Understand the requirements for shipping firearms through your FirearmCart store.
The Transfer Process
- Order placed - Customer orders firearm, selects FFL
- Payment captured - Order confirmed
- Verify FFL - Confirm receiving FFL is valid (use the ATF eZ Check link on the order’s FFL card)
- Ship to FFL - Via approved carrier
- FFL receives - Dealer logs into bound book
- Customer pickup - Customer completes 4473 and background check
Key Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Ships to the dealer | Items requiring an FFL under your FFL rules are routed to the customer’s selected dealer, never to the customer |
| Adult signature | Requested automatically on handgun and long gun labels |
| Carrier-compliant service | Each item class is quoted only on the services that carrier permits for it |
| Proper packaging | Concealed, secure packaging |
How Items Are Classified
Every product carries a shipping class, and that class decides which carriers and services can be used:
| Class | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Handgun | Most restricted — air-only on the common carriers |
| Long gun | Ground or air |
| Ammunition | Must ship in its own package; ground only; never USPS |
| Accessory | No restriction |
How a Cart Is Split for Shipping
Rates are quoted per shipment group, not per cart:
- Handguns ship on their own, so their air cost is not spread over everything else
- Long guns ship on their own
- Ammunition always ships on its own
- Accessories ride along with a ground shipment where one exists — ammunition first, then long guns. They only ship on their own when neither is present, and are never folded into a handgun’s air package
A handgun and a long gun never share a package automatically. You can combine them onto one label manually from the buy-label modal, which then rates them as a single air shipment.
Carrier Requirements
Supported Carriers
| Carrier | Handguns | Long guns | Ammunition | Accessories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPS | Air services only | Ground or air | Ground only | Any service |
| FedEx | Overnight and 2Day only | Any service | Ground / Home Delivery | Any service |
| USPS (via Stamps.com) | Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express | Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express | Not offered | Any service |
ShipStation is also supported. Because you choose the carriers and services inside ShipStation, the services available for each class depend on what you have enabled there rather than on a fixed list.
Handgun Shipping
| Carrier | Services Available |
|---|---|
| UPS | Next Day Air, Next Day Air Early, Next Day Air Saver, 2nd Day Air |
| FedEx | First Overnight, Priority Overnight, Standard Overnight, 2Day A.M., 2Day |
| USPS | Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express |
UPS Ground and UPS 3 Day Select are excluded for handguns, as is FedEx Express Saver and all FedEx ground services.
Long Gun Shipping
Long guns can ship via Ground or Express services on UPS and FedEx. On USPS they use Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express — not Ground Advantage.
Ammunition Shipping
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Ships alone | Ammunition can never share a package with any other class |
| Ground only | No air transportation |
| Never USPS | USPS is not offered for ammunition on any service |
| Carrier | UPS Ground, or FedEx Ground / Home Delivery |
Parcel Weight Limits
Selections are split into boxes that stay under the carrier’s per-parcel cap:
| Carrier | Cap |
|---|---|
| USPS | 70 lb |
| UPS / FedEx | 150 lb |
A carrier plugin can be configured with a lower box weight than the carrier’s own cap. A single indivisible item heavier than the cap cannot be shipped by that carrier at all.
Packaging
| Element | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Inner container | Firearm in original box or case |
| Outer container | Plain corrugated box |
| No indication | No firearms imagery or text |
| Include | Packing slip, invoice copy |
Documentation
Maintain records for:
| Document | Retention |
|---|---|
| Bound book entries | 20 years |
| Order records | 7 years recommended |
| Shipping records | 7 years recommended |
Returns
When customers return firearms:
- Issue RMA
- Customer’s FFL ships to your FFL
- Verify serial number on receipt
- Update bound book
- Process refund
Related Documentation
- FFL Directory - Managing FFLs
- FFL Rules - Which products require an FFL
- Fulfillment - Order fulfillment
- Shipping Settings - Shipping configuration