Ohio Firearm Bill of Sale Form

Ohio Firearm Sale Laws

State and federal laws limit who may sell or buy a gun. The three rules below come from section 2923.20 of the Revised Code and 18 U.S.C. § 922. The first is a state rule, and the other two are federal rules written for licensed dealers.^[1.1]

• Prohibited persons: no one may sell, lend, give or furnish a firearm to a person barred from acquiring or using one by section 2923.13 or 2923.15.^[2]
• Minimum age: a licensed dealer may not sell a firearm to any individual the dealer knows or has reasonable cause to believe is less than eighteen years of age. For a firearm other than a shotgun or rifle, the age is twenty-one.^[1.1]
• Background check: before a licensed importer, manufacturer or dealer completes a transfer to a person who is not licensed, the licensee must contact the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).^[1.2]

Ohio has no license or permit to own an ordinary firearm. Dangerous ordnance is different: no one may acquire, have, carry or use it without the license to possess dangerous ordnance (Sections 2923.17 and 2923.18 of the Revised Code).^[3.1]

Under federal law, an Ohio resident who is not a licensed dealer may sell a firearm to another Ohio resident but not to someone who lives in another state (18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(5)). Anyone engaged in the business of dealing in firearms must hold a federal firearms license, and occasional sales to build or sell off a personal collection do not count as being in the business (18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A)).^[1.3]

When you buy from a licensed dealer, federal rules require the dealer to record the sale on ATF Form 4473, the Firearms Transaction Record, which the buyer fills out (27 CFR 478.124).^[4.1]

Federal rules also require a licensed dealer to keep records of its gun sales, including each Form 4473 with the firearm and buyer details, until the dealer goes out of business (27 CFR 478.129).^[5.1]

Why Use an Ohio Gun Bill of Sale?

A bill of sale gives both sides a written record of the transaction. In practice, it shows who sold it, who bought it, which firearm was sold and what was paid. Each side can keep a signed copy of the terms. The same form also works for a trade-in or a gift.

Each of these details has its own field:

• The seller and the buyer, with contact details
• The item: make, type or model, caliber and serial number
• The purchase date, the price and the payment method
• Signatures, printed names and a witness line
• A notary acknowledgment on the last page

Our bill of sale guide explains the document in general, and our firearm bill of sale article covers these sales across states. You can also browse more Ohio bill of sale forms.

Download the Free Ohio Gun Bill of Sale Form

Our form is a printable PDF that you can also fill out online. It has fields for the seller, the buyer, the item, the price and the payment method, plus signature lines and a notary acknowledgment. Use the button below to create it, or download the file and complete it with our PDF editor before you print.

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How to Complete the Ohio Gun Bill of Sale

Work down the pages in the order they are printed. It runs from the date and the two parties through the item and the payment to the signatures, with a notary acknowledgment on the last page.

1. Date. Write the date of the bill of sale on the DATE line at the top of page 1.
   
2. Seller Details. Enter the seller's name, street address, city, state, ZIP, telephone number and email address.
3. Buyer Details. Fill in the same details for the buyer.
   
4. Description. Write the seller's and buyer's names in the two blanks of the sentence. Then enter the make, type or model, caliber, serial number and any other details of the firearm.
   
5. Purchase Date, Price and Method. Enter the purchase date and the total price on page 2. Tick one option: paid all at once, a deposit with a balance date, a gift, or a trade-in. For a trade-in, describe the item the buyer gives and any payment made at the same time. Then select the payment method: cash, check, cashier's check or money order.
   
6. Buyer and Seller Disclosures. Both parties read the seller statements on pages 2 and 3 and the buyer statements on page 3. The seller signs after the seller statements and the buyer signs after the buyer statements, both on page 3.
7. Miscellaneous Provisions. Read the owner confirmation on page 3 and the as-is and entire-agreement paragraphs on page 4 before signing. Nothing is filled in here.
   
8. Signatures. Fill in the date lines. Then sign the Seller, Buyer and Witness lines and add a printed name under each one.
   
9. Acknowledgment. Sign before the notary in the acknowledgment on page 5. The notary completes the county, the date, their name and title, the name of the individual who appeared, their signature and the seal.
   

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Ohio laws say about firearms and prohibited persons?

Section 2923.20 bars selling, lending, giving or furnishing a firearm to anyone that section 2923.13 or 2923.15 prohibits from acquiring or using one. Sections 2923.13 and 2923.15 set out who those persons are.^[2]

What does the form include?

It has the date, the seller's and buyer's details, a description of the item, and the purchase date, price and payment method. It also has seller and buyer statements, signature lines with a witness line, and a notary acknowledgment.

Can I record a gift or a trade-in?

Yes. The payment section has a choice for a gift with no payment and a choice for a trade-in. For a trade-in, you describe what the buyer gives in trade.

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

1. 18 USC 922 §§ 18 USC 922 to 922(t)(1).
   • 1.1 18 USC 922
   • 1.2 § 922(t)(1)
   • 1.3 § 922(a)(1)(A), (a)(5)
2. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2923.20.
3. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. ch. 2923
   • 3.1 §§ 2923.17(A) and 2923.18
4. 27 CFR § 478.124
   • 4.1 § 478.124(a), (c)(1)
5. 27 CFR § 478.129
   • 5.1 § 478.129(b)

Mara Erlach

Writer & Attorney

Mara has been practicing estate planning and trust law in California since 2003, taking pride in helping clients of all backgrounds and asset profiles form a complete and customized estate plan. Her specialties are: estate planning, wills and trusts, trust and probate administration.