Free North Dakota Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale
North Dakota is one of the most firearms-permissive states in the country: constitutional carry since 2017, no permit to purchase, no waiting period, no state registry, and no required background check on private intrastate sales. That makes the bill of sale not legally required — but very strongly recommended. The BOS is the seller's only proof that the firearm left their possession on a specific date, which matters if the gun is later used in a crime or recovered as stolen.
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Private firearm sales carry more legal requirements than most buyers realize — background check laws, waiting periods, and prohibited-person rules vary widely by state. Our guide explains when a bill of sale is legally required and what it must say. Read: Do I Need a Bill of Sale? →
North Dakota Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Primary Form
Standard bill of sale
Primary ID Field
Serial Number
Sales Tax
0%
Title Required
No
North Dakota does not register firearms and does not require a permit to purchase. Private-party long-gun and handgun transfers between two ND residents who can lawfully possess firearms do not require a background check or FFL transfer under state law. Federal law still applies: no transfer to a known prohibited person, no straw purchases, no transfer across state lines except through an FFL.
Inspection
Not required
Sales Tax Details
Private-party (casual, occasional) firearm sales between individuals in North Dakota are not subject to ND sales tax. Sales by federally licensed dealers are subject to local and state sales tax in jurisdictions that levy it.
Exemption: Casual private sales between individuals are not taxable transactions in ND.
Inspection Requirements
No inspection. No registration. No permit-to-purchase. ND has been a constitutional-carry (permitless concealed carry) state since 2017 for ND residents who can lawfully possess a firearm. Out-of-state visitors should check ND reciprocity rules.
North Dakota Gun / Firearm Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Record make, model, caliber/gauge, and serial number — exactly as stamped on the firearm. A wrong digit makes the BOS useless.
- Both parties: full legal names, current addresses, and signatures. Photo IDs verified by both sides; some sellers attach a photocopy of the buyer's ID.
- Add a signed statement from the buyer affirming they are not a prohibited person under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) — felons, domestic-violence misdemeanants, dishonorable discharge, etc.
- For high-value or NFA-adjacent firearms, get the BOS notarized — small cost, big evidentiary value.
- Verify the buyer is an ND resident if you are doing a private intrastate sale; cross-state private sales generally require an FFL.
- Keep your copy indefinitely. There is no statute of limitations on a stolen-gun trace landing on your doorstep.
Common Pitfalls
- Selling to someone you suspect cannot legally own a gun — federal felony under 18 U.S.C. § 922(d), regardless of ND's permissive state stance.
- Selling across state lines person-to-person without an FFL — federal violation even though ND itself does not require an FFL.
- Skipping the BOS entirely and learning months later that "your" gun was used in a crime, with no proof of when you sold it.
- Full-auto: a BOS does not transfer a machine gun — that requires ATF Form 4 approval and the $200 tax. Since October 9, 2026 ATF no longer requires approval for suppressors and SBRs, but North Dakota law still makes a silencer, short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun a class C felony unless the owner has complied with the National Firearms Act (N.D.C.C. 62.1-05-01, 62.1-02-03).
- Selling to a "private buyer" at a gun show who is actually a straw buyer — ask questions, walk away if anything feels off.
Pro Tip
ND does not require a bill of sale on a private gun sale — but the seller who skips it is the one whose name comes up on the trace request. Five minutes, two signatures, lifelong protection.
North Dakota Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — FAQs
Do I need a background check to sell a gun privately in North Dakota?
Not under ND state law — North Dakota does not require background checks on private-party firearm sales between two ND residents who can lawfully possess firearms. Federal law still prohibits you from transferring a firearm to a person you know or have reasonable cause to believe is a prohibited person. Many ND sellers voluntarily run a transfer through an FFL ($25-50) for the peace of mind of a NICS check, especially for sales to strangers met online. The BOS itself is not required by ND, but documenting the sale is the seller's self-protection.
Does North Dakota register firearms?
No. North Dakota maintains no state firearms registry — there is no state list of who owns what gun. Private sales never enter any database. Dealer sales involve an ATF Form 4473 retained by the dealer (not the state), and the NICS check is destroyed within 24 hours under federal rules. The bill of sale is therefore the only paper trail of a private transfer, which is exactly why it is worth the five minutes to write one and keep your copy.
Can I carry concealed in North Dakota without a permit?
Yes, if you are an ND resident at least 18 years old (21 for some categories) and can lawfully possess a firearm — ND has been a constitutional-carry state since 2017. ND still issues a Class 1 concealed-carry license, which is useful for reciprocity when traveling to other states that recognize it. Non-residents must hold a permit recognized by ND to carry concealed in ND. Open carry is generally legal for those who can lawfully possess. Carry restrictions still apply at schools, federal buildings, and certain other locations.
I am selling a suppressor I own — is the bill of sale enough?
Not safely in North Dakota. State law makes it a class C felony to buy, sell or have a silencer unless you have complied with the National Firearms Act (N.D.C.C. 62.1-05-01), and the same rule covers short-barreled rifles and shotguns (N.D.C.C. 62.1-02-03). Since October 9, 2026, ATF no longer requires a Form 4 approval or registration before a suppressor, SBR, SBS or AOW changes hands (it still accepts a Form 4 filed voluntarily), and the federal tax on them has been $0 since January 1, 2026. Federal rules still apply: the buyer must be a North Dakota resident who may legally own firearms. Machine guns are different — they still need ATF Form 4 approval and the $200 tax before the buyer takes possession. ATF only changed how it enforces the NFA, not the law itself, so an unregistered suppressor or SBR may still be a state felony in North Dakota. Ask a North Dakota firearms attorney before you sell one without a Form 4.