How to Sell a Gun in Virginia: Updated 2026 Guide

Most Virginia sellers don’t get burned by the gun, they get burned by the process. You’ll hear “private sale” advice that sounds simple, then you start wondering if a quick meetup is actually allowed, how to avoid scammers, and what your firearm is really worth beyond random asking prices.

The pressure is real: you want it gone and you want cash, but you also don’t want a problem showing up later because you trusted the wrong buyer or followed outdated rules you saw in a forum comment.

Three pitfalls cause almost all the headaches: (1) misunderstanding private-sale rules, meaning you can’t always just “meet in a parking lot and hand it over,” (2) mispricing, where sentimental value or wishful listing prices replace real sold-market signals, and (3) unsafe meetups or shipping, where rushing the handoff, trusting screenshots, or sloppy listing hygiene turns into a bad day.

This is practical guidance, not legal advice, and laws and enforcement priorities change, so verify the current rules right before you sell on the Virginia State Police Firearms Services page (accessed 2026-02-23): https://vsp.virginia.gov/services/firearms/, and the ATF Firearms Q&A (use the page’s “Last Reviewed” date as your freshness check): https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa, then confirm the specifics with a Virginia FFL before you finalize anything.

You’ll walk away with a clear, 2026-ready process that keeps you legal, safe, and paid fairly.

Step 1

The fastest way to get in trouble is treating a firearm sale like a normal classifieds meetup. In Virginia, the “transfer path” matters more than the price, the location, or how well you know the buyer, because most transfers are legally designed to run through a dealer background check (see this guide to selling without a background check and why you might not be able to).

1. Confirm whether the buyer is a Virginia resident. If they are not, do not hand them the gun directly, federal law generally bars a private (non-FFL) person from transferring a firearm to a nonresident under 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(5). Limited exceptions exist, like bequests or intestate succession and temporary sporting loans, but if this is a normal sale, route it through dealers.
2. Choose an FFL for the handoff. An FFL, meaning a Federal Firearms Licensee authorized to receive and transfer firearms as part of a licensed business, is the cleanest way to keep the transaction on the rails and to get the required checks done correctly.
3. Route the transfer through the dealer for the universal background check. Virginia’s universal background check rule, meaning most private party transfers must be processed through a dealer-run check, is in Va. Code § 18.2-308.2:5(A)-(B). Practically, that means you and the buyer show up at the dealer, the dealer runs the check, and the dealer completes the transfer.
4. Identify whether it’s a handgun or a long gun before you pick logistics. For in-state buyers, both types typically follow the same “meet at an FFL” flow. For out-of-state buyers, residency becomes the hard stop: you cannot legally complete a direct person-to-person handoff across state lines (18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(5)). In real life, that usually means the buyer takes delivery from an FFL in their home state, especially for handguns.
5. Check the age baseline if a dealer is involved. Federal law bars an FFL from transferring a handgun to anyone under 21, and any rifle or shotgun to anyone under 18 (18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1)). Separately, federal law generally prohibits transferring a handgun to a juvenile, meaning under 18, even outside a dealer context (18 U.S.C. § 922(x)(1)).
6. Screen for a prohibited person problem before you invest more time. A prohibited person, meaning someone the law bars from possessing firearms, is exactly who you cannot transfer to. If anything about the buyer suggests they cannot legally own the gun, stop and let an FFL handle the process or end the deal.

These are the red flags that should make you slow down, insist on the dealer transfer, or end the conversation entirely.

• They want to “skip the shop” or refuse to do the dealer transfer required for most private transfers in Virginia.
• They hint they cannot pass a background check, do not have valid ID, or want you to “write it up differently.”
• Someone else is choosing the gun, providing the money, or directing the sale while a different person tries to complete the transfer, classic straw purchase behavior (buying on behalf of the real buyer).
• They pressure you to rush, meet in a parking lot, or change locations repeatedly when you insist on an FFL.

When you’re unsure, call a local dealer and route it through them (here’s more Virginia gun-law context for sellers).

Once you’ve nailed down the transfer plan, pricing is the next place sellers either protect their upside or accidentally donate it (see the Virginia guide on how to sell a gun).

Step 2

Pricing mistakes cost you more than transfer fees ever will. You don’t need to be an appraiser, you need a method that keeps you from overpricing the gun until it sits for months, or underpricing it and watching someone else flip it for what you should’ve gotten.

The clean signal is simple: condition tiers plus sold comps. Asking prices, “my buddy said,” and what you paid years ago are all noisy. Sold listings from the exact variant you’re selling tell you what buyers actually pay.

