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FACT BRIEF

Can 18-year-olds in Wisconsin legally buy a handgun through a private sale?

By Tom Kertscher
View this fact brief on Wisconsin Watch
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YES

Private sales of handguns to individuals age 18 are allowed in Wisconsin, as long as the buyer and seller live in Wisconsin and the buyer is not otherwise prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms under federal law.

Federal firearms licensed dealers, however, are prohibited by federal law from selling a handgun to anyone under 21.

Twenty-two states, including Iowa and Illinois, have laws that prohibit handgun sales to people under 21, according to the anti gun-violence group Everytown for Gun Safety.

Wisconsin does not.

Democratic state lawmakers in Wisconsin introduced legislation in June 2023 to require background checks on all gun sales. Currently, background checks are required only in sales made by federally licensed gun dealers — not private sales.

Republicans control the Wisconsin Legislature and have declined to implement universal background checks in the past.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US Concealed Carry Association Wisconsin Gun Laws: What You Need to Know
Wisconsin State Legislature Firearm Regulation in Wisconsin
US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Does a customer have to be a certain age to buy firearms or ammunition from a licensee?
US Concealed Carry Association Federal Private Firearm Transfer Laws
Everytown Research & Policy Has the state raised the minimum age for purchasing firearms?
US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives May an individual between the ages of 18 and 21 years of age acquire a handgun from an unlicensed individual who is also a resident of that same state?
DocumentCloud 2023 background check bill Wisconsin Legislature
Wisconsin Public Radio After Call From Students, GOP Blocks Measure On Background Checks For Gun Purchases
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.