A bill of sale is not generally required for gun sales in New York. Filling out Form 4473 is required due to the mandatory background check, however.
Form 4473 thus serves as the New York gun transfer form. There may also be a number of required permits for buyers when selling guns in NYS.
We’ll help by listing them below and providing a free bill of sale template if you want added security for your gun transaction.
The Required Forms and Permits for Gun Sales
1. Form 4473
Form 4473 is also called the Firearms Transaction Record. It’s needed for gun purchases from both licensed dealers and private (non-dealer) sellers.
You can get the form from your firearm dealer, but you can download it from here as well.
2. (Conditional) Gun Purchase Permit
Depending on either the gun you’re buying or the NY city you’re in, you may need a gun purchase permit or license from the local law enforcement agency.
For example, you need an NYPD License Division permit to get a shotgun in New York City. In most other cities of New York State, however, this isn’t required.
Here’s the general rule as far as the state law itself is concerned:
- You need a special permit to own or buy a handgun.
- You need a special permit to own or buy a semi-automatic rifle.
- You do not need a special permit to buy most other long guns.
3. New York Firearm Bill of Sale
Again, a bill of sale is not necessary for NY gun sales by law. However, it can serve as added proof of the transfer if you feel you want more security.
The general rule is to store these with a photo or copy of the IDs of all parties in the sale. If you need a template, you can download our free one below.
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