Waiting Periods to Buy a Gun by State (2026)
Waiting periods between buying and receiving a firearm in each state.
| State | Waiting period |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm. Ala. Code 1975 Title 13A, ch. 11, §§ 13A-11-50 to 13A-11-98 (reviewed) |
| Alaska | Alaska has no state law that requires a waiting period between buying and receiving a firearm. AS 11.61 Article 2 (AS 11.61.190-11.61.250); AS 18.65 |
| Arizona | Arizona has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying a firearm. (Local governments may require businesses that take in used firearms by purchase, trade or consignment to hold them for up to ten days; this is not a waiting period for buyers.) A.R.S. Title 13, ch. 31 (reviewed); A.R.S. § 13-3118(B) |
| California | 10 days for all firearms: 'California law imposes a 10-day waiting period before a firearm can be released to a purchaser or transferee,' calculated as ten 24-hour periods from when the DROS information is submitted to DOJ. If the buyer does not take possession within 30 days of DROS submission, the sale must be cancelled. Exemptions do not apply to the general public (e.g. dealers, special permit holders, certain curio and relic collectors, peace officers with agency authorization). Cal. Pen. Code §§ 26835, 26950-26970, 27650-27670; CA DOJ Public FAQs |
| Colorado | 3 days for all firearms: a seller, including a licensed dealer, may not deliver a firearm until the later of three days after the dealer initiated the required background check, or CBI approval of the transfer. Violation is a civil infraction with a $500 fine ($500 to $5,000 for repeat offenses). Exceptions include antiques and curios or relics, certain sales to family by service members deploying abroad within 30 days, and transfers that need no background check. Local governments may adopt their own waiting periods. C.R.S. § 18-12-115 |
| Connecticut | Long guns: no sale or transfer until two weeks after the application date, except to holders of a state carry permit, handgun eligibility certificate or long gun eligibility certificate, active military members, holders of a valid Connecticut hunting license, and for antique firearms. Handguns: Connecticut has no state law that sets a waiting period for handguns. A pistol or revolver may not be sold, delivered or transferred until the transferor obtains an authorization number from the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, who runs the national instant criminal background check, and the buyer must already hold a carry permit, eligibility certificate or other listed permit. Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 529 (reviewed); §§ 29-33, 29-37a(g) |
| Delaware | No fixed waiting period. A dealer (and, through § 1448B, a private transfer) may not complete the transfer until the State Bureau of Identification says it may proceed or 25 days have passed since the background check request without a denial. 11 Del. C. §§ 1448A(b), 1448B(a)(1) |
| District of Columbia | 10 days for all firearms: a seller may not deliver a firearm until 10 days have passed from the date of purchase. Sales to marshals, sheriffs, prison or jail wardens and their deputies, and police or other law enforcement officers are exempt, and the section does not apply to wholesale sales to licensed dealers. D.C. Code § 22-4508 |
| Florida | 3 days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, or until the background check is completed, whichever is later, between purchase and delivery of any firearm from a retailer (licensed importer, manufacturer or dealer). Exceptions: concealed weapon license holders (including law enforcement, correctional officers and servicemembers), trade-ins, and rifles or shotguns bought by a person who completed a 16-hour hunter safety course and holds the hunter safety card (or is exempt and holds a Florida hunting license). Fla. Stat. s. 790.0655 |
| Hawaii | No permit to acquire may be issued earlier than fourteen calendar days after the date of application (all firearm types); the permit must be issued or denied before the 40th day. Exceptions include dealers, law enforcement officers, and firearms already registered under § 134-3(a). HRS § 134-2(e) |
| Idaho | Idaho has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm, and local governments are barred from regulating firearm sales or transfers. Idaho Code Title 18, ch. 33 (reviewed); Idaho Code § 18-3302J(2) |
