Pennsylvania Gun Laws 2026

Pennsylvania has no permit to purchase, no firearm registration and no state waiting period. Every gun bought from a licensed dealer requires federal Form 4473 and a background check through the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS), run by the Pennsylvania State Police. In most of the state no license is needed to own a gun or to carry one openly. A License to Carry Firearms (LTCF) is needed to carry a handgun concealed or to carry a handgun in a vehicle. Section 6108 requires a license to carry on public streets and property in Philadelphia, but a 2025 Superior Court ruling (Commonwealth v. Sumpter) held that provision unconstitutional as applied to unlicensed open carry, and the question is still being decided, so check the current status before carrying there.

Buying a gun

At a licensed dealer you show ID, complete Form 4473, and the dealer runs a PICS check. Handgun sales also use the state Application/Record of Sale. Dealers sell handguns to buyers 21 and older, and rifles and shotguns to buyers 18 and older under federal rules. Private handgun sales must go through a licensed dealer or a county sheriff's office.

Buying online and shipping to a Pennsylvania dealer

Handguns, rifles and shotguns ship to a licensed FFL dealer you choose, not to a home address. You complete Form 4473 and the PICS background check with that dealer when you pick up the gun. Ammunition, optics and most parts ship to your door.

Carrying a gun and the License to Carry

You do not need a license to own a gun, or to carry one openly in most of the state. You need an LTCF to carry a handgun concealed or to carry one in a vehicle. Residents aged 21 and older apply to the county sheriff where they live. Philadelphia residents apply to the Philadelphia Police Department. The statutory fee is $19 plus a $1 validation fee. The issuing office has 45 days to decide, and the license is valid for five years.

Transporting a gun in a vehicle

Carrying a handgun in a vehicle requires an LTCF, with narrow exceptions. Examples include transporting an unloaded handgun to a range, and going to or from hunting with a hunting license. The full list is in 18 Pa.C.S. 6106(b).

Hunting deer and bear

The 2026-27 regular firearms deer season runs Saturday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 13, 2026, statewide, including the Sundays in that window. The regular firearms bear season is Nov. 21-24, and some Wildlife Management Units add extended bear days during deer season. For deer and bear you may use manually operated centerfire rifles and handguns, or manual or semiautomatic centerfire shotguns with single-projectile loads. Semiautomatic rifles are not legal for deer, bear or elk. Special Regulations Area counties around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have tighter rules. Check the Pennsylvania Game Commission digest for your Wildlife Management Unit before you choose a gun.

What is required, at a glance

Activity	What is required
Buying a long gun (rifle or shotgun)	Age 18 or older, ID, Form 4473, and a PICS background check at the dealer. No permit to purchase, no registration, no state waiting period.
Buying a handgun	Age 21 or older, ID, Form 4473, a PICS background check, and the state Application/Record of Sale. Private sales go through a licensed dealer or a county sheriff's office.
Carrying concealed	LTCF from the county sheriff (age 21 or older) or the Philadelphia Police Department. Fee $19 plus $1 validation, decision within 45 days, valid five years.
Transporting in a vehicle	Handgun: LTCF, unless a narrow exception in 18 Pa.C.S. 6106(b) applies. Long guns: not covered on this page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to buy a gun in Pennsylvania?

No. Pennsylvania has no permit to purchase. You show ID, complete Form 4473, and pass a PICS background check at the dealer who receives your order.

Where do I apply for a License to Carry Firearms?

Residents apply to the county sheriff where they live. Philadelphia residents apply to the Philadelphia Police Department. You must be 21 or older, and the issuing office has 45 days to decide.

Can a gun be shipped directly to my home?

No. Handguns, rifles and shotguns ship to a licensed FFL dealer you choose, where you finish the paperwork and background check. Ammunition, optics and most parts ship to your door.

Can I carry a handgun in my car without a license?

Generally no. Carrying a handgun in a vehicle requires an LTCF, with narrow exceptions such as unloaded transport to a range or going to or from hunting with a hunting license. Read 18 Pa.C.S. 6106(b) for the full list.

Laws change; confirm current rules with the state agencies named below.

What Pennsylvania does not restrict, and what is still unsettled

Pennsylvania does not have permitless concealed carry. Under 18 Pa.C.S. 6106, carrying a firearm concealed on your person or in a vehicle, outside your home or fixed place of business, without a valid license is a felony of the third degree, or a first-degree misdemeanor if you were otherwise eligible for a license and committed no other violation. The State Police list the alternatives as a reciprocity-state permit or a statutory exception. The license is open to applicants 21 and older and is valid for five years. A bill that would make a license optional, House Bill 454, has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee and has not passed either chamber, according to the General Assembly's bill page. We found no enacted law creating a 2026 expansion.

Local rules are limited by statute. Under 18 Pa.C.S. 6120, no county, municipality or township may regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms and ammunition. Sales of handguns between private parties must go through a licensed dealer or a county sheriff's office.

Age matters in several ways. A person under 18 may not possess or transport a firearm, apart from supervised lawful activity such as safety training and target shooting, unloaded transport for a lawful purpose, or lawful hunting and trapping.

Some points are unsettled. Section 6108 requires a license to carry on public streets and property in Philadelphia, but in Commonwealth v. Sumpter (Pa. Super. 2025) the Superior Court held that provision unconstitutional as applied to unlicensed open carry, and a petition for review to the state Supreme Court was reported as pending. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has also agreed to hear a challenge to the license age limit as applied to 18-to-20-year-olds.

Laws change; confirm current rules with the state agencies named on this page.