Pawn Shops Dealing Firearms
1,408 of the 7,385 pawn shops we track nationwide have firearms (FFL). Selling firearms legally requires a Federal Firearms License (FFL), and that's a licensing detail a map listing has no way to show — a shop can look identical to any other pawn shop online while lacking the FFL to buy or sell guns at all. Every listing here is confirmed to hold an active FFL and deal firearms from the shop's own site or posted signage.
Browse by state
- Alabama29
- Arizona40
- Arkansas20
- California19
- Colorado42
- Connecticut6
- Florida214
- Georgia58
- Illinois30
- Indiana38
- Iowa17
- Kansas20
- Kentucky25
- Louisiana32
- Maryland10
- Michigan16
- Minnesota22
- Mississippi24
- Missouri29
- Montana8
- Nebraska16
- Nevada38
- North Carolina54
- Ohio43
- Oklahoma45
- Oregon19
- South Carolina14
- Tennessee36
- Texas314
- Utah34
- Virginia44
- Washington17
- West Virginia20
- Wisconsin9
- Wyoming6
Bring a valid government ID and expect a background check. Buying a firearm at a licensed pawn shop means filling out federal paperwork and passing an instant background check just like at any gun store, and some states add their own waiting period or permit requirement on top of that.
Common questions
- Do you need a background check to buy a gun at a pawn shop?
- Yes — a pawn shop with a Federal Firearms License has to run the same background check process as any other licensed gun dealer, including federal paperwork and an instant background check system. State law can add extra steps like waiting periods or permit-to-purchase requirements.
- What does FFL mean for a pawn shop?
- FFL stands for Federal Firearms License, the federal license required to legally buy, sell, or trade firearms as a business. Not every pawn shop holds one — many stick to jewelry, tools, and electronics and simply don't deal in guns.