| Illinois | 72 hours for any firearm. Delivery of a firearm incidental to a sale must be withheld for at least 72 hours after application for its purchase, meaning when the buyer and seller reach an agreement to purchase; stun guns and tasers have a 24-hour wait. The rule applies to handguns and long guns alike. Exceptions include sales to law enforcement officers, certain security guards, federally licensed dealers, mail-order sales to out-of-state dealers for non-residents, and long-gun sales by dealers to registered competitors at World Shooting Complex events. 720 ILCS 5/24-3(A)(g) |
| Indiana | Indiana has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying handguns or long guns. Local governments may not regulate the ownership, possession, transfer or commerce in firearms (with narrow exceptions). IC 35-47 (whole article reviewed, incl. Ch. 2.5 Sale of Handguns); IC 35-47-11.1-2 |
| Iowa | Iowa has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying a firearm. An optional permit to acquire handguns becomes valid three days after the date of application. Iowa Code ch. 724 (reviewed); Iowa Code § 724.20 |
| Kansas | Kansas has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying a firearm, and cities and counties may not regulate the sale, purchase or transfer of firearms. K.S.A. ch. 21, art. 63 and ch. 75, art. 7c (reviewed); K.S.A. 12-16,124(a) |
| Kentucky | Kentucky has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm. KRS chs. 237 and 527 (reviewed) |
| Louisiana | Louisiana has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. La. R.S. 14:94-95.10; R.S. 40:1751-1812 (Title 40, ch. 9); R.S. 40:1379.3-1379.4 (reviewed) |
| Maine | 72 hours for all firearms (and unfinished frames or receivers): a seller may not knowingly deliver a firearm to a buyer sooner than 72 hours after the agreement of sale; the period runs concurrently with any background-check wait. Exceptions include sales to law enforcement, corrections and licensed security officers, sales to dealers, sales between family members, curio/relic and antique firearms, and sales where no background check is required by law. Violation is a civil violation ($200-$500; $500-$1,000 for a repeat). A federal district court enjoined the law in February 2025, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit vacated that injunction on April 3, 2026 (Beckwith v. Frey, No. 25-1160), and the U.S. Supreme Court denied review on October 19, 2026 (No. 26-258), so the law is in effect. 25 M.R.S. §2016; Beckwith v. Frey (1st Cir. Apr. 3, 2026); U.S. Sup. Ct. No. 26-258 |
| Maryland | 7 days for handguns and other regulated firearms: a dealer may not sell, rent or transfer a regulated firearm until 7 days after the firearm application is executed and forwarded to the Secretary of State Police, and the same 7-day rule applies to private (secondary) sales. Maryland has no state law that sets a waiting period for rifles and shotguns that are not regulated firearms; private sales of those guns must go through a licensed dealer for a NICS background check. Md. Code, Pub. Safety §§5-123(a), 5-124(a); Pub. Safety Title 5, Subtitle 2, §§5-201 to 5-207 (reviewed); §5-204.1 |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. Buyers must already hold a license to carry or a firearm identification card (or a permit to purchase), and the licensing authority has 40 days from receipt of a completed application to issue or deny it. M.G.L. c. 140, §§121-131Y (reviewed); c. 140, §121F(a) |
| Michigan | Michigan has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. Where a license to purchase is required, the license must be used within 30 days after it is issued. MCL 750.222-750.239a; MCL 28.421-28.435 (reviewed); MCL 28.422(4) |
| Minnesota | For pistols and semiautomatic military-style assault weapons transferred under a report of transfer (the route used when the buyer has no transferee permit or carry permit), the gun may not be delivered until 30 days after the transfer report is delivered to the police chief or sheriff, unless the chief or sheriff waives all or part of the wait (for example after finding the buyer is not disqualified). There is no wait when the buyer presents a valid transferee permit or permit to carry. No waiting period applies to other long guns. Minn. Stat. §624.7132, subds. 1, 4, 8 |
| Mississippi | Mississippi has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. Miss. Code Ann. §§97-37-1 to 97-37-105; §§45-9-31 to 45-9-209 (reviewed) |
