Can I sell a gun to anyone in Michigan without a background check?

Generally no. A private purchaser generally must obtain a license to purchase after an eligibility check, or qualify for a specific exemption such as holding a Michigan CPL, being a federally licensed dealer, being a qualifying police officer, or having had a non-pistol purchase go through an FFL background check within the last five days. Even an exempt purchase still requires the seller to complete the state sales record.

Does a Michigan bill of sale need to be notarized?

No — this template does not require a notary. What Michigan does require is the official paperwork: both parties sign the purchase license, the seller keeps a copy and gives one to the purchaser, and for a pistol the seller returns the remaining copy to the licensing authority within 10 days.

What if the buyer is from out of state?

Federal law ordinarily requires an interstate transfer between private residents to pass through an FFL in the recipient's state. Confirm Michigan residency before relying on the state's purchase-license private-transfer route described here.

Is this Michigan bill of sale a substitute for the purchase license or pistol record?

No. A handwritten receipt cannot substitute for the statutory purchase-license and pistol-record process. This Bill of Sale is a plain-language supplement to that official paperwork, not a replacement for it, an FFL transfer, or any other legal requirement that applies to a specific sale.

Can I sell a gun to anyone in Michigan without a background check?

Generally no. A private purchaser generally must obtain a license to purchase after an eligibility check, or qualify for a specific exemption such as holding a Michigan CPL, being a federally licensed dealer, being a qualifying police officer, or having had a non-pistol purchase go through an FFL background check within the last five days. Even an exempt purchase still requires the seller to complete the state sales record.

Does a Michigan bill of sale need to be notarized?

No — this template does not require a notary. What Michigan does require is the official paperwork: both parties sign the purchase license, the seller keeps a copy and gives one to the purchaser, and for a pistol the seller returns the remaining copy to the licensing authority within 10 days.

What if the buyer is from out of state?

Federal law ordinarily requires an interstate transfer between private residents to pass through an FFL in the recipient's state. Confirm Michigan residency before relying on the state's purchase-license private-transfer route described here.

Is this Michigan bill of sale a substitute for the purchase license or pistol record?

No. A handwritten receipt cannot substitute for the statutory purchase-license and pistol-record process. This Bill of Sale is a plain-language supplement to that official paperwork, not a replacement for it, an FFL transfer, or any other legal requirement that applies to a specific sale.

Michigan Firearm Bill of Sale

Michigan is different from most private-sale states: a purchaser generally must present a valid license to purchase, issued after an eligibility check, or qualify for a specific statutory exemption (most Michigan CPL holders, an FFL-run background check within the last five days for a non-pistol firearm, and a few others). At the transfer, the seller and purchaser sign the license and identify the firearm, and for a pistol the seller must return a copy to the licensing authority within 10 days.

A Bill of Sale does not replace any of that. It supplements the required purchase-license and pistol-record paperwork with the buyer's and seller's own plain-language record of what was sold, for how much, and when — useful alongside the state's official documentation, not instead of it.

This Michigan-specific template mirrors the fields Michigan gun owners actually need: full party details, the firearm's make, model, caliber, and serial number, the sale terms, and an acknowledgment written around Michigan's purchase-license and eligibility rules — a reminder to complete the state process, not a way around it.

Create Bill of Sale Online

No printing required. Both parties can complete and sign the Bill of Sale from their phones when you meet, then receive signed PDF copies by email.

Prefer paper instead? Download the blank Michigan template, print it, and bring it to the meeting.

Download Michigan PDF Template

Michigan private-sale law snapshot

Background check: A private purchaser generally must obtain a license to purchase after an eligibility check or use another statutory route, such as dealer processing; exemptions depend on the purchaser and firearm.

Bill of Sale requirement: A separate bill of sale does not replace the purchase license, pistol sales record, seller return, or background-check requirements.

A private purchaser generally must present a valid license to purchase issued after an eligibility check or qualify for another statutory route; an FFL is not mandatory for every lawful same-state transfer.

A purchase license is valid for 30 days. At the transfer, the seller and purchaser sign the license and identify the firearm; the seller may keep one copy and must give one to the purchaser. For a pistol, the seller must return the remaining copy to the licensing authority in person or by first-class or certified mail within 10 days. A non-pistol purchase license is not returned for entry in the pistol database.

When the purchaser is exempt from obtaining a purchase license, the seller still completes the state sales record. Exempt purchasers include most Michigan CPL holders, federally licensed dealers, qualifying police officers, and a purchaser of a non-pistol firearm who had an FFL conduct a federal background check no more than five days earlier. A pistol sales record still must be returned within 10 days.

A seller may not knowingly bypass the license process or sell a firearm or ammunition to someone the seller knows is under indictment for a qualifying felony or is prohibited under Michigan's felon and domestic-violence provision. Federal law ordinarily requires an interstate transfer between private residents to pass through an FFL in the recipient's state.

Read the full Michigan Gun Laws guide →

When to use a Michigan Bill of Sale

Confirm the buyer has a valid Michigan license to purchase (issued after an eligibility check) or qualifies for a specific statutory exemption, such as holding a Michigan CPL or having had a non-pistol background check completed by an FFL within the last five days.
Complete and distribute every required official copy — sign the purchase license together, and for a pistol, make sure the seller returns a copy to the licensing authority within 10 days.
Do not sell or transfer based only on a verbal assurance that the buyer may possess firearms — verify identity, Michigan residency, and the license or exemption directly.
Do not knowingly sell to someone under indictment for a qualifying felony or otherwise prohibited under Michigan's felon or domestic-violence provisions.
Record the firearm's make, model, caliber or gauge, and serial number, along with the price and transfer date, then have both parties sign and keep a copy alongside the official paperwork.

Michigan Firearm Bill of Sale FAQ

Do I need a bill of sale to sell a gun in Michigan?: A bill of sale is not itself the legal requirement in Michigan — a separate bill of sale does not replace the purchase license, pistol sales record, seller return, or background-check requirements the state actually requires. Use this template alongside those official steps, not instead of them.
Can I sell a gun to anyone in Michigan without a background check?: Generally no. A private purchaser generally must obtain a license to purchase after an eligibility check, or qualify for a specific exemption such as holding a Michigan CPL, being a federally licensed dealer, being a qualifying police officer, or having had a non-pistol purchase go through an FFL background check within the last five days. Even an exempt purchase still requires the seller to complete the state sales record.
Does a Michigan bill of sale need to be notarized?: No — this template does not require a notary. What Michigan does require is the official paperwork: both parties sign the purchase license, the seller keeps a copy and gives one to the purchaser, and for a pistol the seller returns the remaining copy to the licensing authority within 10 days.
What if the buyer is from out of state?: Federal law ordinarily requires an interstate transfer between private residents to pass through an FFL in the recipient's state. Confirm Michigan residency before relying on the state's purchase-license private-transfer route described here.
Is this Michigan bill of sale a substitute for the purchase license or pistol record?: No. A handwritten receipt cannot substitute for the statutory purchase-license and pistol-record process. This Bill of Sale is a plain-language supplement to that official paperwork, not a replacement for it, an FFL transfer, or any other legal requirement that applies to a specific sale.