- All guides
- Michigan
How to Sell a Gun in Michigan
Selling a firearm in Michigan is legal for most law-abiding adults, but the process must follow both federal law and Michigan 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 Michigan — Quick Overview
- Who Can Sell: Most law-abiding adults who legally own a firearm may sell it in Michigan
- Private Sales: Require a background check through a licensed FFL dealer
- Background Check: Required for all transfers — must go through a licensed FFL dealer
- Waiting Period: None
- Prohibited Transfers: Cannot sell to anyone under 18 or any person prohibited under federal law
- License Required: Only if you regularly sell for profit (federal FFL required)
- Gun Registration: Required — all transfers must be reported as required by Michigan law
- 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 Michigan
Age Requirements for Selling a Gun in Michigan
Selling a Gun Through a Licensed Dealer in Michigan
How to Sell a Gun Privately in Michigan
Step-by-Step Guide to Selling a Gun
Why Many Sellers Use GunTransfer
Waiting Periods and Registration in Michigan
Michigan Gun Laws Every Seller Should Understand
FAQ About Selling a Gun in Michigan
Who Runs the Background Check in Michigan
Who Can Legally Sell a Gun in Michigan
Under federal law and Michigan 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 18 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 18 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 Michigan. 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 Michigan
21
years old minimum to sell or trade handguns at a dealer
18
18
18
Selling a Gun Through a Licensed Dealer in Michigan
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 Michigan.
How to Sell a Gun Privately in Michigan
While private firearm sales are permitted in Michigan, all private transfers must go through a licensed FFL dealer for a background check. Direct person-to-person transfers without a dealer are illegal in Michigan.
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 Michigan requires the transfer to go through a licensed FFL dealer, many sellers use GunTransfer to create a clear record that ownership has transferred — protecting them from future liability.
MICHIGAN GUN SALE QUICK REFERENCE
| SALE TYPE | BACKGROUND CHECK | WAITING PERIOD | KEY NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Dealer | Required — FBI NICS | None | 21+ handguns, 18+ long guns. Handgun registration required. |
| Private Handgun Sale | Required — via FFL/LEO | None | Background check required since 2023. Register handgun within 10 days. |
| Private Long Gun Sale | Not Required | None | No background check required for private long gun transfers. |
| Online Purchase | Required at receiving FFL | None | Ships to Michigan FFL. Register handgun within 10 days. |
| Handgun Registration | Required | — | Register all handguns with local law enforcement within 10 days. |
Step-by-Step
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Sell a Gun in Michigan
The process for legally selling a firearm in Michigan 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 Michigan 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. Both parties must meet at a licensed FFL dealer to complete the transfer.
4
Verify buyer identity and age
Request a valid government-issued photo ID. Confirm the buyer is at least 18 years old. The FFL dealer will verify identity as part of the background check process.
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 permitted in Michigan, 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 Michigan.
Waiting Periods and Registration in Michigan
Michigan does not impose a waiting period on firearm sales. Once both parties agree and the transfer is documented, the firearm may change hands immediately — for both dealer sales and private sales.
Michigan requires firearm registration. The new owner must register the firearm as required by Michigan law after the transfer is complete.
While no waiting period applies, sellers should still take the time to verify buyer identity and complete a GunTransfer bill of sale before handing over the firearm.
Michigan Gun Laws Every Seller Should Understand
Although Michigan 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 18 years of age
- ALL private transfers must go through a licensed FFL dealer for a background check
- 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 Michigan?
No. Private sales do not require a federal firearms license.
Do private gun sales in Michigan require a background check?
Is a bill of sale required when selling a gun in Michigan?
What happens if I sell without going through an FFL in Michigan?
Who Runs the Background Check in Michigan
Sell through a licensed dealer in Michigan and that dealer contacts the FBI directly. ATF's Permanent Brady State Lists place Michigan among the states where the FBI conducts the National Instant Criminal Background Check System check on every firearm transaction, rather than routing it through a state agency first. At the counter that means one submission from the dealer and one answer back — proceed, delayed or denied — with no state agency anywhere in the loop.
Michigan is also one of the twenty-eight states that issue a permit federal law treats as a substitute for that check. ATF's Permanent Brady Permit Chart lists License to Purchase, Carry, Possess, or Transport and License to Conceal Carry as qualifying alternate permits for Michigan. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(t)(3)(A) a dealer may complete a transfer without running a fresh check when the buyer presents a permit that allows him to possess or acquire a firearm, that was issued no more than five years earlier, and that was issued by the state where the transfer is taking place.
Three things that permit does not do, and all three are worth saying out loud to a buyer who turns up expecting a five-minute transfer. It does not replace the federal firearms transaction record — the dealer still completes and keeps the Form 4473. It does not oblige the dealer to use the exemption: whether to rely on the permit instead of running the check is the dealer's decision, not the buyer's. And it is good only in the state that issued it, so a Michigan permit does nothing for a buyer who lives elsewhere and will be collecting the firearm from a dealer at home.
If the answer comes back denied, the appeal goes to the FBI rather than to the dealer or to Michigan. The dealer can hand the buyer the transaction number the appeal needs, and the FBI runs the process from there. It takes as long as it takes, and the firearm stays where it is in the meantime — which is worth knowing before you have spent an afternoon agreeing a price.
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 →Michigan Guides
How to Buy a Gun in Michigan → Gun Transfer Laws in Michigan → Private Gun Sale Laws in Michigan → Background Check Laws in Michigan → Waiting Period Laws in Michigan → Gun Inheritance Laws in Michigan →Ready to Transfer ?
Michigan Firearm Sale Resources: ATF — Identifying Prohibited Persons | ATF — Brady Law & 3-Day Default Rule | FBI NICS | Giffords — Michigan Gun Laws | ATF State Laws & Ordinances
A handshake isn’t a transfer.
Make it legal.
In Michigan, 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 Michigan.
I almost burned half a Saturday driving to a gun shop. Instead I did it from my phone for fifty bucks.— Brandon T., 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.
