Highlights:
- You can’t sell guns to anyone under 18 in Missouri.
- You can sell guns in Missouri without a federal license.
- You can’t recklessly sell guns to anyone intoxicated in Missouri.
- Private gun sellers aren’t obliged to run buyer background checks in Missouri.
- Cash for Arms allows Missourians to sell guns from the comfort of their homes at some of the best market prices possible.
Step 1: Know the Rules for Missouri Private Gun Sellers
Missouri’s gun sale laws aren’t complex, but we’ve put them in even plainer speech below.
You can do private gun sales in Missouri
This means you can sell guns even if you don’t have a federal license, i.e. aren’t an FFL or Federal Firearm Licensee.
You only need to be an FFL to sell guns in Missouri if you look like selling guns is your business
Authorities judge this based on many things. The general rule is that people selling guns very often and in bulk have to be FFLs. Only selling one or two guns and very sporadically? Then you don’t need to be an FFL.
You don’t need to run background checks on gun buyers in Missouri
If you’re a private gun seller, there’s no requirement. Only FFLs need to do background checks on their buyers here.
You don’t have to observe a waiting period for gun sales in Missouri
You can sell a gun and hand it to your buyer on the same day.
You can sell multiple guns to the same buyer with no limits in Missouri
Missouri doesn’t have bulk gun purchase restrictions. So, there aren’t rules on things like how many handguns you can sell to a buyer in a given period of time.
But, if you are looking to offload a bulk amount of guns, you may want to consider liquidation services. Cash for Arms offers free liquidation quotes for Missouri gun sellers. Whether you're looking to sell a large private collection, an estate, or liquidate your store inventory, our team of experts can help you with any questions you may have.
You don’t need to register guns to sell them in Missouri
Missouri doesn’t have a gun registry anyway. Guns sold here are normally unregistered.
You don’t need to keep gun sale records in Missouri
There’s no law requiring private sellers to make bills of sale or similar documentation. But there’s no law preventing it either. So, make records if you want to.
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Step 2: Know Who You Can Sell Guns to in Missouri
You can sell guns to businesses or individuals in Missouri:
- FFL gun dealers like Cash for Arms or local gun stores (businesses)
- Pawn shops with Type 02 FFLs (businesses)
- Private parties (individuals)
The first two options (the businesses) must pass through government checks to become FFLs. This gives you some security that your gun is going to a legitimate business and buyer.
Individuals don’t go through the same checks. So, you may have a little less peace of mind when selling a gun to a private party.
This is because it’s your legal responsibility not to sell guns to certain people. This is based on state and federal law.
List of People You Can’t Sell Guns to in Missouri
Here are the people who can’t own guns in Missouri and whom you can’t sell to as a result:
- Illegal aliens
- Convicted felons
- Fugitives from justice
- Those habitually intoxicated or drugged
- Those with restraining orders against them
- Those subject to domestic violence court orders
- Those currently adjudged mentally incompetent
- Former US citizens who renounced their citizenship
- Those dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces
- Convicts of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence
- Those intoxicated at the moment of sale if selling to them would be reckless
- People under 18, with exceptions like these:
- Members of the Armed Forces who need the gun for their duties
- Members of the National Guard who need the gun for their duties
- Those with their custodial parent’s or guardian’s consent to buy the gun, if selling to them would not be reckless
Wondering about the word “reckless”, by the way? In Missouri, you’re acting “recklessly” if you ignore a serious risk that your act will have negative results (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 562.016.4).
Translation: it’s illegal to sell guns to someone if it looks like it’ll lead to bad things.
Step 3: Find the Value of Your Gun
Finding the value of your gun before the sale helps you in these ways:
- It gives you an idea of what number to use as your base price in haggling.
- It helps you identify if a possible buyer’s offer is much too low.
- It guides you in pricing the gun if you’re doing a private sale.
To find the value of your gun, you can try one of the following methods:
- Do online research. Look for guns of the same make, model, and condition that were sold on GunBroker, or other online forums. See how much they sold for and get the average value.
- Get it appraised by us. You can send us its details through our website and we’ll send you an estimate of its value for free.
- Have it appraised by local shops. Have someone physically look at your gun to appraise it. This can sometimes be for a fee, so call ahead before you bring it in!
Step 4: Sell Your Gun
We’ve supplied the steps for selling to the main gun buyers in Missouri below. Just hop to the appropriate section and follow the guide!
Selling It to Cash for Arms
Choose this if you want the top market prices for guns and an easy sale from home. We also give you the option to choose between direct sale and consignment. Plus you get multiple payment options!
The only downside is that there may sometimes be a slight payment delay. Guns from Missouri usually reach us quickly. However, if something slows your courier, you may have to wait a little more than usual since we only pay after we get the gun.
The steps:
- Send us your gun’s details online.
- Accept our offer (we often send one in an hour!).
- Send the gun to us using prepaid shipping labels we give you.
- Get your payment within 24 hours of us getting your gun.
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Selling It to a Missouri Gun Store
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Choose this if you want an in-person sale with on-the-spot payment. Gun stores also often give you an option for either direct sale or consignment.
The downside is that local gun stores’ offers are generally very low. Many even start their offers at just half your gun’s market value.
If your gun is a less-popular model, they’re also not likely to buy it. Finally, driving to each shop with your gun also costs you time and gas money. And that’s without a guarantee that each shop you’re driving to will actually offer to buy your gun for a good price.
The steps:
- Call your local gun shops and tell them about your gun for sale.
- Drive the gun over for appraisal to the shops that say they’re interested.
- Get as many shops’ offers as you can for comparison (and potentially for haggling).
- Sell the gun to the shop with the best offer.
Selling It to a Missouri Pawn Shop
Some Missouri pawn shops buy and sell guns. Their benefits are similar to gun shops: in-person transactions and cash up-front for impatient sellers.
Unfortunately, pawn shops also have all the drawbacks of gun stores. Plus, they add this one: they’re the lowest-profit option.
If gun shops often start at 50% of your gun’s value, pawn shops start offers at around 40%! This makes them the worst choice if you care about getting good money on the sale.
The steps:
- Call your local pawn shops and tell them about your gun for sale.
- Drive the gun over for appraisal to the shops that say they’re interested.
- Get as many shops’ offers as you can for comparison (and potentially for haggling).
- Sell the gun to the shop with the best offer.
Selling It to a Private Parties in Missouri
It’s hard to knock selling to private parties when it comes to profit. In fact, this option can often snag you the best sale prices for your gun.
The drawback is that it’s the option that also demands the most work from you. You have to find buyers yourself and weed out the ineligible and un-serious ones.
Even after you’ve found good ones, you have to do lengthy haggling. This can take weeks, months… sometimes more.
The steps:
- Advertise your gun on online forums like Missouri Whitetails’ F/S Firearms section or through flyers posted at your local range.
- Screen the buyers who send in offers to make sure they’re
- Legally allowed to buy guns in Missouri.
- Missouri residents (if not, you’ll have to do the sale through an FFL, which is more hassle than you’ll probably want!).
- Settle the terms and sale price with the eligible buyer you prefer.
- Meet your buyer at a safe public place for the sale.
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Conclusion
And there you go – that’s how to sell a gun in Missouri. Easy enough, as you see, but most options still require some effort. If you want as hassle-free a sale as possible, think about selling your gun to Cash for Arms.
We offer sellers a ton of support and updates, great prices, and smooth sales. You barely even need to leave your home with our process. To learn more, contact us or call 904-977-5477!