Transfers

Important Notice

Due to limited availability, beginning January 1, 2022, The Trophy Room, LLC will no longer handle firearm transfers.  If you are an existing client with a firearm en route and have not yet contacted us, please contact The Trophy Room, LLC as soon as possible.  Our email address is [email protected].  Please send us tracking information for any packages you are having sent to The Trophy Room.  If we do not know the package is coming, it will cause delays in the delivery and the package may be returned.  The Trophy Room, LLC will not reimburse fees, charges, or damages for packages that are returned.

For pre-approved transfers, we conduct transfers by appointment only.  Availability of appointment times is extremely limited.

The cost of a transfer is $50.00 per firearm, which includes the mandatory Virginia background check fee. Class III/NFA transfers are $102.00. Cash or check. We have no way to process credit cards.

Do not call or text The Trophy Room, LLC.  There is seldom someone in the office to answer the telephone or waiting around for packages. Therefore, the quickest and easiest way to reach us is by email.

Virginia Resident Transfer

Virginia residents will only need to present a Virginia driver’s license or Virginia DMV issued identification card. The Virginia driver’s license or identification card must contain a current address and be at least 30 days old.

If you have moved and not yet updated your Virginia driver’s license or Virginia DMV issued identification card with your new address, please email us for further instructions.

Multiple Handgun Purchases Within a 30 Day Period.  Effective July 1, 2020, with certain exemptions, it shall be unlawful for any person who is not a licensed firearms dealer to purchase more than one handgun within any 30-day period.  This is a rolling 30-day period and it does not matter if you are purchasing from different dealers.  If you hold a Virginia Permit to Carry a Concealed Handgun, you are exempt from this restriction.  You must present your Virginia Permit to Carry a Concealed Handgun if you are picking up a handgun within 30 days of a prior transfer of a handgun.

Background checks for private transfers of firearms between Virginia residents.  Effective July 1, 2020, no person shall sell a firearm for money, goods, services or anything else of value unless he has obtained verification from a licensed dealer in firearms that information on the prospective purchaser has been submitted for a criminal history record information check.  Of course, this prohibition does not apply unless there is a sale of a firearm.  Other transfers of firearms, such as by gift, do not require a background check.  Because the statute only permits the dealer to collect $15 for the transfer, The Trophy Room, LLC will not be conducting background checks for intrastate transfers between Virginia residents under the new law.

Dual Residency.  Virginia permits firearms purchasers to establish dual residency for purchases. To establish personal identification and dual resident eligibility, the prospective purchaser must present one photo-identification form issued by a governmental agency of the prospective purchaser’s state of legal residence and other documentation of dual residence within the Commonwealth.  The other documentation of dual residence in the Commonwealth may include (i) evidence of (a) currently paid personal property tax or real estate tax;  current lease, (b) current utility or telephone bill, (c) voter registration card, (d) bank check, (e) passport, (f) automobile registration, or (g) hunting or fishing license; (ii) other current identification allowed as evidence of residency by 27 C.F.R. § 178.124 and ATF Ruling 2001-5; or (iii) other documentation of residence determined to be acceptable by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and that corroborates that the prospective purchaser currently resides in Virginia.  Email us in advance if you are unsure of the requirements to establish dual residency.

Non-Resident Transfer

WARNING: DO NOT HAVE A HANDGUN SHIPPED TO THE TROPHY ROOM IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF MARYLAND, WASHINGTON, DC., OR ANY OTHER STATE BESIDES VIRGINIA. If you ship a handgun to The Trophy Room that we are not permitted to transfer to you because of your state of residency, you will be charged the full transfer fee plus any shipping charges to return the handgun or forward it to a dealer in your state of residency. For information on transferring a handgun to a Washington, DC resident, please visit the Metropolitan Police Department website at mpdc.dc.gov/firearms.

The following documentation is required to transfer a rifle or shotgun to a non-resident of Virginia (including Maryland and the District of Columbia):

  1. Home states driver’s license that is at least 30 days old. The name and address on the driver’s license must be current; and
  2. Another document with the same name and address as your driver’s license. Examples could be a voter registration card, utility bill, bank statement, car registration, lease, property tax bill, or concealed handgun permit.

Please keep in mind that in order to transfer a rifle or shotgun, The Trophy Room, LLC must comply with the laws of your home state as well as Virginia law. For example, if the rifle is a regulated firearm under Maryland law (AR-15, AK-47 clone, etc.), Maryland law states that these can only be transferred through a Maryland dealer to a Maryland resident. The Trophy Room, LLC cannot transfer regulated firearms under Maryland law to a Maryland resident.  We also do not sell or otherwise transfer magazines to residents of states where the resident would be prohibited from buying from a dealer in their state of residence or possessing the magazine.

Transfers to Members of the Military

Members of the military that cannot meet the above requirements can provide the following documentation:

  1. Home states driver’s license that is at least 30 days old. As long as you are active duty, it does not matter if your license is expired; and
  2. Military ID; and
  3. Military Orders or Leave and Earnings Statement (a) putting your permanent duty station in Virginia or (b) putting your permanent duty station in a nearby State if you live in Virginia but your duty station is not in Virginia; and
  4. If you live in Virginia but your permanent duty station is in a nearby state, some document with your Virginia address (e.g., utility bill, bank statement, lease, bank check, etc.).

The Virginia Code provides that military members who reside in Virginia but whose duty station is in a nearby state, such as Maryland or the District of Columbia, are considered Virginia residents even if they do not possess a Virginia driver’s license. This means that you can lawfully purchase handguns and semi-automatic rifles such as AR-15s in Virginia as a Virginia resident.

If you have any questions related to the documentation required, please contact us via email at [email protected] in advance of making your purchase.

Don’t Lie for the Other Guy

Straw purchases are illegal.  A purchase may be a straw purchase if the actual buyer uses someone else to pick up the firearm because:

  • The actual buyer of the firearm is unable to pass the required background check.
  • The actual buyer desires not have his or her name associated with the transaction.
  • The actual buyer is going to be the user of the firearm but cannot pick up the firearm for some reason.

Straw purchasing is highly illegal and punishable by a $250,000 fine and 10 years in prison.  In addition, in order to pick up a firearm as a straw purchaser, you will have to inevitably lie on the Federal and state background check forms, which also is highly illegal and punishable as a felony with steep fines and prison terms.

Email us in advance if you are unsure if a purchase will be considered a straw purchase (for example, buying a firearm for the purpose of giving it as a gift is not considered a straw purchase).  While we cannot provide legal advice, we can assist you in thinking through the issue.