How to Sell a Gun in Vermont

Identification Requirements

In Vermont, most transfers with very limited exceptions require a universal background check and thus identification is required.

Waiting Periods

In June 2023, Act No. 45 (H. 230) was enacted into law which requires a 72-hour waiting period for most firearms transfers. The waiting period is not required for firearms transfers that do not require a background check, such as transfers between immediate family members, law enforcement, or the military.

Age requirements

In 2018, Vermont enacted legislation, Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13, § 4020, which generally prohibits individuals from selling any firearm to a person under 21 years old.

Effective July 1, 2023, it is a crime which can result in fines up to $5000 or imprisonment up to 5 years or both if a firearm is stored negligently and the firearm is misused by a child or by a person who is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Background Checks in Private Sales

Vermont requires background checks for private firearm sales, with limited exceptions outlined in Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13, § 4019.

Ineligible Persons

Prohibited possessors in Vermont are outlined in 13 V.S.A. § 4017

It is illegal to possess a firearm in Vermont if a person:

• has been convicted of a violent crime