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Trump Administration's Proposed Changes to

Remote Firearm Purchases and Transfers



August 6, 2026

The Trump Administration has proposed a rule that would affect how individuals can have firearms
delivered to their homes through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), and a different rule that would remove
certain limitations on the purchasing of firearms remotely. Currently, individuals can use USPS to mail a
long gun (i.e., rifle or shotgun) to someone in the same state without going through a federally licensed
firearm dealer, provided the gun is unloaded and the packaging does not indicate that it contains a gun.
Using USPS  to mail a long gun to someone in another state is also allowed if the sender addresses the
package to themselves and mails it in care of' a resident of the destination state. Whether mailing a
firearm in- or out-of-state, individuals without a license to deal, manufacture, or import firearms must use
a USPS product or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery. Presently,
only Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) can mail handguns and the recipient must be another licensee.
FFLs are also permitted to sell firearms to people residing in the same state as the FFL's storefront yet do
not appear in person at the storefront (otherwise known as a Non-Over-The-Counter [NOTC] firearms
transaction), but only if the transfer can be conducted via a National Instant Criminal Background Check
System (NICS)-exempt transfer. A NICS-exempt transfer occurs when the transfer has been previously
approved under 27 C.F.R. §479, the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
(ATF) has approved the transfer under 27 C.F.R. §478.150, or the intended purchaser can present a license
or valid permit that
    *  allows the transferee to possess, acquire, or carry a firearm;
    *  was issued not more than five years earlier by the state in which the transfer is to take
       place; and
    *  the law of the state provides that such a permit or license is to be issued only after an
       authorized government official has verified that the information available to such official
       does not indicate that possession of a firearm by the transferee would be in violation of
       federal, state, or local law, provided, that the information available to such official is also
       available in NICS.
The Trump Administration's proposed rules would change these regulations, making the ability to
purchase a firearm via a NOTC firearms transaction more widely available.

                                                                 Congressional Research Service
                                                                   https://crsreports.congress.gov
                                                                                       IN12725

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