How to Sell a Gun in Connecticut

Highlights:

• Private sellers in Connecticut need licensed gun dealers to process their gun sales.
• Private gun sales in Connecticut have to go through buyer background checks.
• It’s not allowed to sell long guns to anyone under 18 or handguns to anyone under 21 in Connecticut.
• Gun sales in Connecticut require authorization numbers from the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection unless they’re for antique guns.
• Cash for Arms offers private gun sellers in Connecticut one of the easier ways of selling guns for profit without excessive effort or paperwork.

Step 1: Know Connecticut’s Private Gun Sale Laws

Private gun sales are ones made by sellers who aren’t FFLs (Federal Firearms Licensees).

These gun sales are only allowed in Connecticut when processed by FFLs.

Here’s what this means for you as a private seller:

• The FFL will handle just about every part of your sale process for you.
• You’ll have to pay the FFL a fee for this service.
• You still get paid directly by your buyer for the gun – the FFL doesn’t take a cut.
• Nearly all you need to do is bring these to the FFL’s premises: yourself, your buyer, money for the FFL’s fees, and the gun.

Overview of Private Gun Sale Requirements in Connecticut

The requirements for private gun sales in Connecticut are largely handled by the FFLs processing the sales. Here are the requirements, for reference:

• A buyer background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)
• An authorization number from the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP)
• Explicit authorization of the transaction from DESPP
• Documentation of the transaction with DESPP
• An application to purchase the gun filled out by the buyer

If the buyer is buying a handgun, he also has to supply at least one of these:

• A permit to carry a handgun
• A permit to sell firearms at retail
• A valid handgun eligibility certificate

If he’s buying a long gun, he has to provide at least one of these:

• One of the permits required for handgun purchase
• A valid long gun eligibility certificate

Gun Buyer Background Checks in Connecticut

The FFL processing your private gun sale will initiate this. FFLs in the state will generally charge you $20 for the trouble.

Note that this is only the fee for initiating the sale. They may charge more to continue processing the gun transfer to your buyer.

Gun Sale Authorization from DESPP in Connecticut

The FFL processing your private gun sale will acquire gun sale authorization for you. The only part you need to play is filling out and signing the DPS-3-C form.

The FFL you’re working with will give you that form, indicate what you need to do, and then submit it to the DESPP on your behalf.

Gun Sale Documentation Requirements in Connecticut

Connecticut requires firearm sellers to document gun sales with receipts. Again, the FFL processing your private gun sale will handle this.

While the FFL will retain its own copy of the sale documents, it’s advised to keep a copy for yourself as well. Among other things, Connecticut records can be slow to update.

So, there’ve been cases of people finding guns still listed under their names here years after selling the guns. Having sale documents may be useful in case questions are ever raised.

Anyway, the exact steps for documentation depend on what kind of gun is sold. We’ve split them up into handgun (pistol and revolver) and long gun (rifle and shotgun) sections belwo.

Documentation for Handgun Sales in Connecticut

For handguns, the sales receipt should include these:

• The date of the sale
• The name and address of the buyer
• The identification number of whichever of these the buyer provided:
  • Handgun carry permit
  • Permit to sell firearms at retail
  • Eligibility certificate for a handgun
• The authorization number for the gun sale
• A description of the gun
• The caliber, model, make, and manufacturer’s number of the gun
• The signature of the buyer

With this receipt, the seller is required to do three things:

• Submit a copy of it to the Commissioner of the DESPP in 48 hours of the sale
• Submit a copy of it to local law enforcement in 48 hours of the sale
• Keep a copy of it for at least 5 years

The FFL will handle these things but you can ask for a copy of the receipt for yourself.

Documentation for Long Gun Sales in Connecticut

For long guns, the sales receipt should include these:

• The name and address of the buyer
• The date of the sale
• A description of the gun
• The caliber, model, make, and manufacturer’s number of the gun

With this receipt, the seller needs to do three things:

• Ensure the receipt is signed in triplicate in 24 hours of the sale
• Submit a copy of it to the Commissioner of the DESPP in 24 hours of the sale
• Submit a copy of it to local law enforcement
• Keep a copy of it as well as the original purchase application for at least 5 years

Again, the FFL will handle these things but you can ask for a copy of the receipt for yourself.

Gun Buyer Eligibility in Connecticut

Like other states, Connecticut has a list of people to whom guns are prohibited. The buyer background check obviously verifies that your buyer isn’t on that list.

However, the background check also costs money. In some cases, you can save that money by ruling out ineligible buyers even before approaching an FFL for a check.

Simply refer to this list of people prohibited from buying guns in Connecticut:

• Convicts of a felony (with limited exceptions)
• Delinquent convicts of serious juvenile offenses
• Convicts of certain violent or intimidating misdemeanors
• Convicts of a misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence
• People found not guilty of a crime due to mental illness and discharged from custody in the last 20 years
• People sent to confinement in a mental hospital by a court order in the last 60 months
• People committed to a mental hospital for mental illness by a doctor’s emergency certificate or voluntary admission in the last 6 months
• People who’ve failed to complete an approved course in gun safety and use
• People dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces
• People currently adjudged to be mentally incompetent
• People subject to a protective or restraining court order
• Unlawful users of or addicts to controlled substances
• People who’ve renounced US citizenship
• People subject to firearms seizure orders
• Fugitives from justice
• Illegal aliens

Aside from these, see if a buyer meets the age minimum and can produce the documents required for purchase. We provided details on both earlier.

