To own a gun in Indiana you generally have to be 18, but the full answer depends on what kind of firearm and how you’re buying it. Indiana law lets an 18-year-old possess a firearm, carry a handgun without a permit, buy a rifle or shotgun from a licensed dealer, and buy a handgun in a private sale. Federal law, however, requires you to be 21 to buy a handgun from a licensed dealer. Under 18, you can only possess a firearm in specific supervised situations spelled out in state law.
The Three Age Thresholds
- Under 18: No general right to possess a firearm. Possession is legal only in the supervised exceptions listed in Indiana Code 35-47-10-1 (hunting with a license, target shooting under adult supervision, safety courses, on family property or at home with parental permission, or traveling unloaded to and from those activities).
- 18: Can possess firearms, carry a handgun under Indiana’s permitless carry law, buy a long gun from a licensed dealer, and buy a handgun through a private sale.
- 21: Can buy a handgun from a federally licensed dealer.
Buying from a Licensed Dealer
Federal law sets the minimum age for any purchase from a Federal Firearms Licensee. You must be at least 18 to buy a rifle or shotgun and at least 21 to buy a handgun.1Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Minimum Age for Gun Sales and Transfers Every dealer purchase runs through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which confirms the buyer has no disqualifying record.2Federal Bureau of Investigation. Firearms Checks (NICS)
Buying Through a Private Sale
Private, in-state transfers work differently. Federal law bars anyone from transferring a handgun to a person they know or have reason to believe is under 18, and Indiana matches that floor.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts The practical result is that an 18-year-old in Indiana can legally buy a handgun in a private sale even though the same person cannot walk into a gun store and buy one until 21. That three-year gap is a federal restriction on licensed dealers, not an Indiana rule, and it exists in every state.
Indiana does not require background checks on private sales, and sellers are not required to keep transaction records. The verification burden falls on the seller.
Carrying a Handgun at 18
Since July 2022, Indiana has been a permitless carry state. If you are at least 18 and not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm, you can carry a handgun in Indiana without a permit. The prohibited-person list includes felony convictions, domestic violence convictions, and certain mental health adjudications. There is also a separate restriction for people under 23 who were adjudicated delinquent as juveniles for certain offenses; they remain prohibited from carrying a handgun unless one of the children-and-firearms exceptions applies.4Indiana State Police. Permitless Carry Website Messaging
Indiana still issues a free handgun permit through the Indiana State Police. It’s optional inside Indiana, but useful for travel because other states recognize it for reciprocity.
Firearm Possession Under 18
Indiana Code 35-47-10 governs children and firearms, and it treats anyone under 18 as a “child” for these purposes. The restriction covers all firearms, not just handguns. A person under 18 who possesses a firearm outside the statutory exceptions commits “dangerous possession of a firearm,” a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.5Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-47-10-5 – Dangerous Possession and Unlawful Transfer6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-50-3-2 – Class A Misdemeanor A prior conviction or delinquency adjudication for the same offense bumps the charge to a Level 5 felony, punishable by one to six years in prison and up to $10,000.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-50-2-6 – Level 5 Felony
The exceptions in IC 35-47-10-1 are narrow and specific.8Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-47-10-1 – Application and Exemptions A minor can possess a firearm:
- On real property controlled by a parent, adult family member, or legal guardian, with permission from a parent or guardian.
- At their own residence, with permission from a parent, adult family member, or legal guardian.
- While hunting or trapping under a valid Indiana license.
- While target shooting at an established range or a lawful discharge area, supervised by a qualified firearms instructor or an adult.
- While attending a firearms safety course or hunter safety course.
- While competing in an organized shooting competition or practicing for a performance by a 501(c)(3) organization that uses firearms.
- While traveling with an unloaded firearm to or from any of the activities above.
These exceptions do not apply if the minor is otherwise ineligible to possess a firearm or intends to use it to commit a crime.8Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-47-10-1 – Application and Exemptions
Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources also runs youth hunt seasons open to anyone 17 or younger, provided the youth hunter is accompanied by an adult who is at least 18.9Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Youth Hunts
Adults Who Give Firearms to Minors
Two Indiana statutes create serious criminal liability for adults who put guns in the wrong hands. Under IC 35-47-10-6, an adult who provides a firearm to a child knowing the child is ineligible to buy one, or knowing the child intends to use it in a crime, commits a Level 5 felony. A repeat offense is a Level 4 felony, and if the child uses the firearm to commit murder the charge becomes a Level 3 felony.10Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-47-10-6 – Dangerous Control of a Firearm
Under IC 35-47-10-7, a parent or legal guardian who allows their child to possess a firearm while aware of a substantial risk the child will use it to commit a felony, and who fails to make reasonable efforts to prevent that use, commits “dangerous control of a child,” a Level 5 felony. The same charge applies to permitting possession by a child previously convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for a violent crime. A second offense is a Level 4 felony.11Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-47-10-7 – Permitting Child to Possess a Firearm
Indiana does not have a general safe storage law requiring gun owners to lock up firearms in homes with children, but these parental liability provisions can reach owners who leave guns accessible to a known-risky minor.
Schools Are Off Limits at Any Age
Age does not create an exception here. Possessing a firearm on school property or on a school bus is a Level 6 felony under Indiana law, and it applies to adults and minors alike, including people who otherwise have every right to carry a handgun.12Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-47-9-2 – Possession of Firearms on School Property Leaving a firearm in plain view inside a vehicle parked at a school is a separate Class A misdemeanor.