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How to Sell a Gun in Florida
Selling a firearm in Florida is legal for most law-abiding adults, but the process must follow both federal law and Florida state regulations. This guide covers what private sellers need to know to sell legally and responsibly.
- legal
- safe
- bill of sale
How to Sell a Gun in Florida — Quick Overview
- Who Can Sell: Most law-abiding adults who legally own a firearm may sell it in Florida
- Private Sales: Legal between eligible Florida residents — no background check required
- Background Check: Required only if selling through a licensed dealer
- Waiting Period: 3 business days for dealer sales (CWL holders and licensed hunters during season are exempt)
- Prohibited Transfers: Cannot sell to anyone under 21 or any person prohibited under federal law
- License Required: Only if you regularly sell for profit (federal FFL required)
- Gun Registration: Not required — no need to report private sales to the state
- Bill of Sale: Not legally required but strongly recommended — protects the seller from future liability
Table of Contents
Who Can Legally Sell a Gun in Florida
Age Requirements for Selling a Gun in Florida
Selling a Gun Through a Licensed Dealer in Florida
How to Sell a Gun Privately in Florida
Step-by-Step Guide to Selling a Gun
Why Many Sellers Use GunTransfer
Waiting Periods and Registration in Florida
Florida Gun Laws Every Seller Should Understand
FAQ About Selling a Gun in Florida
Florida Runs Its Own Background Checks
Who Can Legally Sell a Gun in Florida
Under federal law and Florida law, most adults who legally own a firearm may sell it privately. However, the seller bears responsibility for not transferring to a prohibited person.
To legally sell a firearm, a person generally must:
- Be legally eligible to possess firearms under federal law
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Not be engaged in the business of dealing firearms without a federal FFL
- Sell only to buyers who are eligible to receive firearms
Federal law prohibits certain individuals from possessing or transferring firearms. A seller who knowingly transfers to a prohibited person commits a serious federal crime.
A seller must not transfer a firearm to persons who:
- Have been convicted of a felony
- Have been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor
- Are subject to a qualifying restraining or protective order
- Are unlawful users of or addicted to controlled substances
- Have been adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution
- Are under 21 years of age
- Are illegal aliens or have renounced U.S. citizenship
Knowingly selling to a prohibited person is a serious federal crime — punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000. Always verify the buyer’s eligibility.
Understanding these requirements is the essential first step before selling any firearm in Florida. GunTransfer performs a background check on all buyers and generates a bill of sale that protects the seller.
Age Requirements for Selling a Gun in Florida
21
years old minimum to sell or trade handguns at a dealer
21
21
21
Selling a Gun Through a Licensed Dealer in Florida
Typical process when selling through a dealer:
Selling through a dealer means you are not responsible for vetting the buyer — the FFL handles all required background checks. It is the simplest way to ensure a fully compliant transfer in Florida.
How to Sell a Gun Privately in Florida
Florida law allows private firearm sales between individuals. This means a firearm owner may legally sell a gun directly to another Florida resident without going through a licensed dealer.
Private firearm sales are common when:
- Selling a used firearm to another gun owner
- Selling inherited firearms
- Selling to a friend, family member, or collector
Both buyers and sellers remain responsible for complying with federal firearm laws. The seller must not knowingly transfer to a prohibited person. GunTransfer performs a background check on the buyer and documents the transfer with a legally sound bill of sale.
Although Florida does not require official documentation for most private firearm transfers, many sellers use GunTransfer to create a clear record that ownership has transferred — protecting them from future liability.
FLORIDA GUN SALE QUICK REFERENCE
| SALE TYPE | BACKGROUND CHECK | WAITING PERIOD | KEY NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Dealer | Required — FDLE check | 3 business days (CWL exempt) | 21+ for ALL firearms. FDLE Point of Contact. |
| Private Sale | Not Required | None | Both parties must be 21+. No background check required but recommended. |
| Online Purchase | Required at receiving FFL | 3 business days | Ships to Florida FFL for FDLE check. |
| CWL Holders | Required — FDLE | None (exempt from wait) | Valid CWL exempt from 3-day waiting period. |
| Under-21 buyer | Prohibited | Prohibited | Florida requires all buyers to be 21+ — dealer and private sales alike. |
Step-by-Step
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Sell a Gun in Florida
The process for legally selling a firearm privately in Florida generally includes the following steps.
1
Confirm your eligibility to sell
Make sure you are legally permitted to possess and transfer firearms under federal and Florida law.
2
Assess the firearm’s value
Research fair market value using online guides or get a local dealer appraisal.
3
Find a qualified buyer
Locate a buyer through personal contacts or local channels. Verify the buyer is a Florida resident for private handgun sales.
4
Verify buyer identity and age
Request a valid government-issued photo ID. Confirm the buyer is at least 21 years old. Ask if they are a prohibited person — you must not knowingly sell to one.
5
Document the transfer with a bill of sale
Use GunTransfer to generate a bill of sale recording both parties, the firearm description, serial number, sale price, and date. GunTransfer also performs a background check on the buyer.
6
File your copy
Store your signed GunTransfer bill of sale securely — it is your permanent proof that the firearm left your possession on a specific date, critical if it is ever questioned.
We handle the legal part for you.
You know the rules now — here’s the easy part. A real background check on the buyer, a signed bill of sale, and permanent records, done from your phone in about 10 minutes. Flat $50.
