Buy a Gun Online in New York: FFL Transfer Rules
New York Gun Shop ships handguns, rifles and shotguns to the New York FFL you choose, plus optics, parts and gear to your door. This guide explains how an online order reaches you in New York and which state rules apply before a dealer can hand a firearm over.
How ordering online and shipping to a local dealer works
You order here and choose a licensed dealer in New York to receive the firearm. We ship the gun to that dealer, not to your home. When it arrives, you complete the required paperwork and the background check at pickup. Dealers in New York run every sale through the New York State Police.
A handgun order follows the same route. The gun goes to the New York FFL you choose, and it is added to your pistol license at the transfer. Rifles and shotguns also ship to that dealer. A semiautomatic rifle needs a New York semiautomatic rifle license, and buyers must be 21.
Optics, parts and accessories ship directly to your door. Ammunition works differently, as explained below.
What the New York state rules say
New York is a license-to-possess state for handguns. Before a dealer can transfer a pistol or revolver to you, you must already hold a pistol license issued by your county licensing officer, and the gun is added to that license.
Since September 4, 2022, a separate semiautomatic rifle license is required to buy or take possession of a semiautomatic rifle. The minimum age for both licenses is 21. Other rifles and shotguns need no state license outside New York City, where the police department issues a separate rifle and shotgun permit.
Ammunition cannot be shipped to a New York address. New York requires a background check and an in-person transfer through a registered ammunition seller or licensed dealer.
Carry licenses follow a different route. Outside New York City, Nassau and Suffolk, the licensing officer is a judge or justice of a court of record in the county. Applicants must be 21, complete 16 hours of classroom training plus 2 hours of live fire, sit an in-person interview and give four character references. The permit office for your county is the county licensing officer, a judge of a court of record, and applications are filed through the county clerk or sheriff.
Places named in the New York rules
- New York City: the police department issues rifle and shotgun permits, and the police commissioner issues carry licenses.
- Nassau County: carry licenses come from the police commissioner.
- Suffolk County: carry licenses come from the sheriff or the county police, depending on the town.
- Long Island: rifles may not be used for hunting.
- Westchester County: rifles may not be used for hunting.
- Northern Zone and Southern Zone: the two deer hunting zones, each divided into Wildlife Management Units.
Deer hunting in New York
New York splits deer hunting into a Northern Zone and a Southern Zone, each divided into Wildlife Management Units. The Northern Zone regular firearms season opens in late October. The Southern Zone opens the Saturday before Thanksgiving and runs into mid-December, with bow and muzzleloader seasons on either side. Check the current Department of Environmental Conservation hunting regulations for the 2026-27 dates in your unit.
Rifles may not be used for hunting on Long Island or in Westchester County, and a few units are bow and crossbow only. Check the DEC legal implements map for your county before you choose a firearm. Antlerless harvest is managed through Deer Management Permits.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a license to buy a handgun in your city?
Yes. New York requires a pistol license before you may possess a handgun at all, so the license has to be in hand before a dealer can transfer one to you. Apply through your county licensing officer.
Who issues a carry license in your county?
Outside New York City, Nassau and Suffolk, the licensing officer is a judge or justice of a court of record in the county, and applications are filed with the county clerk or sheriff pistol permit office.
Can you ship a gun straight to my home?
No. Handguns, rifles and shotguns go to a licensed FFL dealer in New York that you pick, and you finish the paperwork and background check there. Optics, parts and accessories ship to your door.
Can ammunition be delivered to a New York address?
No. New York requires a background check and an in-person transfer through a registered ammunition seller or licensed dealer, so ammunition cannot be shipped straight to a buyer in the state.
Can I hunt deer with a rifle in your area?
In most of the state, yes. New York bars rifles for hunting on Long Island and in Westchester County, and a few units are bow and crossbow only for deer. Check the DEC legal implements map for your county.
Ready to look at options? Browse the catalog.
Laws change; confirm current rules with the state agencies named above.
General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.
