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Buying a gun in Fayetteville & Northwest Arkansas

Order online, pick up from a licensed dealer anywhere along the I-49 corridor, and be in the Ozark National Forest forty minutes later.

Northwest Arkansas is the fastest-growing corner of the state, and a lot of the people moving to Bentonville and Rogers are buying their first deer rifle or carry pistol. We are an online store with no showroom. You choose from a large live catalog, the firearm goes to a local FFL you pick, and the paperwork and background check happen in person at their counter.

1. Pick your dealer
Any FFL in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville or Siloam Springs that takes shipped transfers. Ask the fee when you call.
2. Order here
Name the dealer at checkout. We confirm their licence before the firearm leaves.
3. Form and check
You fill out ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs the check through FBI NICS.
4. Same visit
No waiting period and no purchase permit in Arkansas. When the check clears, the gun is yours.

What to bring

  • Government photo ID with your current residence address. If you recently moved here, update your licence first or bring a government document that shows the new address.
  • The transfer fee, paid to the dealer. Each shop sets its own, often $20 to $50.
  • Your order number.

Washington and Benton County rules

State law is the only layer. Ark. Code 14-16-504 bars local governments from regulating the ownership, transfer, transportation, carrying or possession of firearms and ammunition, and Ark. Code 14-54-1411 repeats it for cities. There is no permit to purchase, no registration, no waiting period and no magazine limit in Arkansas, and no licence is needed to carry a handgun (Ark. Code 5-73-120; Act 777 of 2023).

General information, not legal advice. See our Arkansas gun laws page for the statutes, and ask an Arkansas attorney about your own circumstances.

A college town: campus carry

The University of Arkansas is a public campus, so ordinary permitless carry stops at its edge. Act 562 of 2017 created the enhanced concealed handgun licence, and Ark. Code 5-73-322 lets a holder of that licence carry concealed on public college and university grounds, with exceptions. Stadiums and arenas operating under a State Police approved security plan are closed to carry on game day, and handguns may not be stored in residence halls. The basic licence, and carrying without one, do not get you onto campus. Our carry guide covers how the enhanced licence is earned.

Ozark hunting

South and east of town the Boston Mountains rise into the Ozark National Forest, with White Rock and other wildlife management areas inside it. This is steep hardwood country: whitetails on the oak ridges, turkeys gobbling in the hollows in April, squirrels from late spring through winter, and a black bear season with zone quotas. Elk live along the Buffalo River to the east and are hunted by permit drawing only. Arkansas Game and Fish sets the zones, dates and legal equipment, and part of north Arkansas falls inside the chronic wasting disease management zone with its own carcass and baiting rules. Read the current AGFC guidebook for your county before the season.

For rifles, think light and quick. A seven-pound bolt gun in .308 or 7mm-08 with a 2-7x scope handles every shot these woods offer. A .30-30 lever action is just as deadly inside 100 yards and carries better in one hand. If the duck woods are calling, the Delta is a half-day drive, and the duck gun guide will get you set up.

Two state lines within an hour

Missouri is 40 minutes north of Bentonville and Oklahoma 30 minutes west of Fayetteville, so cross-border questions come up constantly. Federal law lets a resident of another state buy a rifle or shotgun from an Arkansas dealer when the sale is legal in both states. Handguns are different: they must be transferred by a dealer in the buyer's own state. If that is you, name an FFL at home and we will ship there. When you carry across the line, the other state's law applies the moment you cross it.

What Northwest Arkansas buys

Bolt-action riflesOzark whitetailsLever actions.30-30 in the hollowsTurkey gunsApril gobblers.22 riflessquirrel seasonCarry pistolscompact 9mmRiflescopeslow-power glass

Deer rifles

Modern gun season →

Turkey shotguns

Browse everything →

Common questions

Can I buy a gun online and pick it up in Fayetteville?

Yes. Order here, choose a licensed dealer in Washington or Benton County, and we ship the firearm to them. You do Form 4473 and the NICS background check at their counter and take the gun home from there.

What do I need to bring?

Government photo ID with your current address, the dealer transfer fee, and your order number. Students whose licence shows a home address elsewhere in Arkansas are still Arkansas residents, so that is fine. An out-of-state licence is a different matter. See the next answer.

I am a University of Arkansas student from another state. Can I buy a gun here?

A rifle or shotgun, yes, if the sale is legal in both Arkansas and your home state and you are 18 or older. A handgun can only be transferred to you by a dealer in your state of residence, and you must be 21. Federal residency rules for students are fact specific, so ask the dealer before you order.

Can I carry on the University of Arkansas campus?

Only with an enhanced concealed handgun licence under Ark. Code 5-73-322, and not everywhere. Events covered by an approved security plan, which includes Razorback football and basketball games, remain off limits, as do some posted areas and disciplinary hearings. Storing a handgun in a dorm room is not allowed under the statute. Read 5-73-322 and the university policy.

Does Fayetteville have stricter gun rules than the rest of Arkansas?

No. Ark. Code 14-16-504 and 14-54-1411 prevent cities and counties from regulating firearm ownership, transfer, carrying or possession. Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville all follow state law. Cities may regulate discharging a firearm inside their limits.

I live in Missouri or Oklahoma. Can I use an Arkansas dealer?

For a long gun, yes, where the sale is lawful in both states. Handguns must be transferred by a dealer in your own state, so have us ship to an FFL there instead. We ship to licensed dealers in any state where the firearm is legal.

What is the CWD zone I keep hearing about?

Chronic wasting disease was first found in Arkansas deer and elk in Newton County in 2016, and AGFC manages a group of north Arkansas counties as a CWD management zone. Special rules there cover moving carcasses out of the zone and feeding or baiting. The county list changes, so look at the current AGFC deer guidebook.

What rifle suits the Ozarks?

A handy bolt action or lever gun with a low-power scope. Shots in the oak and hickory hollows are mostly under 150 yards, so .308, .30-06, 7mm-08, .243 and .30-30 all do the job. A light rifle matters more than a magnum here, because you will carry it up and down ridges all day.

More Arkansas guides