Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Alachua County. Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, and the surrounding county is timberland, farms and springs country around High Springs. Alachua County has its own five-day waiting period on sales in the county.
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Florida law allows.
To buy any firearm from a Florida dealer you must be 21 or older and pass an FDLE background check at the FFL when you pick up. Handgun buyers must be Florida residents under federal law. State law sets a waiting period of three business days (weekends and legal holidays excluded) or until the check clears, whichever is later, on all firearms. Concealed Weapon License holders, trade-ins and rifle or shotgun buyers with a hunter safety card are exempt. Some counties, such as Miami-Dade and Alachua, set up to five days.
Dealers in these communities all work for Gainesville-area buyers:
Since July 1, 2023, anyone who meets the eligibility rules for a Florida Concealed Weapon License may carry a concealed handgun without one, as long as they carry valid ID and show it to an officer on request. A September 2025 appeals ruling ended enforcement of the open carry ban. The license is still issued by the FDACS Division of Licensing, and many Alachua County Tax Collector offices take applications. It adds reciprocity in other states and skips the three-day wait. Courthouses, schools, polling places and other listed places stay off limits.
Florida splits deer hunting into Zones A, B, C and D, and the dates differ a lot. For 2026-27 the FWC lists general gun season as Sept. 19 to Oct. 18 and Nov. 21 to Jan. 3 in Zone A, Dec. 5 to Feb. 21 in Zone B, Nov. 7 to Jan. 24 in Zone C, and Nov. 26-29 plus Dec. 12 to Feb. 21 in Zone D. Centerfire rifles, shotguns, handguns and muzzleloaders are used for deer; rimfire cartridges are not legal for deer. Antler rules follow the local deer management unit around Alachua County.
Alachua County is Zone C, split across several deer management units, so check the FWC map for antler rules. Goethe State Forest and Lochloosa WMA are nearby public options.
Hunters here use Goethe State Forest to the southwest, and the Osceola National Forest range near Lake City is about an hour north.
These public ranges are run by or with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, several of them on wildlife management areas and national forests. Fees, hours and supervision differ, so check each range page before you go; Cecil M. Webb needs a management area permit or a day entry fee.
Source: FWC-Managed Public Shooting Ranges list, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.
Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Alachua, High Springs, Newberry, Gainesville or anywhere in Alachua County, and we ship the firearm to them. You fill out ATF Form 4473 at their counter and they run the background check.
No. Florida has no purchase permit. You need to be 21, pass the FDLE background check at the dealer, and wait three business days unless you hold a Concealed Weapon License or another exemption applies. Alachua County may add its own waiting period, so ask the receiving dealer.
We ship the firearm to a licensed FFL dealer you choose near Gainesville. You fill out ATF Form 4473 there, the dealer runs the FDLE check, and you take the gun home once the check and any waiting period are done.
Yes, if you meet the same eligibility rules as a Concealed Weapon License applicant and carry valid ID. Prohibited places such as courthouses, schools and polling places still apply.
Many owners keep one because it is honored in a number of other states and exempts you from the three-day waiting period. It costs $97 for a new resident license and $45 to renew, per FDACS.
Ammunition, optics and most parts can ship directly to a Florida home address. You must be of legal age and give a valid address; firearms always go to an FFL.
Florida deer are small-bodied and most shots in pine and palmetto cover are under 150 yards, so a .243, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 or .30-30 is plenty. Check the FWC zone dates and antler rules for your deer management unit before the season.
Each dealer sets its own fee, commonly $20 to $75. Call before you order to confirm the price and that they accept firearms shipped from an online store.
General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our Florida gun law overview and check with FDACS Division of Licensing (applications at many Alachua County Tax Collector offices) or a local attorney about your own situation.