| Missouri | Missouri has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. RSMo ch. 571 (reviewed) |
| Montana | Montana has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. MCA 45-8-301 to 45-8-377; MCA 30-20-101 to 30-20-106 (reviewed) |
| Nebraska | Nebraska has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. A handgun buyer must hold a handgun certificate or concealed handgun permit (or meet a listed exception) before a handgun transfer. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§28-1201 to 28-1256; §§69-2401 to 69-2449 (reviewed); §69-2403 |
| Nevada | Nevada has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. NRS 202.253-202.369 (reviewed) |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. RSA chs. 159, 159-D, 159-E, 159-F (reviewed) |
| New Jersey | Handguns: 'No handgun shall be delivered to any person unless' the person 'possesses and exhibits a valid permit to purchase a firearm and at least seven days have elapsed since the date of application for the permit.' The licensing authority must grant a qualifying permit or card 'within 30 days from the date of receipt of the completed application for residents of this State and within 45 days for nonresident applicants.' No separate delivery waiting period for rifles or shotguns was found beyond the purchaser identification card requirement. N.J.S. 2C:58-2(a)(5)(a); N.J.S. 2C:58-3(f) |
| New Mexico | Seven calendar days for all firearms (effective May 15, 2024, HB 129, NMSA 1978 § 30-7-7.3). 'A waiting period of seven calendar days shall be required for the sale of a firearm and the transfer of the firearm to the buyer.' The period includes the federal background check; if the check takes longer, the seller must wait until it is completed, but if it is not completed within twenty days the seller may transfer the firearm. Exempt: buyers with a federal firearms license or a valid New Mexico concealed handgun license, law enforcement agencies, transfers between law enforcement officers, and transfers between immediate family members. Violation is a misdemeanor. Court status (DPS): 'On August 27, 2026, the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico issued a final order enjoining the enforcement of the waiting period against the two named plaintiffs only. The waiting period remains in effect for all other firearm purchasers until further notice.' NMSA 1978, § 30-7-7.3 (Laws 2024, ch. 46, § 1); NM DPS 7-Day Waiting Period FAQ |
| New York | No fixed waiting period for all sales, but if the background check does not return a 'proceed', a dealer may deliver only after 'thirty calendar days have elapsed since the date the licensee contacted NICS' without a denial. Handgun and semiautomatic-rifle buyers must first obtain a license, which the licensing officer must act on within six months. N.Y. Penal Law § 400.00(4-b), (12) |
| North Carolina | North Carolina has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. The pistol purchase permit process that previously applied to handgun transfers (G.S. 14-402) was repealed effective March 29, 2023. N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 14, arts. 35, 52A, 53A, 53B, 53C, 54A, 54B (reviewed); G.S. 14-402 (repealed by S.L. 2023-8, s. 2(a)) |
| North Dakota | North Dakota has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. N.D.C.C. chs. 62.1-01 to 62.1-05 (reviewed) |
| Ohio | Ohio has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm. R.C. ch. 2923 (reviewed) |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm. Cities and counties may not adopt any rule on the 'sale, purchase, purchase delay, transfer' of firearms. 21 O.S. § 1289.24(B); 21 O.S. ch. 53 (reviewed) |
| Oregon | Oregon has no state law that sets a waiting period of a fixed number of days. A dealer may not transfer a firearm until the Department of State Police gives a unique approval number for the background check, so delivery waits until the check is approved. ORS 166.412(3)(c), (14); ORS ch. 166 (reviewed) |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania has no state law that sets a fixed waiting period now that the instant check system is in place. Section 6111(a)(1) sets a 48-hour wait, but only 'Except as provided in paragraph (2)'; paragraph (2) provides that, 30 days after publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin that the Instantaneous Criminal History Records Check System has been established, no seller shall deliver a firearm 'until the provisions of this section have been satisfied' (including the background check). The State Police say they launched the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) in 1998 and that it 'completes most background checks in a few minutes.' Firearms must be delivered securely wrapped and unloaded. 18 Pa.C.S. § 6111(a)(1)-(2); 18 Pa.C.S. ch. 61 (reviewed); Pennsylvania State Police, Firearms Information |
