What Do You Need to Buy a Gun in Alabama?

To buy a gun in Alabama you need a valid government-issued photo ID showing an in-state address, you need to meet the minimum age for the firearm you’re buying (21 for a handgun from a licensed dealer, 18 for a rifle or shotgun), and you need to be eligible to pass a federal background check. At a dealer you’ll fill out ATF Form 4473 and the shop will run you through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. There is no state waiting period, no purchase permit, no registration, and no cap on how many firearms you can buy at once.

Age and ID

Federal law sets the age floor at a licensed dealer: 21 for handguns, 18 for rifles and shotguns.¹ In a private sale between individuals, federal law only prohibits selling a handgun to someone under 18, so the practical floor is lower outside a shop.

You’ll also need to prove Alabama residency. An Alabama driver’s license or state ID card showing your current address is the simplest way. If no single document shows your full name, date of birth, and current address, you can combine government-issued documents to cover all three. Active-duty service members stationed in Alabama can use official orders showing a permanent duty station in the state.²

Who Cannot Legally Buy

Before you sign Form 4473, know that it asks you to certify you don’t fall into any of the prohibited categories. Lying is a federal crime in itself. Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922 bars you from buying or possessing a firearm if you:

Have been convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison (all felonies and some serious misdemeanors). The trigger is the possible sentence, not what a judge actually gave you.
Are under indictment for such a crime.
Are a fugitive from justice.
Are an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance.
Have been adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution at age 16 or older.
Are subject to a qualifying domestic violence protective order issued after a hearing you had notice of.
Have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

These are lifetime disqualifications unless your rights are restored through a pardon, expungement, or a specific legal process in the convicting jurisdiction.³

Alabama layers its own restrictions on top. Under § 13A-11-72, anyone convicted of a “crime of violence,” a misdemeanor domestic violence offense, or under a domestic abuse protection order is barred from possessing any firearm, and violation is a Class C felony. The same statute separately prohibits pistol possession by minors (with narrow supervised-use exceptions), habitual drunkards, and people with a drug addiction, as a Class A misdemeanor.⁴

At the Counter: Form 4473 and NICS

The dealer will hand you ATF Form 4473, the federal firearms transaction record. It asks for your biographical information and a list of yes-or-no questions matching the prohibited categories above. You sign under penalty of perjury.

The dealer then calls in your information to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. NICS returns one of three answers:⁵

Proceed. The sale goes through immediately.
Denied. The sale is blocked. You can appeal a denial through the FBI if you believe the underlying records are wrong.
Delayed. The FBI needs more time. If no final decision comes back within three business days, federal law allows the dealer to complete the transfer at their discretion.⁶

Buyers under 21 face an extra layer. Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, if the initial NICS check flags a potentially disqualifying juvenile record, the FBI reaches out to the state criminal history repository, mental health records custodian, and local law enforcement. The FBI has up to ten business days from that initial contact before the dealer may proceed.⁷

Once you get a “Proceed,” Alabama imposes no waiting period. You walk out the same day.

A Concealed Carry Permit Skips the NICS Call

If you hold a valid Alabama concealed carry permit — either a standard permit issued within the last five years after a background check, or a qualifying lifetime permit — you can present it at purchase and skip the NICS check. The dealer still completes Form 4473; only the call to the FBI is bypassed.⁸

Buying From a Private Seller

Alabama does not require a background check on private sales between individuals. There’s no state paperwork, no registration, and no Form 4473. The seller does not have to run you through NICS.

The prohibited-person rules still apply to you as the buyer. Federal law makes it illegal for a prohibited person to receive a firearm, and it is illegal for any seller to transfer one to someone they know or have reason to believe is prohibited.³ Alabama also makes it a Class C felony to lie to a seller about whether a transfer is lawful, or to push a seller into a transfer you know would break the law.⁹

Some private sellers will meet at a licensed dealer and pay a transfer fee so the buyer clears NICS. It’s voluntary, and it protects the seller.

Buying a Gun Online

You can order a firearm from an online retailer or an out-of-state seller, but it cannot ship to your door. Federal law requires it to ship to a licensed dealer in Alabama. You then go to that dealer, fill out Form 4473, and clear NICS the same way you would for an in-store purchase. Transfer fees commonly run about $20 to $50 depending on the shop. Call ahead to confirm the dealer accepts incoming transfers and to check the fee before you order.

Do You Need a Permit to Buy or Carry?

No, on both counts. Since January 1, 2023, anyone 19 or older who is not legally prohibited from possessing a firearm can carry a concealed handgun in Alabama without a permit.¹⁰ No permit is needed to buy, either.

People still get permits for two practical reasons: a current permit lets you skip the NICS check at purchase, and other states may recognize your Alabama permit for reciprocity even when they don’t honor permitless carry. Permits are issued by the sheriff’s office in your county of residence, and fees vary by county. A lifetime permit is available after you’ve held a standard permit for at least five consecutive years.

Penalties for Buying Illegally

Making a false statement on Form 4473 carries up to five years in federal prison. Buying a gun for someone who can’t legally buy one themselves — a straw purchase — carries up to 15 years, as does illegal possession by a prohibited person under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).¹¹

On the state side, possession by someone convicted of a crime of violence, a domestic violence offense, or subject to a protection order is a Class C felony in Alabama, punishable by one year and one day to ten years in prison. Pistol possession by a minor, habitual drunkard, or person with a drug addiction is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail.⁴

1
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Minimum Age for Gun Sales and Transfers
2
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Firearms Transaction Record – ATF Form 4473
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
4
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 13A-11-72 – Certain Persons Forbidden to Possess Firearm
5
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Firearms Checks (NICS)
6
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF Form 4473 – Firearms Transaction Record Revisions
7
Regulations.gov. Implementation Revisions for National Instant Criminal Background Check System
8
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Brady Permit Chart
9
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 13A-11-58.1 – Improper Transfer of Firearm or Weapon; Providing False Information to Dealer
10
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 13A-11-74.1 – Carrying a Pistol Without a Permit
11
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 924 – Penalties