Why Many Sellers Use GunTransfer
Private firearm sales are legal in Florida, but without documentation there is no proof that ownership transferred — leaving the original owner potentially connected to any future incident involving the firearm.
Document the firearm’s serial number and full description
Record the exact date ownership transferred away from you
Protect yourself from future liability if the gun is later misused
Demonstrate responsible, law-abiding gun ownership
For sellers, a documented GunTransfer bill of sale is proof the firearm left your hands on a specific date — which can be critical if the gun is later lost, stolen, or involved in an incident. GunTransfer makes this documentation simple for every private sale in Florida.
Waiting Periods and Registration in Florida
Florida requires a waiting period of 3 business days for dealer sales (CWL holders and licensed hunters during season are exempt) for firearm sales. The buyer cannot take possession until this period has elapsed after the sale is approved.
Florida also does not require firearm registration for private citizens. Sellers are not required to report a private sale to the state.
Use the waiting period to complete all required documentation through GunTransfer.
Florida Gun Laws Every Seller Should Understand
Although Florida has relatively permissive private sale laws, sellers should understand these important regulations before completing any transfer:
- You cannot sell to any prohibited person under federal law — doing so is a serious federal crime regardless of whether a background check was conducted
- You cannot sell to anyone under 21 years of age
- Direct private transfers are legal — no dealer required, but you must not knowingly sell to a prohibited person
- Selling a stolen firearm is a crime under both state and federal law
- If you regularly sell firearms for profit, you must obtain a federal FFL — unlicensed dealing is a federal felony
Frequently Asked
Questions
Do I need a license to sell a gun in Florida?
No. Private sales do not require a federal firearms license.
Do I have to run a background check on the buyer in Florida?
Is a bill of sale required for private gun sales in Florida?
Can I sell a gun online in Florida?
Florida Runs Its Own Background Checks
Sell through a licensed dealer in Florida and the dealer does not contact the FBI. Florida is a full point-of-contact state: ATF's Permanent Brady State Lists route every firearm transaction through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which runs the Firearm Purchase Program and submits the federal check on the dealer's behalf. The dealer is talking to the state and the state is talking to the FBI, which is why general advice about calling NICS and waiting describes something that does not happen in Florida.
No permit issued by Florida shortcuts that check. The Florida row on ATF's Permanent Brady Permit Chart reads None, and that is the whole answer to the question buyers ask most often: a carry permit issued by Florida, however recently, does not exempt its holder from the check at a dealer. The exemption in 18 U.S.C. § 922(t)(3)(A) only operates where the issuing state's permit appears on that chart. Budget for the check on every sale rather than hoping a permit will carry the day, and tell your buyer the same before he drives to meet you.
A denial in Florida is appealed to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and not to the FBI, because that is the body that made the decision. It is the most useful thing you can tell a buyer who has just been turned down at the counter, and it is the part sellers get wrong, because advice written for the country as a whole sends him to the FBI. The firearm stays with the dealer or comes back to you while it is sorted out.
All of the above describes a sale that goes through a dealer. A private sale between two Florida residents is a different transaction: Florida does not require a background check on a private transfer, so no check is run at all unless you choose to put the sale through a dealer. Many sellers choose exactly that, and the reason is not the law — it is that a dealer's record is the only proof you will ever have of who took the gun and when.
Verified October 2026
Explore All GUN Laws across the country
50 State Guides
How to Sell a Gun by State → How to Buy a Gun by State → Gun Transfer Laws by State → Background Check Laws by State → Private Gun Sale Laws by State → Gun Waiting Period Laws by State → Gun Inheritance Laws by State →Florida Guides
How to Buy a Gun in Florida → Gun Transfer Laws in Florida → Private Gun Sale Laws in Florida → Background Check Laws in Florida → Waiting Period Laws in Florida → Gun Inheritance Laws in Florida →Ready to Transfer ?
Florida Firearm Sale Resources: ATF — Identifying Prohibited Persons | ATF — Brady Law & 3-Day Default Rule | FBI NICS | Giffords — Florida Gun Laws | ATF State Laws & Ordinances
A handshake isn’t a transfer.
Make it legal.
In Florida, the seller carries the federal liability. One undocumented sale to the wrong person is the difference between a clean record and 18 U.S.C. § 922(d). For \$50, you get proof you did it right.
- Real background check on the buyerMulti-source federal, state & county criminal + sex-offender records.
- Official bill of sale, signed by both partiesElectronic. Documented to hold up in court.
- Lifetime digital records in your Gun VaultPull them 5, 10, 20 years from now.
- Done from your phone in ~10 minutesNo gun-shop visit required in Florida.
I sell a few firearms a year and want every one documented in case one ever comes up somewhere. Now they all are.— Phillip C., verified seller
Secure checkout · No FFL markup · No range fees · Flat $50 every time.
About this guide
- Published by
- Gun Transfer, which has handled private firearm transfers since 2016. Written and maintained in-house.
- Sources
- Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 921–931), the ATF’s published rules and guidance, and the statutes of the state this page covers. Primary sources are linked throughout the text above so you can check any of it yourself.
- Last reviewed
- . Firearm law changes often, and a page that was right in April can be wrong by August.
- Found something wrong?
- Tell us and we will check it: info@guntransfer.com or 855-750-5500.
This is general information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm and no attorney has reviewed this page. Firearm law varies by state and by situation, and the consequences of getting it wrong fall on you — so verify anything you are relying on against your state’s current statute, or ask a lawyer licensed there.