| Rhode Island | Seven days for all guns. A pistol, revolver, rifle or shotgun may not be delivered until seven (7) days have passed from 12:00 noon on the day after the purchase application. The gun is then delivered if no disqualifying information has come back from the police. It must be delivered unloaded and securely wrapped. R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-47-35(a)(1), 11-47-35.2(a) |
| South Carolina | South Carolina has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm. S.C. Code tit. 16, ch. 23; tit. 23, ch. 31 (reviewed) |
| South Dakota | South Dakota has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm. Former SDCL 23-7-10 was repealed by SL 2009, ch 121. Pistols must be delivered securely wrapped and unloaded. SDCL 23-7-10 (repealed), 23-7-9; SDCL ch. 22-14, 23-7 (reviewed) |
| Texas | Texas has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm. Cities may not regulate firearm transfers. Tex. Penal Code ch. 46 (reviewed); Tex. Local Gov't Code § 229.001(a) |
| Utah | Utah has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm. The dealer may transfer once the bureau approves the background check, and the bureau must respond during the call or by return call or other electronic means 'without delay' (except electronic failure or other circumstances beyond its control). Utah Code § 53-5a-602(3), (5)(d); Utah Code tit. 53 ch. 5a; tit. 76 ch. 11 (reviewed) |
| Vermont | 72 hours, for all firearms that require a background check: a person may not transfer a firearm until 72 hours after the dealer receives a unique NICS identification number for the transfer, or until seven business days have passed since the dealer contacted NICS, whichever occurs first. Violations: up to one year or $500. It does not apply to transfers that need no background check (such as between immediate family members) or to a dealer returning a firearm, frame or receiver it has serialized to the same person. 13 V.S.A. § 4019a (added 2023, No. 45, eff. July 1, 2023; amended 2023, No. 120 (Adj. Sess.), eff. May 28, 2024) |
| Virginia | Virginia has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying a firearm. The State Police must respond to the dealer's check 'without delay'; if told a response will not be available by the end of the dealer's fifth business day, the dealer may complete the transfer. A Virginia buyer whose original or duplicate DMV ID was issued less than 30 days earlier cannot buy from a dealer until 30 days after issue unless the buyer shows a DMV record proving the original license is older than 30 days. Va. Code § 18.2-308.2:2(B)(1)-(2); Va. Code tit. 18.2, ch. 7 (reviewed) |
| Washington | Ten business days for all firearms: a licensed dealer may not deliver any firearm until the background check results show the buyer is not prohibited and ten business days have elapsed from the date the dealer requested the check. Because private sales go through a dealer, this applies to them too. RCW 9.41.092 (2023 c 161) |
| West Virginia | West Virginia has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm. Cities may not limit the right to purchase or transfer firearms in a manner inconsistent with state law. W. Va. Code § 8-12-5a(a); W. Va. Code ch. 61, art. 7 (reviewed) |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying a firearm; a dealer may transfer a handgun once DOJ issues an approval number. If DOJ needs more time to determine eligibility, it must notify the dealer no later than 5 working days after the search was requested. Local governments may not regulate 'purchase delay' more strictly than state law. Wis. Stat. §§ 175.35(2), (2g)(c)4.c., 66.0409(2); Wis. Stat. chs. 941, 175 (reviewed) |
| Wyoming | Wyoming has no state law that sets a waiting period for buying any firearm. Only the state may regulate the sale, transfer, purchase or delivery of firearms. W.S. 6-8-401(c); W.S. tit. 6, ch. 8 (reviewed) |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.