Takeaways:
- Private gun sales are legal in Mobile, AL.
- Background checks and purchase permits aren’t required for private sales.
- Private gun sellers aren’t allowed to sell to buyers under 18 in the city, with rare exceptions.
- Cash for Arms makes selling guns easy in Mobile, thanks to a process designed for maximum convenience to the seller.
The Gun Sale Laws in Mobile
Mobile follows Alabama laws when it comes to gun sales. This is because the state has preemption, which limits local governmental power to regulate guns.
That’s why most of the laws to pay attention to will be statewide ones, not local.
Legality of Private Gun Sales
You can sell guns in Mobile without a federal license. That is, it’s legal to do private gun sales here as long as you don’t do it as a business.
If you start selling many guns, regularly, and in very short buy-it-then-sell-it cycles, that’s considered a business. The law requires you to become an FFL to keep selling guns then.
Background Checks
Only FFLs are obliged by law to do buyer background checks on gun sales in Mobile. For private gun sellers, buyer background checks aren’t required.
Gun Sale Reporting
You don’t need to record or report gun sales in Mobile as a private gun seller. The law doesn't require it.
Gun Registration
It’s not necessary to register guns to sell them in Mobile. It’s not even possible to register them, as Alabama doesn’t have a gun registry.
Minimum Age
The minimum age for gun buyers in Mobile is 18. This only applies to those buying from private sellers, however.
If the buyer is trying to get his gun from an FFL, the minimum ages become those specified by federal law. Those would be 18 for rifles/shotguns and 21 for handguns.
Waiting Periods
There are no waiting periods on gun sales in Alabama, so there aren’t any in Mobile either. You can sell a gun and deliver it to someone on the same day .
Gun Purchase Limits
Some states limit buyers’ gun purchases to a specific number in a given period of time. Alabama doesn’t.
This means a buyer can buy as many guns as he wants from a seller at any time in Mobile.
Prohibited Persons
You can’t sell guns to these people in Mobile or the rest of Alabama:
- Illegal aliens
- Convicted felons
- Fugitives from justice
- Those of unsound mind
- Those under 18 (with some exceptions)
- Convicts of domestic violence misdemeanors
- Convicts of violent crimes or attempts at violent crimes
- Former Armed Forces members discharged dishonorably
- Those addicted to or unlawfully using controlled substances
- Those with habits leading them to often be drugged or intoxicated
- Those who were previously US citizens but renounced citizenship
- Those currently under indictment for a crime that is classed a felony
- Those subject to some domestic abuse protection or restraining orders
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Make Cash out of Guns in the Birthplace of Mardi Gras!
Want to trade your gun for some cash in Mobile? Give us a shout at Cash for Arms and we’ll whip up a no-pressure quote faster than you can say “Go Jags!”
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Your Options for Selling a Gun in Mobile
Option 1: Cash for Arms
Selling to us is one of the simplest options for many Mobile sellers. Here’s what to expect:
- Highly competitive prices. We generally outdo local shops and in many cases, private buyers!
- Fast process. Our process trims all the fat. No more screening, buyer search, and other hassles!
- Fast offers. We often send offers within minutes of gun submission.
- Fast payment. We pay within hours of getting your gun – and in your method of choice.
- Freedom from several fees. Sellers don’t need to even think about shipping or sales fees with us since we cover those.
- Safety. As FFLs, we’re legal buyers for guns all over the country.
How to Do It
- Submit the gun to us on our website to get an offer.
- Accept our offer and send the gun to us with our prepaid shipping labels.
- Let us confirm the gun, after which you’ll get your payment.
Option 2: Private Individuals
For clarity, we’re only talking about Mobile or Alabama residents here. That’s because once you try selling to someone who resides in another state, you’ll need an FFL.
Anyway, for local private sales, here’s what to expect:
- More negotiation opportunities. Most private parties are flexible on sale terms.
- A chance for high prices. You can often get better prices from private parties than local shops.
- More risk. One of the downsides is that you have to risk meeting strangers. Always meet in public, well-lit areas!
- Longer wait times. Usually, selling to private buyers takes much longer than selling to businesses.
How to Do It
- Research your gun’s market value (or have us appraise it for free).
- Make a listing for your gun and post it in local papers, the Alabama Gun Forum, etc.
- Sort through the offers you get and screen buyers for eligibility.
- Pick the best buyer and meet him at a safe and public place for the sale.
Option 3: Mobile Gun Shops
Mobile has a lot of gun shops, from the local Bass Pro to Stone Arms Inc. Here’s what to expect when selling to them:
- On-the-spot payment. These shops will often pay you on the spot.
- Expertise. You don’t have to worry about things like a rare gun not being recognized or appreciated in appraisal.
- Face-to-face deals. The shops offer you in-person interactions.
- Safety. Gun shops need FFLs to operate, so you know they’re legal.
- Low offers. Most gun stores buy used guns at low prices (sometimes just half their market value).
- Time-consuming trips. If you try multiple stores in a bid to find a good offer, you’ll find yourself spending time just to bring the gun to each one.
How to Do It
- Unload your gun and clean it.
- Call around and see which Mobile gun stores want to see the gun.
- Bring the gun to those stores so you can get their offers after appraisal.
- Compare the offers and sell to the store with the highest sale price..
Option 4: Mobile Pawn Shops
Mobile pawn shops are very similar to Mobile gun shops. You can expect much the same things from them as you can from gun stores.
Follow our steps for selling to gun stores for these, just for pawn shops. We recommend trying all other buyers before taking this path, however. Pawn shops usually pay the least – even less than local gun shops.
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Go from Unwanted Gun to Awesome Cash
Ready to swap old guns for serious seafood supper money over at Mobile Bay? Drop us a line at Cash for Arms and we’ll get back with a no-strings offer you’ll love!
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A Hard-to-Beat Option for Speedy Gun Sales
That wraps up our guide to how to sell a gun in Mobile, AL. You should now know what rules to follow – and which buyers you can try.
If you just want a super-fast, super-profitable sale, consider us. Cash for Arms is known for providing sellers as smooth an experience as possible.
Take a look at what seller Phil Cygan says about us, for example:
“…I visited local gun stores & trade shows, and requested several offers from the major online dealers. The offer I got from Cash For Arms was easily the highest. I had a lot of questions since this was my first time trying to sell/trade a firearm. The friendly folks at CFA answered all my questions via email. The whole process was more pleasant and seamless than I could have ever expected…”
Want to see how we can ease your gun sale experience too? You can reach us online or call us directly at (904) 977-5477.