Yes, you can buy a gun online in Florida, but the firearm cannot be shipped to your home. Federal law requires every online firearm sale to pass through a federally licensed dealer, who receives the gun, runs your background check, and completes the transfer in person.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Florida layers its own waiting period and eligibility rules on top of the federal process, so the full timeline usually runs several days from checkout to pickup.
How the Order and Shipping Work
You browse, choose a firearm, and pay on the seller’s website the way you would for any other online purchase. The difference comes at the shipping step. Instead of a home address, you give the seller the name and license information of a Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder in Florida who has agreed to receive the gun for you. A licensed dealer can only ship a firearm to another licensee, not to an individual buyer.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
Most gun shops and many pawn shops hold an FFL and offer transfer services for a fee, typically $25 to $75 on top of the firearm’s price. Many online retailers maintain a directory of cooperating FFL holders, so finding one near you is usually a quick search or phone call. Once the gun arrives at the dealer’s location, the shop contacts you to come in and complete the transfer.
What Happens at the Dealer
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID that shows both your identity and your Florida residency. The dealer will have you fill out ATF Form 4473, the federal transaction form, which asks for personal information and a series of eligibility questions covering criminal history, mental health, drug use, and other disqualifying factors.2Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Firearm Purchase Process
Using your answers, the dealer calls the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to run the background check. Florida is a “point of contact” state, meaning dealers contact FDLE rather than the FBI’s national system. FDLE checks both state and national databases and returns one of three results: approved, non-approved, or pending.3Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Firearm Transaction Decisions The dealer collects a processing fee for the check, capped by law at $8.4Justia Law. Florida Code 790.065 – Sale and Delivery of Firearms
The Three-Day Waiting Period
Even if your background check clears instantly, you cannot leave with the gun that day. Florida imposes a mandatory three-day waiting period between purchase and delivery, not counting weekends and state holidays.5Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Requirements to Purchase a Firearm The dealer cannot hand over the firearm until both the waiting period has passed and the background check is approved.3Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Firearm Transaction Decisions
Three situations skip the waiting period, though the background check still runs:6Online Sunshine. Florida Code 790.0655 – Purchase and Delivery of Firearms; Mandatory Waiting Period
- You hold a valid Florida concealed weapon or firearm license.
- You are trading in another firearm as part of the purchase.
- You are buying a rifle or shotgun and have completed a minimum 16-hour hunter safety course, or you hold a valid Florida hunting license and are otherwise exempt from the course.
If the Check Is Pending or Denied
Not every check returns an instant answer. A “pending” result sends your transaction to a team of FDLE analysts who research your records until they can make a decision.3Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Firearm Transaction Decisions Under federal rules, a dealer may proceed with a sale if a check isn’t resolved within three business days. Florida overrides that. The state requires a completed background check before any transfer, so a pending status means you wait for a final answer, however long that takes.4Justia Law. Florida Code 790.065 – Sale and Delivery of Firearms
If FDLE issues a non-approval, you have 60 days from the date of that decision to file an appeal. The appeal form comes from the dealer at the time of denial or from FDLE’s website. You will need the queue or non-approval number the dealer received, and you must mail the completed form with any supporting documentation.7Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Firearms Purchase Program – Appeal Process
Appeals require fingerprints taken by a law enforcement agency; FDLE rejects prints rolled by private services. A successful appeal produces an approval letter valid for 30 days, usable for a one-time purchase only at the dealer where you were originally denied. Lost or expired letters are not reissued.7Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Firearms Purchase Program – Appeal Process One detail that trips people up: winning an appeal through the FBI’s national system does not automatically fix your Florida record. You still need to file a separate appeal with FDLE.
Who Is Eligible To Buy
Florida requires buyers purchasing through a licensed dealer to be at least 21. Active-duty military, law enforcement officers, and correctional officers may buy a rifle or shotgun at 18.4Justia Law. Florida Code 790.065 – Sale and Delivery of Firearms You also need a valid government-issued photo ID showing Florida residency.
Federal law separately bars several categories of people from buying or possessing firearms: anyone convicted of a crime carrying a potential sentence of more than one year, fugitives, people under domestic violence restraining orders, anyone dishonorably discharged from the military, unlawful users of controlled substances, anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, anyone adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, noncitizens in the country unlawfully, and anyone under felony indictment.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
Florida adds its own prohibitions. Anyone who had adjudication withheld on a felony or a misdemeanor domestic violence charge cannot buy a firearm until three years after completing probation and all court-imposed conditions.4Justia Law. Florida Code 790.065 – Sale and Delivery of Firearms A withheld adjudication is not a clean slate for gun-buying purposes, at least not right away. Anyone under 24 found to have committed a delinquent act that would be a felony if committed by an adult is also prohibited. So is anyone subject to an active risk protection order, for the duration of that order.8Online Sunshine. Florida Code 790.401 – Risk Protection Orders
Private Online Listings Between Florida Residents
Not every online firearm transaction has to run through an FFL. If both buyer and seller are Florida residents and the seller is not a licensed dealer, the sale can be completed face-to-face without a background check or waiting period. Neither federal nor Florida law requires private, non-dealer sellers to run background checks.4Justia Law. Florida Code 790.065 – Sale and Delivery of Firearms Websites that host private listings essentially function as classified ads; the legal transfer happens in person.
Both parties must actually live in Florida. If the seller lives in another state, the firearm must ship through an FFL dealer in the buyer’s state even when the seller is a private individual.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts A private seller who knowingly sells to someone prohibited from possessing firearms also faces federal criminal liability, which is why many private sellers voluntarily meet at an FFL for a background check.
Interstate Purchases
Most online firearm orders involve a seller in another state, which is exactly why the FFL step exists. An unlicensed person cannot receive a firearm bought outside their state of residence.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts The gun ships from the seller or the seller’s FFL to a licensed dealer in Florida, where you complete Form 4473, the background check, and the waiting period before taking possession.
Penalties for Lying or Buying for Someone Else
Every question on ATF Form 4473 carries real consequences. Providing false information on the form, whether about criminal history, drug use, citizenship, or who the firearm is really for, is a federal felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 924 – Penalties The ATF prosecutes these cases even when the background check would have flagged the buyer anyway.
Straw purchases carry stiffer punishment. A straw purchase happens when you buy a firearm on behalf of someone else who cannot legally buy one or who wants to avoid the paperwork trail. Federal law treats this as a standalone crime with up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 932 – Straw Purchasing of Firearms If the weapon ends up being used in a violent felony, terrorism, or drug trafficking, the maximum climbs to 25 years.