In this piece, we discuss the ammunition and firearms laws relevant to residents of the state of Oklahoma. To do so, we first go through the laws that govern the sale of ammunition with the aim of explaining the process for having ammo shipped to a home in the state. From there, we turn to the firearm laws, looking at the legal processes for both purchasing and carrying guns in the state. To wrap up, we leave you with some resources that will be useful for folks who want to buy, own, and carry firearms and ammo in Oklahoma.
We do not intend this piece as legal advice. Instead, we hope that you find the information here useful in making your own, informed decisions.
Like many states, Oklahoma has preemption. This means that the state government forbids local political divisions such as counties, cities, and towns from making or enforcing their own gun laws that are stricter than those at the state level. Preemption is good news for gun owners in Oklahoma, as it means that the permissive laws of the state apply to the entire state on a practical level.
Oklahoma’s state-level ammo and firearms laws are permissive. Though there is one small ammunition ban, the state does little to regulate the sale, possession, and carriage of firearms and ammo beyond the rules set at the federal level. This makes the state a highly permissive one.
Ammo Laws/Buying Ammo in Oklahoma
First, we will cover the ammo laws of the state.
The state of Oklahoma prohibits the sale, manufacture, and possession of bullets that are coated in polymer and intended to pierce body armor. This is the state’s only ammo ban and does not make the state much less permissive.
Aside from that niche ban, the state is otherwise permissive in terms of its ammo laws, and buying ammo in Oklahoma is governed by the rules set forth at the federal level, which are enforced by the ATF.
The ATF has two sets of requirements for ammunition buyers. The first is an age requirement: buyers have to be eighteen years of age or older to purchase long gun ammo (for shotguns or rifles) and at least twenty-one to buy handgun ammo. Secondly, buyers cannot be prohibited persons, which the ATF defines as people who have been convicted of felonies or domestic violence, people who have been found mentally unfit in a court, or those who have been involuntarily committed to mental health treatment at an inpatient facility.
Assuming that both requirements are met, Oklahoma does not prevent ammunition from being shipped to a residential address in the state, and thus buyers are welcome to shop online as well as in person. The carrier might well ask for an adult with a valid form of identification to sign for the package containing ammo, though.
Oklahoma’s ban on polymer-coated ammunition might make it very slightly less permissive than is theoretically possible, but the ammo laws of the state are otherwise permissive. It is completely possible for most buyers to have ammunition shipped directly to their door in the state, assuming that the buyer meets the requirements set forth by the federal government.
Gun Laws/Buying Guns in Oklahoma
Now we’ll do the same for the gun laws in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma is similarly permissive in terms of its gun laws when compared to its laws concerning ammunition. There are no major bans at the state level. Oklahoma is fine with its residents owning and using magazines of any size. There are no assault weapons bans in the state, either by a listing of prohibited firearms or the drawing up a list of prohibited features. The state is also welcoming of NFA items, so residents are free to own machine guns, suppressors, and short-barreled rifles and shotguns assuming that the relevant federal rules and regulations are followed.
Buying a firearm at a gun store in Oklahoma follows the standard federally mandated process. Buyers should bring a valid form of identification as well as payment to the local gun store. There, the FFL will insist that the buyer fill out Form 4473 from the ATF to record the purchase and begin a background check. Once the background check is cleared and the payment has been processed, the buyer can leave with their new firearm the same day.
Those selling firearms as private parties do not need to run background checks on buyers, though it is always advisable to ensure that the buyer meets age requirements and is not a prohibited person.
The Carriage of Firearms in Oklahoma is similarly simple. The state allows for both the open and concealed carriage of firearms, and neither method requires a permit. Like most states with permitless concealed carry, Oklahoma still offers concealed carry permits on a shall-issue basis. The primary benefit of having an Oklahoma concealed carry permit is that it allows the permitted person to legally carry a concealed firearm in the states that recognize Oklahoma’s permit.
Like most states, Oklahoma has a list of places where it is forbidden to carry a firearm generally. In Oklahoma, this list includes:
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State and Local Government Buildings
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Federal Buildings (Which includes your local post office, by the way)
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K-12 Schools
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Casinos
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Public Sporting Events
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Fenced-off/Controlled areas
This list is not an unusual one, even for permissive states. One small, unique part of Oklahoma’s restrictions is that it makes special exceptions that allow people who have concealed carry permits to carry a firearm on private school property and in private school vehicles. Might be wise to double-check the policy of any individual school, though, as the state allows people who own private property to disallow firearms on that property.
Overall, Oklahoma is very gun-friendly. The small ding against the state’s permissiveness comes from a ban on a fairly niche type of ammunition. Otherwise, both buying and carrying firearms in the state is governed mostly by federal law, which, because federal law applies in the US as a whole, means that Oklahoma is nearly as permissive as it is legally possible to be within the US. There are no major gun bans in the state, either: residents are free to buy, own, and carry any firearm that is allowed by the federal government, within the state of Oklahoma. Thus, it can be considered a highly permissive state.
Sales Tax on Guns/Ammo in Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s base sales tax rate is 4.5%. Many localities institute additional taxes, sometimes making the effective sales tax rate as high as 11.5%. This makes it worthwhile to shop around for an FFL in one of the lower-taxed parts of the state.
Oklahoma does not have special, additional taxes on the sale of firearms or ammunition.
More Resources:
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The ATF maintains a list of all of the FFLs in the country, including in Oklahoma. This list can be used to find local gun stores, which are usually Type One or Type Two FFLs.
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Wheretoshoot.org is an excellent tool for finding ranges that are convenient for you. Use the mileage, city, and zip code filters to find ranges that work for you. Users can add new ranges, and the site frequently checks submitted information for accuracy.
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There are a number of well-reviewed gun stores in the state.
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The Oklahoma Shooters Forum is an active space to find relevant local information about firearms events and places to shoot in the state.