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Buying a gun in Brooklyn

Order online, collect at a licensed dealer in the city. Here is how a Kings County transfer really runs, and what to have in hand before you start.

Brooklyn has very few gun counters for two and a half million people, and the ones there are cannot stock much. Buying online widens the shelf to a full distributor catalog and still finishes the way every lawful sale in New York finishes: at a licensed dealer, with Form 4473 and a background check. The part that catches people out is the city paperwork, so deal with that first.

1. Sort your paperwork first
In the five boroughs a long gun needs an NYPD rifle/shotgun permit and a handgun needs a pistol licence. Get that done before you order.
2. Pick your dealer
Any FFL that accepts shipped transfers — in Brooklyn, elsewhere in the city, or out on Long Island. Call first and ask their fee.
3. Order here
Name that dealer at checkout. We confirm their licence before the gun ships.
4. Collect it
At the counter you complete ATF Form 4473, the dealer runs the background check through the State Police, and checks your city permit or licence.

The city paperwork

  • Long guns: an NYPD rifle/shotgun permit, issued by the License Division, before you may take possession of a rifle or shotgun anywhere in the five boroughs. Outside the city there is no such permit.
  • Handguns: a New York pistol licence. In the city that is also the License Division, and the handgun is added to the licence before the transfer. See our pistol licence guide.
  • Semi-automatic rifles: New York has required a licence for these since September 2022, on top of everything else. Ask your licensing officer and your dealer before ordering one.
  • Everything else: optics, cases, cleaning gear and parts ship straight to your door.

General information, not legal advice. The city code goes further than state law in several places. Confirm anything you are unsure of with the NYPD License Division, and see our New York gun law overview.

Choosing an FFL

Not every licensed dealer accepts transfers from an outside shipper, and the ones that do set their own fee. Call before you order and ask three things: do you accept transfers, what is the fee, and how long will you hold the gun while my permit is processed. That last question matters more in the city than anywhere else, because a gun can arrive before your paperwork does.

You are not limited to Kings County. Any dealer you can reach will do, and shops in Queens, on Staten Island or out on Long Island are often quicker to book. What does not change is where you keep the gun afterwards: a rifle or shotgun kept at a Brooklyn address needs the city permit, whoever transferred it.

What the dealer checks

  • Your identity and address against a government photo ID.
  • Your city permit or licence, and that the item matches what it covers.
  • Form 4473, which you fill in at the counter and which is a federal document — answer it honestly.
  • The background check, run through the New York State Police, which has been the state point of contact since September 2023.
  • The gun itself. A good counter will also check that what arrived is legal to hand you in New York. Everything we list has already been filtered for that, so there should be no surprise.

How long it takes

Shipping is the fast part: the firearm usually reaches your dealer within about a week. The city permit is the slow part and is measured in months. Work backwards from that. Apply, wait, and order the gun once the licence or permit is issued. If you order first, expect to pay your dealer to store it.

What Brooklyn buys

Pump shotguns12 and 20 gaugeOver-underclays and birdsRevolversfor licence holdersBolt-action riflesdeer seasonLever guns.30-30 and friendsRimfire.22 LR

Shotguns

New York shotgun guide →

Revolvers

Pistol licence guide →

Common questions

Can I buy a gun online and pick it up in Brooklyn?

Yes. You order here, name a licensed dealer in Kings County or anywhere else, and we ship the firearm to them. You complete Form 4473 and the background check at their counter. What you also need is the New York City paperwork: a rifle/shotgun permit for a long gun, a pistol licence for a handgun.

Do I need a permit to own a shotgun in New York City?

Yes. New York City requires an NYPD rifle/shotgun permit before you may take possession of any rifle or shotgun in the five boroughs. That is a city requirement on top of state law — the rest of New York State has no such permit for shotguns or non-semi-automatic rifles.

What do I bring to the dealer?

A valid government photo ID with your current address, your NYPD permit or pistol licence, your order number, and the dealer transfer fee. If your ID still shows an old address, ask the dealer what supporting document they accept.

How much is an FFL transfer fee in Brooklyn?

Each shop sets its own. City shops commonly charge more than upstate ones, and $50 or more is normal. Call before you order, confirm they take transfers from an out-of-state shipper, and ask what they charge to hold the gun if your paperwork is not finished.

Why do New York City transfers take longer?

Two reasons. The city permit or licence has to be issued before the dealer can release the gun, and those take months. And there are far fewer FFL dealers per head in the city than upstate, so counters are busier and appointment slots are further out.

Is there a waiting period?

New York has no general state waiting period once the background check clears, but a check that is delayed rather than approved holds the transfer until it is resolved. The realistic delay in the city is the permit, not the check.

Can I find a dealer outside the city and keep the gun there?

You can have a gun shipped to any dealer who will accept it, but the law follows the gun to where you keep it. A rifle or shotgun kept at a Brooklyn address needs the city permit whichever dealer transferred it. Do not use an out-of-city dealer as a way around the permit.

Are magazines over 10 rounds legal in Brooklyn?

No. New York caps magazines at ten rounds statewide (Penal Law 265.00(23), 265.02(8)), and the city adds its own restrictions on top. We do not list any magazine over ten rounds.

Does New York City ban guns that are legal upstate?

It can. The city code defines "assault weapon" more broadly than state law, and it adds its own rules on ammunition and storage. If you live in the five boroughs, confirm with the NYPD License Division before buying anything you are unsure about.

Do you have a store I can visit?

No. We are an online store only, so every firearm goes to the licensed dealer you choose and you handle the paperwork there.

More New York guides