State-by-state selling guides for California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado, covering everything from California’s mandatory FFL transfers and 10-day waiting periods to Arizona’s permit-free private sales. The West and Pacific region contains the most diverse regulatory landscape in the country: the nation’s strictest gun laws sit hours away from some of its most permissive. Our guides, compiled from official state legislature websites and ATF memoranda, help sellers in every western state stay compliant.
No other region in the United States spans a wider regulatory range. California has arguably the strictest firearms regulations in the country: mandatory FFL transfers for all sales, a 10-day waiting period, DROS fees, an approved handgun roster, magazine capacity limits, an assault weapons ban, and the 2025 passage of AB 1127 banning "machinegun-convertible" pistols including certain Glock models. Arizona, by contrast, has virtually no state-level restrictions on private firearms sales beyond federal law. No background check, no waiting period, no registration, no permits.
Between those two extremes: Oregon and Washington require universal background checks for all private transfers. Colorado mandates checks for non-family transfers and restricts high-capacity magazines. Nevada now requires background checks for private sales. Understanding exactly where your state falls on this spectrum is the difference between a legal transaction and a criminal one.
If you're selling a firearm in a strict state like California, Oregon, or Washington, failing to follow the required process can result in criminal charges, fines, and the loss of your firearms rights. Even in permissive states like Arizona, selling to a prohibited person is a federal crime regardless of state law. Gun owners who relocate between western states (a common pattern, especially California to Arizona, Nevada, or Colorado) face a regulatory shift that changes what they can own and how they can sell.
Regardless of which western state you're in, selling to a licensed FFL dealer like CashMyGuns.com is legal everywhere and eliminates the compliance burden entirely. We handle all state-specific requirements.
No background check for private sales. No waiting period. No registration. Permitless concealed and open carry. Among the earliest states to adopt constitutional carry (2003). Strong state preemption. Defaults entirely to federal law for private transfers between residents.
Alaska Guides →No state background check for private sales. No waiting period. No registration. No permits required. State law prohibits local governments from imposing additional fees or requirements on private transfers. Defaults to federal law.
Arizona Guides →All transfers through FFL. DROS fee + 10-day waiting period. Approved handgun roster. Assault weapons ban. AB 1127 Glock ban. Magazine capacity limits. Universal background checks. The strictest firearms regulations in the nation.
California Guides →Universal background checks for non-family transfers through FFL. Immediate family exempt (spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, first cousins, aunts, uncles). High-capacity magazine restrictions. Violation is a class 1 misdemeanor + 2-year gun possession ban.
Colorado Guides →Permit required to purchase any firearm. All firearms must be registered. 14-day waiting period. Background check through county police department. Among the most restrictive states in the country alongside California.
Hawaii Guides →No background check for private sales. No waiting period. No registration. Permitless concealed carry for residents (18+ outside city limits, 21+ in city limits). Strong state preemption prevents local restrictions. Defaults to federal law for all private firearms transactions.
Idaho Guides →No background check for private sales. No waiting period. No registration. Permitless concealed carry expanded statewide in 2021 (previously excluded cities). Strong state preemption. Optional concealed carry permits available for reciprocity purposes. Defaults to federal law for private transfers.
Montana Guides →Background checks required for private sales (with some exemptions for immediate family and certain transfers). Red flag laws in effect. State preempts most local firearms ordinances. Growing regulatory framework in recent years.
Nevada Guides →Universal background checks enacted in 2019. All private sales must go through a licensed dealer. Applies to all firearms. Exemptions for immediate family members, law enforcement, and antique firearms.
New Mexico Guides →Universal background checks for all transfers via FFL. Oregon FICS check in addition to federal NICS. Applies to handguns, rifles, and shotguns. Criminal penalties for noncompliance. Some family member exemptions.
Oregon Guides →No state-level background check for private sales between residents. No waiting period. No registration required. Permitless concealed carry. Strong state preemption of local firearms ordinances. Defaults to federal law for private transfers.
Utah Guides →All firearms sales and transfers through FFL with background check. Gross misdemeanor for knowing violations (up to 1 year jail, $5,000 fine). Waiting periods for certain firearms. Red flag / extreme risk protection orders.
Washington Guides →No background check for private sales. No waiting period. No registration. Permitless concealed carry for residents (2011). Among the earliest modern constitutional carry states. Strong state preemption. Optional permits available for reciprocity in other states. Defaults entirely to federal law for private transfers.
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All California firearms transfers, including private party sales, must go through a licensed FFL dealer. Both parties appear at the dealer's location. The transaction requires a DROS, a $37.19 fee, a background check, and a 10-day waiting period. California also maintains an approved handgun roster and has banned certain pistols under AB 1127. Selling to CashMyGuns.com bypasses this complexity since you're selling directly to a licensed FFL.
