup steps.
Age restrictions
Federal minimum ages:
Handguns and handgun ammunition. 21 years old.
Long guns (rifles, shotguns) and their ammunition. 18 years old.
Some states have higher minimums. Your storefront should not let underage customers complete checkout for firearms.
State restrictions
State laws vary significantly. Some states restrict:
Specific firearm types (AR-15 style rifles, suppressors, short barreled weapons, handguns above certain capacities).
Specific magazine capacities.
Specific ammunition types.
Whether private sales are allowed.
Use Customize › Storefront › Shop Filters and Store › Sales › Settings › Restrictions to enforce shipping restrictions per product or per state.
You are responsible for staying current on the laws in every state you ship to.
Form 4473 and background checks
Before transferring a firearm to a buyer, the receiving FFL dealer is responsible for:
Having the buyer complete ATF Form 4473.
Running a NICS background check.
Refusing the transfer if anything is incomplete or denied.
You as the seller do not handle the 4473 directly when shipping to another FFL, the receiving dealer does. For walk in transfers from your storefront, your team handles the 4473.
Records you have to keep
ATF requires bound book records and Form 4473 retention for 20 years. Most dealers use a separate compliance tool to track inventory and disposition. Gunly integrates with Fastbound for compliance tracking, contact us if you want to set it up.
International sales
Selling firearms across international borders (ITAR controlled items) requires additional licensing (ITAR registration, export permits). Most dealers should restrict shipping to the US only. Set this in Store › Sales › Settings › General under Selling location(s).
Where to learn more
Need help
Compliance questions specific to Gunly setup (FFL Checkout configuration, restrictions, integrations like Fastbound) can be sent to us in the chat from your admin or as a ticket from Help › Support. For legal questions, consult an attorney.