How to do private transfers
Private, or I-594 transfers is the process for transferring firearms between
individual (rather than FFL) sellers and buyers. It has been created by Initiative 594 which
mandated background checks for individual firearm sales.
The process is extremely similar to regular transfers of long guns
and handguns, with or without
a CPL, and it is described in details in the aforementioned sections.
There are two differences in the process.
First, we do not collect a use tax, even if the gun came from the Internet. However, note that in case
of Internet person-to-person transfers we ask that a letter from the seller stating that this is a private
transfer along with a photocopy of his or her driver's license would accompany the shipment.
Second is that we do not put the firearm on our book until we have a successful background check. So
the process is as follows:
- Do the background check on a buyer. The seller does not have to be present, but must agree
to the transaction, and the customer should have all the details of the gun that he or she is purchasing
(including the serial number). The details are described in the following sections:
- When the background check succeeds, accept the firearm from the seller
- Finish transferring the firearm to the buyer.