Buying a Gun in North Dakota
The age to buy a gun in North Dakota, background checks for dealer and private sales, any waiting period, and rules on ghost guns.
Short answer: 'A person under the age of eighteen years may not possess a handgun except that such a person, while under the direct supervision of an adult, may possess a handgun for the purposes of firearm safety training, target shooting, or hunting.' Anyone who 'sells, barters, hires, lends, or… N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-02-01(1)(d), 62.1-03-02, 62.1-02-07
| Age to buy a gun | 'A person under the age of eighteen years may not possess a handgun except that such a person, while under the direct supervision of an adult, may possess a handgun for the purposes of firearm safety training, target shooting, or hunting.' Anyone who 'sells, barters, hires, lends, or gives any handgun to any minor is guilty of a class A misdemeanor', except lending or giving a handgun for supervised safety training, target shooting or hunting. A parent who lets a minor 'under fifteen years of age' carry or use a loaded firearm in public without direct supervision commits a class B misdemeanor. No state minimum age for buying rifles or shotguns was found in chapters 62.1-02 and 62.1-03. |
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| Background checks and private sales | North Dakota has no state law that requires a background check, permit or license for private (non-dealer) firearm sales. State law bars transferring a handgun to anyone the transferor 'knows or has reasonable cause to believe is a person prohibited' from possessing a firearm (class A misdemeanor), and supplying a firearm to a known prohibited person is an offense under § 62.1-02-08. |
| Waiting period | North Dakota has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. |
| Ghost guns and homemade firearms | North Dakota has no state law that requires serial numbers on, or bans, homemade or unserialized firearms or firearm kits. State law makes it an offense to 'change, alter, remove, or obliterate any mark of identification on a firearm', including the manufacturer's number, or 'knowingly possess a firearm on which these alterations have been made' (class A misdemeanor under the chapter's general penalty). |
More North Dakota gun laws
- Concealed Carry in North Dakota
- Open Carry in North Dakota
- Red Flag Law and Weapon Limits in North Dakota
- All North Dakota gun laws rules
FAQ
How old do you have to be to buy a gun in North Dakota?
'A person under the age of eighteen years may not possess a handgun except that such a person, while under the direct supervision of an adult, may possess a handgun for the purposes of firearm safety training, target shooting, or hunting.' Anyone who 'sells, barters, hires, lends, or gives any handgun to any minor is guilty of a class A misdemeanor', except lending or giving a handgun for supervised safety training, target shooting or hunting. A parent who lets a minor 'under fifteen years of age' carry or use a loaded firearm in public without direct supervision commits a class B misdemeanor.
Do private gun sales need a background check in North Dakota?
North Dakota has no state law that requires a background check, permit or license for private (non-dealer) firearm sales. State law bars transferring a handgun to anyone the transferor 'knows or has reasonable cause to believe is a person prohibited' from possessing a firearm (class A misdemeanor), and supplying a firearm to a known prohibited person is an offense under § 62.1-02-08.
Is there a waiting period to buy a gun in North Dakota?
North Dakota has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery.
Are ghost guns legal in North Dakota?
North Dakota has no state law that requires serial numbers on, or bans, homemade or unserialized firearms or firearm kits. State law makes it an offense to 'change, alter, remove, or obliterate any mark of identification on a firearm', including the manufacturer's number, or 'knowingly possess a firearm on which these alterations have been made' (class A misdemeanor under the chapter's general penalty).
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.