Buying a gun online in Texas: how it works

Texas Gun Store is an online store. There is no counter to walk up to. Instead, every firearm you order ships to a licensed dealer in Texas that you choose, and you pick it up there after the federal background check. Ammunition, magazines, optics and parts ship straight to your door. This guide walks through the whole process: what it costs, how long it takes, and what Texas law adds to it.

Step 1: pick a dealer near you

Any Texas business with a Federal Firearms License, an FFL, can receive a transfer. Most gun shops do them, and so do many pawn shops, sporting-goods stores and home-based dealers. Before you order, call the shop and ask three things: do they accept incoming transfers from online stores, what is their transfer fee, and will they send us a copy of their license or do they want us to request it. Transfer fees in Texas commonly run $25 to $50 per firearm. The dealer sets that fee, not us, and you pay it at pickup. Our Texas city pages cover the local picture for 22 cities, from Houston and Dallas to El Paso and Amarillo.

Step 2: order and enter your dealer

At checkout, mark the firearm as shipping to your FFL and enter the dealer's name, city and state. Anything that is not a firearm, such as ammunition, a magazine or a scope, ships to the address you give us. Price and stock are confirmed live when you place the order, before you pay, so you are never charged for a gun that sold out.

Step 3: the dealer receives the gun

We ship to the dealer's licensed premises, never to a home address. Handguns travel by an air or two-day service, as the carriers require; rifles and shotguns go by ground. When the box arrives the dealer logs the firearm into their bound book and calls or emails you. Most Texas transfers are ready for pickup within a week of the order, but a dealer's own workload can add a day or two.

Step 4: pickup, Form 4473 and the background check

At the shop you fill out ATF Form 4473 and show a government-issued photo ID with your current address. The dealer then runs the background check. Texas is not a point-of-contact state, so the check goes straight to the FBI's NICS system; there is no separate Texas check and no state fee. Most checks clear in minutes. A delayed response gives the FBI up to three business days to answer, after which the dealer may release the firearm under federal rules. A denied response means the dealer cannot transfer the gun; the FBI has an appeal process if you believe the denial is wrong. A Texas License to Carry is listed by ATF as an alternative to the NICS check, so many dealers will skip the phone call for LTC holders, though the 4473 is still required. Ask your dealer how they handle it.

Who can buy in Texas

Texas has no permit to purchase, no firearm registration and no state waiting period. Once the check clears you can walk out with the gun the same day. Federal law sets the minimum age to buy from a dealer at 18 for rifles and shotguns and 21 for handguns; court rulings on the handgun age have been changing, so check with your dealer for the rule they apply today. You must be a Texas resident to pick up a handgun from a Texas dealer. If you live in another state, order through a dealer in your own state and follow that state's rules, which may include waiting periods or magazine limits that Texas does not have. People prohibited from possessing firearms under federal or Texas law cannot buy.

Ammunition, magazines and parts

These do not need a dealer. Texas has no state rules on ammunition sales or magazine capacity, so standard-capacity magazines and bulk ammunition ship to your door. Under federal law you must be 18 to buy rifle or shotgun ammunition and 21 for handgun ammunition, and the carrier will ask an adult to sign for the package. We cannot ship ammunition to a P.O. box.

Costs to plan for

The price shown on the product page, confirmed live at checkout.
Shipping: flat $29.99, free on orders over $999. See shipping.
The dealer's transfer fee, paid at pickup, commonly $25 to $50.
Sales tax where it applies.

If something goes wrong

If a background check is denied, the dealer keeps the firearm and it comes back to us; our returns page explains what is refunded. If the gun arrives damaged, do not accept the transfer. Tell the dealer, take photos while the gun is still in their possession and contact us the same day; a firearm that has been transferred to you cannot simply be mailed back. Check the serial number, the box contents and the action at the counter before you sign the 4473.

Carry after you buy

Texans 21 and older who are not prohibited may carry a handgun openly in a holster or concealed without a license. The optional Texas License to Carry from DPS is honored in more states and simplifies the dealer check. Businesses can post 30.06 and 30.07 signs to ban carry on their property. Our Texas gun laws page covers the rest.

Ready to start? Browse handguns, rifles and shotguns, or read the Texas AR-15 guide and the deer and hog rifle guide.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.