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Free Pennsylvania Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale

Pennsylvania has one of the strictest private-handgun-transfer regimes in the country. Since 1995, every private handgun sale between unlicensed PA residents must go through a licensed firearms dealer or the county sheriff's office, where a PICS background check is run on the buyer. Long-gun private sales remain unregulated at the state level. A bill of sale supports the dealer/sheriff transfer record and protects the seller if the gun later turns up at a crime scene.

Pennsylvania Requirements: Notarization required. Transfer title within 20 days. 6% sales tax.

Seller Information

Buyer Information

Gun / Firearm Details

Sale Information

Condition & Warranty

Important: Federal and state laws may require a background check for firearm transfers. This bill of sale does not replace any legal requirements for background checks, waiting periods, or other regulations. Please consult your local laws before completing this transaction.

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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? →

Pennsylvania Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know

Primary Form
Standard bill of sale
Agency
PSP
Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) — handgun transfer recordkeeping; county sheriff for License to Carry
Primary ID Field
Serial Number
Sales Tax
Exempt
Title Required
No
Firearms are not titled in PA. Handgun ownership is recorded in the PSP Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) database when the transfer is processed by a licensed dealer or county sheriff. Long-gun (rifle and shotgun) private transfers between PA residents do not require a background check or PSP recordkeeping.
Inspection
Not required

Sales Tax Details

PA does not impose a special firearm tax beyond ordinary sales tax. Private-party sales between individuals are not subject to PA sales tax; FFL-dealer sales are taxed at 6%/7%/8% by county on the cost of the firearm and the transfer fee.

Inspection Requirements

No inspection requirement, but the seller should verify the buyer is legally permitted to receive the firearm under both federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)) and PA law (18 Pa.C.S. § 6105). For handguns, the licensed dealer or sheriff runs the check; for long guns, the seller is on the honor system but still liable if they "knew or had reason to know" the buyer was prohibited.

Pennsylvania Gun / Firearm Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist

  1. For handguns: appointment at a licensed PA firearms dealer (FFL) OR the county sheriff's office to process the transfer through PICS
  2. For long guns (private PA-to-PA): bill of sale with both parties' names, addresses, dates of birth, photo ID numbers, and signatures
  3. Firearm description: make, model, caliber/gauge, serial number, action type, barrel length, condition
  4. PA driver's license or PA state ID for both parties (handgun transfers require PA residency)
  5. PA License to Carry Firearms (LTCF) card if applicable — does not replace the dealer/sheriff requirement for handguns
  6. PICS background check fee (paid at the dealer or sheriff) plus any dealer transfer fee
  7. Federal Form 4473 completed by the buyer at the FFL for handgun transfers
  8. Statement that the firearm is sold AS-IS, is to the seller's knowledge not stolen, and that the buyer affirms they are not a prohibited person

Common Pitfalls

  • Selling a handgun person-to-person without going through a dealer or sheriff — this is a third-degree felony in PA under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6111
  • Assuming an LTCF holder is exempt from the dealer/sheriff requirement — the LTCF lets you carry, not bypass the PICS transfer process
  • Failing to verify PA residency — handgun private transfers must be between two PA residents; out-of-state buyers must go through their home-state FFL
  • No bill of sale on a long-gun transfer — if the rifle is later used in a crime, the seller has no documented chain of custody
  • Not capturing serial number and photo IDs — the only paper trail showing the gun left the seller's hands lawfully
  • Selling to a buyer with visible red flags (intoxication, threats, prohibited-person admissions) — the seller can be charged with negligent transfer
  • Forgetting that "gifts" of handguns to non-immediate-family members still require the dealer/sheriff PICS process

Pro Tip

PA's 1995 handgun-transfer law is unforgiving and well-known to PSP. Run handgun sales through an FFL or the sheriff, document long-gun sales with a thorough bill of sale, never sell into a red flag, and keep your copy of the paperwork — that's how a private gun sale stays clean under PA law.

Pennsylvania Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — FAQs

Why do I have to go through a dealer or the sheriff to sell a handgun in Pennsylvania?
PA enacted 18 Pa.C.S. § 6111 in 1995 requiring all private handgun transfers between unlicensed individuals to be processed by a federally licensed firearms dealer or the county sheriff's office. The dealer or sheriff runs a PICS background check on the buyer, completes Form 4473, and records the transfer in the state database. Selling a handgun privately without going through this process is a third-degree felony — for both the seller and the buyer. Family transfers between spouses, parents, and children/grandchildren are exempt, but every other handgun transfer requires the formal process.
Are long-gun (rifle and shotgun) sales the same?
No. PA has no universal background check requirement for private long-gun sales between PA residents. You can legally sell a rifle or shotgun directly to another PA resident with just a bill of sale and verification that the buyer is not a prohibited person under federal or PA law. That said, "knowing or having reason to know" the buyer is prohibited makes the seller criminally liable, so a basic ID check, a written attestation in the bill of sale, and a recorded serial number are smart practice. Out-of-state long-gun sales must still go through an FFL in the buyer's state.
Does a PA License to Carry let me skip the dealer for handgun transfers?
No. The LTCF authorizes concealed carry but does not exempt the holder from the § 6111 transfer process. Even if both seller and buyer hold valid LTCFs, a private handgun transfer between them must still go through an FFL or the county sheriff. The only handgun-transfer exemptions are between immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild) and certain estate transfers. Everything else routes through the licensed-dealer or sheriff path.
What happens if the gun I sold is later found at a crime scene?
PSP and ATF will trace the serial number through dealer records back to the last documented owner. If you completed the dealer/sheriff handgun transfer properly, the trail stops at the buyer of record and the investigation moves on. If you sold a handgun privately without the PICS process, you are now both a felony suspect under § 6111 and the named owner of a crime gun. For long guns, even though no PICS process is required, a clean bill of sale with the buyer's name, address, ID number, signature, and date is the seller's primary defense — no paper, no defense.

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