How buying a gun in Reno works
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 Nevada law allows.
Lights, lasers, mounts and batteries are accessories and ship to your door; the rules below matter only when you order a pistol or rifle to put them on. Nevada has no purchase permit and no waiting period. The firearm ships to the Nevada dealer you name at checkout. The dealer runs the check through the Nevada Department of Public Safety, which charges a small fee, and since 2020 private sales also go through a dealer. Federal age limits apply: 21 for a handgun from a dealer, 18 for a long gun.
Dealers in these communities all work for Reno-area buyers:
- Sparks
- Carson City
- Fernley
- Sun Valley
- Spanish Springs
- Incline Village
- Minden
- Gardnerville
Carrying a gun in Washoe County
Nevada requires a concealed firearm permit to carry concealed; open carry is lawful without one. Permits are issued by the Washoe County Sheriff to residents 21 and over who complete an approved course. Schools, childcare facilities, public buildings with metal detectors and posted property remain off limits.
Hunting near Reno
Nevada allocates mule deer tags by draw for numbered units, with rifle seasons mostly in October and November and archery earlier. Centerfire rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders and handguns are legal in any-legal-weapon seasons. Applications close in the spring, so plan a year ahead for a rifle tag.
Washoe County hunters draw for mule deer in the units north toward the Black Rock and east into the Pine Nuts; rifle tags are limited and go quickly.
Nevada requires a permit from the sheriff to carry concealed; the BLM land east of Sparks has informal shooting and the county range is where most lights get zeroed.
Public shooting ranges near Reno
These ranges are run by or officially listed by a state wildlife agency, a state forest or a national forest. Most ask for a hunting licence, a range permit or a small day fee, and hours change with the season, so check the agency page before you go.
Source: State wildlife agency, state forest and U.S. Forest Service public range listings, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.