1. Grade your gun using percentage condition tiers, then write the grade down. Used pricing is commonly expressed as a percent of the “100%” value using tiers like 100%, 98%, 95%, 90%, 80%, 70%, and 60%. “100%” lines up with NIB or perfect condition in the original factory configuration, then each lower tier reflects more visible wear and condition issues.
2. Pull sold comps, not active listings. On GunBroker, use the “Completed Items” filter so you’re looking at ended listings and final bids. Then search with exact variant keywords so you don’t mix different generations or configurations, because those don’t sell for the same money.
3. Match your comp set to your exact configuration. Same model is not enough. You want the same generation, finish, barrel length, optics cut or non-optics, and any package designation that changes what was included from the factory.
4. Adjust for the stuff comps don’t capture cleanly:
   • Originality vs. modifications: price guides assume “100%” means original, so aftermarket parts are usually deductions, not additions, especially where originality matters. Keep the OEM parts if you have them.
   • Accessories: extra mags, an optic, or a case can help a listing move, but they rarely add dollar-for-dollar value. If the accessory isn’t something most buyers want, consider selling it separately.
   • Round count and maintenance notes: condition is driven by what’s observable, but a clear maintenance story (clean bore, fresh springs, documented service) reduces buyer anxiety and supports the higher end of your condition tier.
   • Local demand: a model that’s common online can still be scarce in your area, or vice versa. If your comps are mostly national auctions, sanity-check with a couple local shop tags or local forum sales to see if your region runs hotter or colder (see how supply and demand affects firearm resale prices).
5. Subtract fees to get your real “money in pocket.” In Virginia, dealers must collect a $2.00 Virginia State Police fee for background-check transactions for Virginia residents. For a private-party sale done through a dealer, the dealer may also charge up to $15 to obtain CHRI on the seller’s behalf, plus whatever transfer fee that shop sets. There’s no statewide flat transfer fee, so call the dealer you’ll use and write the number down before you set a price.
6. Set your ask and your minimum. Your ask should sit a bit above the sold-comp center of gravity for your condition tier (to leave room to negotiate). Your minimum is the lowest sold-comp number you’ll accept after you account for fees and how quickly you want it gone.

Quick value-check searches (use as exact keywords): “Glock 19 Gen 5 MOS” vs “Glock 19 Gen 5” (don’t mix MOS and non-MOS), “SIG P320 M18” (don’t mix with P320 Carry/Compact), “S&W M&P 2.0” vs “M&P 1.0”, “CZ 75 SP-01” vs “CZ 75B”. The goal is separating true variants before you look at sold results.

Common pricing mistakes: using active listings as “comps,” averaging wildly different variants into one number, and assuming mods add value. Buyers pay for condition and the exact configuration they want, not the money you have tied up in aftermarket parts.

Once your number is grounded in sold comps, it’s a lot easier to present the gun cleanly and answer buyer questions without second-guessing everything (if you’re still unsure, use a repeatable method to estimate what your gun is worth).

Step 3

Clean presentation and good records don’t just help you sell faster, they protect you. A buyer who sees a clearly safe, well-documented firearm trusts the deal. The catch is privacy: people want details that prove what you’re selling, but you should not broadcast sensitive identifiers to the whole internet.

1. Clear the firearm using NRA-style fundamentals: keep the muzzle in a safe direction and your finger off the trigger; remove the ammunition source first (like the magazine), then open the action and verify the chamber is clear (do a visual check and a physical check where you can).
2. Wipe it down for an honest “inspection ready” look: remove surface dust, fingerprints, and light grime; don’t oil it to the point it looks wet in photos.
3. Photograph a complete set: left and right side, close-ups of sights and controls, bore and crown (if practical), and any honest wear, dings, or rust. No trigger-finger photos, no “pointed at the camera” angles.
4. List the facts a serious buyer will ask for anyway: make, model, caliber or gauge, variant features, included accessories, condition notes, round count or maintenance history (if known), plus how to sell a gun with no box or papers if you don’t have them.
5. Record the serial number privately: ATF’s Personal Firearms Record concept exists for theft recovery and insurance. In public photos, obscure or omit the serial, but expect an FFL to record make, model, type, and serial in their A&D book during intake or transfer.

The prep work also makes the next decision simpler: you can choose a selling channel based on payout and hassle, not on scrambling to prove what you’re offering.

Step 4

Step 4 is where most Virginia sellers either leave money on the table or burn out halfway through. The selling channel you pick sets your tradeoff between payout, speed, and stress, and the “best” choice depends on what you can tolerate: waiting, coordinating, or risk.