No. Arizona does not require a background check for private firearms sales. The state prohibits local governments from imposing additional fees or requirements on private transfers. Federal law still applies: selling to a prohibited person is a federal crime regardless. Arizona defaults to federal guidelines for all other aspects of firearms transactions.
Oregon requires all firearms transfers, including private sales, to go through an FFL who conducts a background check via the Oregon FICS and federal NICS systems. This applies to handguns, rifles, and shotguns. Immediate family transfers may be exempt in certain circumstances. Conducting a private sale without a background check is a criminal offense.
Yes. Washington requires all firearms sales and transfers to go through an FFL with a background check. A first-time knowing violation is a gross misdemeanor carrying up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. The law covers handguns, rifles, and shotguns. Washington also has waiting periods for certain firearms and red flag laws allowing extreme risk protection orders.
Yes. We hold active Federal Firearms Licenses and buy from all 50 states. Whether you're in California or Arizona, the process is identical: submit details, receive a free appraisal, ship with our prepaid insured label, get paid. We handle all state-specific compliance, background checks, and transfer documentation.
Colorado requires universal background checks for non-immediate-family transfers through an FFL. Immediate family (spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, first cousins, aunts, uncles) are exempt, but in-laws don't qualify. Violating this requirement is a class 1 misdemeanor that also triggers a two-year firearms possession prohibition.
The western United States is home to the widest regulatory spectrum for firearms in the country. Within a single day's drive, a gun owner can cross from a state where private sales require no paperwork whatsoever into a state where every transfer requires an FFL, a background check, a government fee, and a multi-day waiting period. Understanding these differences is essential for anyone selling a firearm in the region.
California's firearms regulations are the most comprehensive in the nation and serve as a model for other states considering stricter laws. Every firearms transfer in California must go through a licensed dealer using the Dealer's Record of Sale (DROS) system. The process includes a $37.19 DROS fee, a mandatory 10-day waiting period, and a background check. For retail sales, handguns must appear on the state's approved roster (the Certified Handgun Roster), which has been steadily shrinking as manufacturers fail to meet California's microstamping and other requirements. The state bans assault weapons by feature, restricts magazine capacity, prohibits ghost guns, and in 2025 passed AB 1127, which bans the sale of "machinegun-convertible" pistols, targeting certain Glock models that can accept auto sear modifications. For sellers, the compliance burden is significant, which is why many California gun owners choose to sell directly to licensed dealers rather than navigate the private sale process.
Both Oregon and Washington require universal background checks for all firearms transfers, including private sales. In Oregon, the Firearms Instant Check System (FICS) is used alongside the federal NICS system for all dealer-facilitated transfers. Washington's universal background check law carries criminal penalties for knowing violations: a gross misdemeanor with up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine for a first offense. Washington additionally has red flag laws that allow courts to issue extreme risk protection orders temporarily removing firearms from individuals deemed a danger. Both states have seen increasing regulatory activity in recent years, and sellers should verify current requirements before initiating any private transaction.
Colorado requires universal background checks for all firearms transfers between non-immediate family members. The state defines immediate family broadly (spouses through first cousins, aunts, and uncles), but in-laws don't qualify for the exemption. Violations are a class 1 misdemeanor that also triggers a two-year prohibition on possessing firearms. Colorado also restricts magazine capacity. Nevada enacted universal background check requirements that apply to most private sales, with exemptions for immediate family, law enforcement, and certain other transfers. Both states represent the growing trend of traditionally moderate western states adopting stricter firearms regulations.
Arizona and Utah represent the permissive end of the spectrum. Neither state requires background checks for private firearms sales between unlicensed residents. Arizona goes further, explicitly prohibiting local governments from imposing any additional fees, taxes, or requirements on private firearm transfers. Both states have permitless concealed carry and strong state preemption of local ordinances. However, federal law still applies: selling to a felon, domestic violence offender, drug user, or other prohibited person is a federal crime carrying up to 10 years imprisonment, regardless of how permissive the state's laws may be. Sellers in these states should still exercise due diligence to avoid liability.
Whether you're dealing with California's multi-layer compliance requirements or Arizona's straightforward federal-only framework, selling to a licensed FFL dealer eliminates the entire regulatory puzzle. CashMyGuns.com is licensed to receive firearms from sellers in every western state. We handle DROS filings in California, FICS checks in Oregon, Washington's mandatory FFL requirements, Colorado's background check obligations, and every other state-specific requirement. The process is the same from Sacramento to Scottsdale: submit your firearm, receive a free expert appraisal, ship with our prepaid insured label, and get paid.
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