How buying a gun in Anchorage 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 Alaska law allows.
Alaska adds no state requirements to a dealer purchase. There is no purchase permit, no waiting period and no registration, and dealers run the federal NICS check. Federal ages apply, 21 for a handgun and 18 for a rifle or shotgun. Because so much of the state is off the road system, plan the transfer with your dealer before you order, and note that freight schedules can add time to delivery. Ammunition and gear ship to most Alaska addresses, though remote deliveries take longer.
Dealers in these communities all work for Anchorage-area buyers:
- Eagle River
- Chugiak
- Girdwood
- Palmer
- Wasilla
- Eklutna
- Indian
- Bird Creek
Carrying a gun in Anchorage County
Alaska has allowed carry without a permit since 2003. The Department of Public Safety states that a person 21 or older who may legally possess a firearm may carry it openly or concealed without a permit. The department still issues the optional Alaska concealed handgun permit, valid five years, which requires residency, an approved handgun competency course and a clean record, and is mainly used for reciprocity when traveling. You must tell a peace officer you are armed when contacted and follow posted restrictions.
Hunting near Anchorage
There is no deer season in the Anchorage area. Big game around the city means moose, black and brown bear, Dall sheep and mountain goat, and the 2026-27 regulations for Game Management Unit 14C set a bow-only moose hunt in late August, a general bull moose season through September on a harvest ticket, and several drawing permit hunts. Inside the Anchorage Management Area the antlerless moose hunt is limited to shotguns and muzzleloaders by drawing permit, and other nearby areas are bow only, so read the unit regulations closely.
Anchorage sits in Game Management Unit 14C, which has no deer season but holds moose, black and brown bear, Dall sheep and mountain goat hunts. Several areas close to town are bow only or limited to shotguns and muzzleloaders under drawing permits.
Moose walk through neighborhoods here and brown bears use the creek drainages, so heavy-caliber rifles and bear defense loads sell steadily alongside rifles bound for fly-in hunts.
Public shooting ranges near Anchorage
The public ranges below are run or officially listed by state wildlife agencies, state forests or the national forests in the states we cover. Most ask for a hunting license, a range permit or a small day fee, and hours change with the season, so check the agency page before you drive out.
Source: State wildlife agency and U.S. Forest Service public range lists, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.