Buying a Gun in Vermont

A person may not sell a firearm to a person under 21 (up to one year or $1,000), except to a law enforcement officer; an active or veteran member of the Vermont National Guard, another state's National Guard or the U.S. Armed Forces; or a buyer who gives the seller a certificate of completing a Vermont-approved hunter safety course (or an approved course in another state or a Canadian province). Separately, anyone other than a parent or guardian who sells or furnishes a firearm, dangerous weapon or ammunition to a minor under 16 may be fined $10 to $50 (instructors furnishing firearms for instruction and drill are exempt), and a child under 16 may not possess a pistol or revolver without parental or guardian consent. These rules apply to private sellers as well as dealers.

Yes, universal. An unlicensed person may not transfer (sell, trade or give) a firearm to another unlicensed person unless both appear together with the firearm before a licensed dealer who agrees to facilitate the transfer and runs it as if selling from its own inventory, including a background check; the dealer may charge a reasonable fee. Violations: up to one year or $500. Exempt: transfers to or by law enforcement agencies, officers or armed forces members on duty; transfers between immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild and step- and great- relations); and temporary transfers to prevent imminent harm. No permit to purchase is required.

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.

Since February 28, 2025, a person may not knowingly possess or transfer an unfinished frame or receiver, or a firearm, frame or receiver, that has not been imprinted with a serial number by a federal firearms licensee; anyone who makes a firearm, frame or receiver (including by 3-D printer) must have it serialized by a licensee. Exceptions include licensees, taking the item to be serialized, law enforcement, antique firearms, permanently inoperable firearms and firearms made before 1968. Penalties: unlawful possession is a civil penalty of up to $50 for a first offense, then up to two years/$1,000 and up to three years/$2,000 for later offenses; unlawful transfer or failing to serialize a self-made gun is up to one year/$500 for a first offense, rising for later offenses; using an unserialized firearm in a violent crime or reckless endangerment is up to five years/$5,000.