Shipping Firearms across State Lines---NC to California

[thoma018]

Does anyone here use the website; " Pirateship.com " to mail long guns to a dealer ? This is a new website for me and I have no experience shipping across state lines, esp. California.
The USPS seems like a clown show with 3 different IDK from 3 different postal inquiry's.
Seems I saw another website to ship firearms but do not remember the name.
Any help would be appreciated.
Should I have a copy of the FFL and my ID/drivers license in the shipping box ?
Are there special warnings about shipping to California ?
Thanks !

 

[LimbNoMo]

I think this will answer most of your questions. Must go FFL to FFL. My special warning is don’t do it.

Frequently Asked Questions

California Firearms Licensee Check (CFLC) Program Are there any costs or fees to obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number from the Department of Jusice (DOJ)? I am not a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) but I want to ship a firearm from another state to an FFL in California. Do I need to obtain...

oag.ca.gov

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Confused by your “Should I include a copy of the FFL” statement.

Are you personally an FFL holder? If the answer is “Yes” then you should know how to ship firearms and what’s required.

If the answer is no, then you have no FFL to include and putting an FFL in the box is going to confuse the shit out of the receiving FFL Dealer. That dealer would receive it onto their book off your Driver’s License and needs a copy to do so. You’re going to want to confirm that the receiving FFL will receive guns from a private party. Many dealers won’t do it, especially in the less gun friendly states. Some states (Cali) require FFL to FFL transfers and the shipping dealer needs to get a Transfer Approval from Cali.

UPS & FedEx both require an approved Firearms Shipping account and an FFL. I think the website you mentioned is an attempt at a work around, but have never used it.
For a private party, I’ve found USPS is the easiest as long as you’re shipping a long gun. Make sure it’s unloaded (I recommend removing the bold), no ammo with it. Go to the counter let them know you’re shipping a firearm. They should know how to ship it, if they don’t tell them all the information is on the laminated cards hanging behind or next to them for hazardous goods.

Long Guns need to ship ground, 21+ signature required.

Your other option is take it to your local dealer and pay them to ship it.

 

[Spartan5]

You lost me at shipping to Commiefornia…not a state I would ship anything to because of their policies. You have to send it from an FFL to an FFL, and that adds cost and complexity. I 2nd the don’t do it.

 

[DaleGribble82]

I’m not trying to be unhelpful, I just personally wouldn’t ship to California. Too much risk involved with that state. As previously stated USPS has been the easiest most cost effective way I’ve shipped long guns.

 

[AZSkibo]

I don’t see what the big deal is. Whenever I’ve shipped to CA, or pretty much anywhere else these days, I just take it to my dealer. They box it it, ship it UPS, and handle the paperwork. They might charge me $20-30 plus the cost of shipping but it saves me the hassle of dealing with anything. Never had a problem.

 

[thoma018]

Thanks for everybody's reply and advice. I know it must go FFL to FFL. I didn't mean to confuse anyone with my "wordage". Once upon a time an individual could sent, a long gun, across state lines to an FFL thru USPS, and one was to include ID/Drivers License of the sender and a copy of the receivers FFL n the box. Things have changed now and requirements are different.
Not sure of the hesitation to send to California, just a little more hassle for the FFL sender to obtain a California DOJ approval number and must insure the receiving FFL is on the Centralized List of Firearms Dealers under the California Firearms Licensee Check program.
yes, more pain in the "apple" but that's about everything these days.
Thanks again for reply/concern and advice.

 

[LimbNoMo]

If you know all that, why make the post? Especially like you’re a newbie…

If you want to ship a gun to California, go for it.

USPS, UPS, and FedEx have all become anti-gun to some extent. As a small shipper, you have to hope things go well. If they don’t, the insurance isn’t going to cover you and the product you’re shipping isn’t going to win you any favors. Except with the ATF, they will find it if it is “lost”.

 

[thoma018]

Well Thanks @LimbNoMo

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Thanks for everybody's reply and advice. I know it must go FFL to FFL. I didn't mean to confuse anyone with my "wordage". Once upon a time an individual could sent, a long gun, across state lines to an FFL thru USPS, and one was to include ID/Drivers License of the sender and a copy of the receivers FFL n the box. Things have changed now and requirements are different.
Not sure of the hesitation to send to California, just a little more hassle for the FFL sender to obtain a California DOJ approval number and must insure the receiving FFL is on the Centralized List of Firearms Dealers under the California Firearms Licensee Check program.
yes, more pain in the "apple" but that's about everything these days.
Thanks again for reply/concern and advice.

Legally speaking you can still ship a long gun across state lines as an individual to an FFL Dealer with USPS no issues (except a few states). It’s fairly easy to do and you’ll need to likely educate the USPS person on how. Certain states however don’t allow it, and some FFL’s (in the more anti gun states) don’t allow it by store policy.

If you want to get really technical an individual is “legally” allowed to ship a long gun across state lines to themself at a residential address as well. USPS workers go ballistic when you try to do this though because they don’t know or understand the laws. I’ve done this many times when hunting out of state. Ship it to my buddies or parents address c/o myself. Legally I’m the only one who can open it, so it’s padlocked in a pelican as the shipping container. This lets me get my gun to where I’m hunting a week or two ahead of me arriving and completely avoids any issues with it getting lost by the airline. Still has to go 21+ signature and ground.

 

[Bandera]

I buy and sell firearms pretty regularly. I use a local gun store to ship hand guns and long guns.
Why?
They know the rules and regs.
My LGS is a member of a group of FFL holders that have reduced shipping rates, these reduced rates are passed on to me.
Easy button, drop off firearm, they box it and ship it.

I do see where some FFLs charge upwards of $100 to ship a firearm. In my opinion they are making an extra $$25 to $50 on shipping. Nothing wrong with that, it is how they run their business.

Try finding a LGS or two and price having them ship.

 

[LimbNoMo]

@thoma018 You’re welcome.

The USPS insurance only has to pay if they lose the rifle or the damage to repair exceeds the value of the rifle.

If the USPS drives a forklift through the box and damages the stock $700 on a $2k gun, you’re SOL. Found out the hard way.