Selling straight to a local gun store or other FFL is the cleanest workflow: you bring the firearm in, they evaluate it, and if you accept the offer you walk out done. The catch is the offer is typically lower than what you can get from a retail buyer, because the shop has to leave margin for inventory risk and overhead. If your situation requires an FFL anyway, this route keeps paperwork touchpoints and scheduling to a minimum.

Consignment trades time for money. The shop lists it, fields questions, and handles the transfer when it sells, then pays you out after their fee. A common benchmark is around a 15% consignment fee, sometimes less with higher volume, so the gun needs enough upside over a direct offer to justify the wait. The friction is timeline uncertainty, your payout is tied to when the right buyer shows up.

A private buyer can produce the strongest price, but it comes with coordination: screening messages, agreeing on terms, and then routing the transfer through an FFL for the background check. More control also means more chances for something to go sideways, no-shows, flaky buyers, or payment headaches, so set clear meet-up rules and use a reputable FFL to run the handoff.

Online marketplaces add reach but also add steps. GunBroker’s support flow is explicit: modern firearms ship to the buyer’s receiving FFL, the buyer provides the receiving FFL info, and sellers typically get a copy of that FFL before shipping. The buyer should contact the receiving FFL first to confirm they accept the transfer and confirm fees and process (https://support.gunbroker.com/hc/en-us).

If you’re handling an estate or a high-count collection, speed and volume often beat optimizing every single sale. That’s when a bulk buyer or a formal appraisal helps you avoid months of listings and transfers. For a broader breakdown of your options for selling a gun (dealer, private, online, and more), it helps to compare the tradeoffs before you commit. An example of the online-buyer route is Cash My Guns blog, a nationwide mail-in purchasing service operated by Dunlap Gun Buyers (FFL), positioned as “Safe • Legal • Hassle-Free” and “Trusted Since 2013.”

• Do you need this done this week, or can you wait for a better net?
• Do you want one appointment and a check, or are you willing to coordinate buyers and an FFL transfer?
• Are you selling one firearm, or clearing a collection where time and logistics are the real cost?

After the Sale Checklist

Your future self will thank you for 10 minutes of cleanup, because the sale isn’t really done until your paper trail and listing hygiene are done. Federal law generally does not require an unlicensed person to create or keep records of a lawful private firearm sale, but keeping documentation is the simplest way to prevent disputes and sleep better later. Save your bill of sale, any FFL receipt or transfer confirmation, payment confirmation, and a screenshot of the original listing. Then pull the listing everywhere it appeared, delete duplicate posts, and remove any public-facing photos or notes that expose personal info or serial numbers.

The non-obvious risk is what happens after: lingering listings attract scammers, and fake-payment or chargeback aftershocks show up days later. Keep all communication in writing, confirm funds are actually settled before anything changes hands, and watch your account for reversals. For accessories and ammo, stay mindful of Virginia watch-outs: prohibited persons (for example, felons) cannot possess firearms or ammunition (Va. Code § 18.2-308.2); local ordinances can restrict possession, carry, or transport in certain government places and events (Va. Code § 15.2-915); and specific localities restrict certain loaded firearms with magazines over 20 rounds in public places (Va. Code § 18.2-287.4).

• Bill of sale, transfer receipt (if used), payment proof, and listing screenshot saved in one secure folder
• All listings removed, duplicates deleted, “sold” marked where applicable
• Serial-number photos and extra personal details taken down from any public posts
• Buyer messages kept, then muted or archived after close-out
• Account monitored for reversals or disputes for the next couple of weeks
• Accessories and ammo transported directly, avoiding restricted government places/events per local rules
• Leftover ammo stored safely and kept away from prohibited persons (Va. Code § 18.2-308.2)

Conclusion

A clean, drama-free Virginia sale is mostly process: route the transfer correctly (often through an FFL), avoid the red flags that point to a prohibited-person or straw-purchase situation, and keep the serial number out of public photos. From there, you’re just executing the basics you set up earlier-pricing off sold comps and condition tiers, accounting for fees so you know what you’ll actually clear, and handling the firearm safely from first photo to final handoff.

Re-check the rules if you’re anywhere near July 1, since most Virginia Acts take effect July 1 after adjournment unless otherwise specified (Va. Code § 1-214). Right before you sell, verify current requirements on VSP Firearms Services, Firearms Transaction Program (FTP) (accessed Feb. 23, 2026) and the ATF Firearms Q&A (use the page’s “Last Reviewed” date). Next actions: pull 3 to 5 sold comps, then call the FFL you’ll use to confirm their fee and drop-off process.