Other Notes for Private Gun Sales in Connecticut

Here are other points to remember about selling guns privately in the state:

• There are no waiting periods for gun sales in Connecticut.
• The requirements for private gun sales apply even to sales at gun shows.
• The minimum ages to buy guns in Connecticut are 18 for long guns, 21 for handguns.
• Buyers can only purchase a maximum of 3 handguns per month in Connecticut.
• The state has no limits on the number of long guns buyers may purchase per month.
• Connecticut has no explicit preemption statute. This means local governments (like municipal authorities) may regulate gun trades too. So, always check if you have more rules locally!

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Step 2: Prepare for the Sale

Whether you choose to sell your gun to an FFL or a private buyer, some prep is in order. That means getting the gun and yourself ready for what’s to come!

Getting the Gun Ready

This means unloading the gun and cleaning it so it looks its best. After that, you should find a container you can use for transporting it to potential sellers or appraisers.

Relative to the latter point, you should know there are laws in Connecticut for transporting guns. Specifically, you can only transport a gun in a car without a permit if it:

• Is unloaded
• Isn’t readily or directly accessible from the passenger compartment

If the car you’re using the transport the gun doesn’t have a compartment separate from the passenger compartment, it’s only allowed if:

• It’s in a locked container that’s not the glove compartment
• Is in a locked safe or glove box in the trunk if it’s a handgun and the vehicle is unattended

Getting Yourself Ready

As for preparing yourself, it means learning your gun’s market value. Why? So you have a frame of reference for assessing offers from buyers.

Here are the ways you can find your gun’s market value:

• Go to GunBroker.com and find successful sales for guns of the same type. Note their selling prices but remember that trends may drive prices up or down.
• Ask us to appraise your gun online. We do this for free.

Step 3: Choose Whom to Sell To

Option 1: Cash for Arms

Choose us as your gun buyer if you:

• Want some of the very best market prices for your gun
• Don’t want to take ages looking for or negotiating with buyers
• Prefer to have many options for how to collect your money
• Hate navigating complex sales processes and laws
• Are fine with shipping your gun (we pay for it!)
• Need to sell your gun quickly

If you like the sound of all that, here’s how to sell a gun to us from Connecticut:

• Submit the gun through our website.
• Wait for us to send an offer (usually in an hour) and accept it.
• Send the gun to our office with our prepaid shipping label.
• Get paid through the method you like (Zelle, direct deposit, or mailed check).

Cash for Arms also offers large-scale liquidation services in Connecticut if you're looking to sell a large gun collection or liquidation inventory in a shop.

Option 2: Connecticut Gun Stores

Choose local gun shops as your gun buyer if you:

• Can accept offers as low as 40% of your gun’s value
• Prefer to deal with your buyer in person
• Want to be paid in cash and on the spot
• Are willing to drive to many different stores just to get offers

If you’re fine with those things, here’s how to sell to a local gun store in Connecticut:

• Reach out to the gun stores (call them!) and ask if any want to see your gun.
• Drive with the clean and unloaded gun to each of those gun stores.
• Negotiate with the stores and take down their final offers.
• Compare the final offers and sell to the store with the best one.

Option 3: Connecticut Pawnbrokers

Choose local pawn shops as your gun buyer if you:

• Can accept offers as low as 30% of your gun’s value
• Prefer to deal with your buyer in person
• Want to be paid in cash and on the spot
• Are willing to drive to many different stores just to get offers

You’ll notice that these are similar to the points we made for selling to local gun shops. The big difference is that pawnbrokers will usually pay you even less than a gun shop.

If you’re fine with that, follow the same steps we gave for selling to local gun shops. Just replace the “gun stores” with “pawn shops” in the steps.

Option 4: Connecticut Residents / Private Parties

Choose a private party as your gun buyer if you:

• Want a chance to get good prices (but with no guarantee of it)
• Are willing to expend effort finding and negotiating with buyers
• Don’t mind paying an FFL to legally process the sale/transfer for you
• Want to set as many of your own sale terms as possible
• Can afford to wait for the gun to sell

If you’re fine with that, here’s how to sell to a private party in Connecticut:

• Create a listing of the gun with clear details, e.g. its make, model, finish, etc.
• Make the listing public. Try asking your local shooting clubs and ranges if they have bulletin boards where you can post it.
• Let offers come in until you find a good one.
• Quick-screen the buyer by asking if he can prove residence and age with a local ID.
• Negotiate with the buyer and decide on sale terms acceptable to both of you.
• Meet your buyer at an FFL’s shop and be sure to bring the unloaded gun with you.
• Follow the FFL’s instructions. He’ll process the transfer for you and guide you through anything you need to do.
• Wait for the process to complete so you can collect your payment and the buyer can collect the gun.

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Conclusion

That’s all you need to know to sell a gun in Connecticut. Follow our steps and you should manage it without getting in trouble.

If you want to make it even easier, though, try selling to us. Cash for Arms is nearly synonymous with easy gun sales all over the country. You can even check our Google Reviews rating – 4.9 at over 1,000 reviews – to confirm that!

To learn more, just contact us online or call us directly at (904) 977-5477.