Distributors
ATF & PA STATE LAWS
Definitions:
- “Firearm” will have the same definition as set forth in Title 18, Chapter 44, and Title 26, Chapter 53, of the United States Code.
- “Firearm Part” is any part or component of a Firearm that does not by itself meet the definition of a “Firearm.” By way of example only, Firearm Parts include, but are not limited to, barrels, stocks, grips, firing pins, sights, and magazines/clips.
- “Firearm Products” means Firearms and Firearm Parts. The term Firearm Product does not include scopes.
UPS accepts packages containing Firearm Products for shipment only as a contractual service and only from Shippers who are licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, or licensed collectors (as defined in Title 18, Chapter 44 of the United States Code) to authorized recipients, as outlined in the approved UPS agreement for the transportation of Firearm Products.
To transport packages containing Firearm Products, the Shipper must enter into an approved UPS agreement for the transportation of Firearm Products.
The shipper must comply with and must ensure that each shipment containing Firearms or Firearm Parts complies with all federal, state and local laws applicable to the shipper, recipient, and package, including, without limitation, age restrictions. All Firearms and Firearm Parts shipments must also conform to the terms, conditions, restrictions, and prohibitions set forth on this page at the time of shipping, in the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service and UPS Rate and Service Guide in effect at the time of shipping, and in the approved UPS Firearm Products agreement.
Prohibited Firearm Products Shipments
UPS does not accept automatic weapons, including machine guns, for shipment, either domestically or internationally.
UPS does not accept Firearms or Firearm Parts for shipment internationally. Replicas or simulated Firearms are not accepted for shipment internationally except as a contractual service.
UPS does not accept Firearms or Firearm Parts for shipment domestically unless (1) such shipments are in full compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, including, without limitation, age restrictions; (2) such Firearms, including any partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frame or receiver (as defined by 27 CFR § 478.12), have been identified and bear a serial number in a manner that complies with federal law; and (3) such Firearm Parts within a package cannot be assembled to form a Firearm.
Any item that meets the definition of a Firearm (including Firearm mufflers or silencers) or a “frame” or “receiver” under federal law (including any partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frame or receiver as defined by 27 CFR § 478.12) must be identified and bear a serial number in satisfaction of the requirements for identifying such items under federal law, including 27 CFR § 478.92 and/or 27 CFR § 479.102, regardless of whether any such items are otherwise exempt from or not subject to identification requirements under applicable law. This prohibition applies even before the effective date of 27 CFR § 478.12.
Packaging and Labeling Requirements for Firearm Products
The shipper must use Delivery Confirmation Adult Signature Required and Direct Delivery Only services for each package containing a Firearm, including a handgun or a Firearm suppressor, and affix a UPS label requesting an adult signature upon delivery.
All Firearm Products must be shipped in new corrugated packaging that meets the UPS Single Wall Box Strength Guidelines.
All Firearm Products must be packaged in accordance with UPS Packaging Guideline Specifications.
Ammunition must be shipped separately from packages that contain Firearms.
The labeling and outer box markings on all Firearm Products shipments must not identify the contents as containing Firearm Products. Labeling, including the shipper’s and consignee’s abbreviated names on the shipping label or air shipping document, must be non-descriptive.
UPS Services for Your Firearm Products Shipment
UPS Express Critical™ Service and UPS Returns® Services are not available for packages containing Firearms without an express contractual agreement to provide such service.
Handguns, as defined by 18 U.S.C. § 921, will be accepted for transportation only via UPS Next Day Air Services, specifically:
- UPS Next Day Air® Early
- UPS Next Day Air®
- UPS Next Day Air Saver®
UPS, in its sole and unlimited discretion, may require the shipper to select a UPS Next Day Air delivery service for any package containing a Firearm Product.
Getting Your Firearm Products Shipment to UPS
Except as set forth below, Firearm Products may be tendered only through a UPS Scheduled Pickup service or a UPS On-Call Pickup® request.
Approved shippers can provide a shipping label that complies with UPS’s requirements for the shipment of Firearm Products to customers who need to ship Firearm Products back to the approved shipper (or to another address as agreed upon between UPS and the approved shipper). Such packaged, labeled shipments can be tendered to UPS at a UPS Customer Center, through one of UPS’s Scheduled Pickup services, or through a UPS On-Call Pickup® request.
Firearm Products are not accepted for shipment via UPS Drop Boxes, and may not be tendered to, dropped off, or picked up at locations of The UPS Store®, any third party retailer, or any UPS Access Point™ location. Firearm Products are not eligible for Delivery Change Requests (including, but not limited to, requests to reroute) or UPS My Choice® requests.
For approved Firearm Products shippers, refer to your UPS agreement for the shipment of Firearm Products, the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service – United States and the UPS Rate and Service Guide in effect at the time of shipping for more information regarding Firearm Products and ammunition shipments.
To encourage safety and deter potentially harmful activities, we prohibit attempts by individuals, manufacturers, and retailers to purchase, sell, raffle, gift, transfer or trade certain goods and services on our platform. Brick-and-mortar and online retailers may promote firearms, alcohol, and tobacco items available for sale off of our services; however, we restrict visibility of this content for minors. We allow discussions about the sale of these goods in stores or by online retailers, as well as advocating for changes to regulations of goods and services covered in this policy.
Firearms Content that:
- Attempts to buy, sell, or trade, firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, explosives, or lethal enhancements except when posted by a Page, Group or Instagram profile representing legitimate brick-and-mortar entities, including retail businesses, websites, brands or government agencies (e.g. police department, fire department) or a private individual sharing content on behalf of legitimate brick-and-mortar entities.
- Attempts to donate or gift firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, explosives, or lethal enhancements except when posted in the following contexts:
- Donating, trading in or buying back firearms and ammunition by a Page, Group or Instagram profile representing legitimate brick-and-mortar entities, including retail businesses, websites, brands or government agencies, or a private individual sharing content on behalf of legitimate brick-and-mortar entities.
- An auction or raffle of firearms by legitimate brick-and-mortar entities, including retail businesses, government-affiliated organizations or non-profits, or private individuals affiliated with or sponsored by legitimate brick-and-mortar entities.
- Asks for firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, explosives, or lethal enhancements
- Sells, gifts, exchanges, transfers, coordinates, promotes (by which we mean speaks positively about, encourages the use of) or provides access to 3D printing or computer-aided manufacturing instructions for firearms or firearms parts regardless of context or poster.
- Non-medical drugs (drugs or substances that are not being used for an intended medical purpose or are used recreationally to achieve an altered mental state.)
Content that:
- Attempts to buy, sell, trade, co-ordinate the trade of, donate, gift or asks for non-medical drugs.
- Admits to buying, trading or co-ordinating the trade of non-medical drugs by the poster of the content by themselves or through others.
- Admits to personal use without acknowledgment of or reference to recovery, treatment, or other assistance to combat usage. This content may not speak positively about, encourage use of, coordinate or provide instructions to make or use non-medical drugs.
- Coordinates or promotes (by which we mean speaks positively about, encourages the use of, or provides instructions to use or make) non-medical drugs.
Pharmaceutical drugs (drugs that require a prescription or medical professionals to administer)
Content that:
- Attempts to buy, sell or trade alcohol or tobacco except when:
- Posted by a Page, Group, or Instagram profile representing legitimate brick-and-mortar entities, including retail businesses, websites or brands, or a private individual sharing content on behalf of legitimate brick-and-mortar entities.
- Content refers to alcohol/tobacco that will be exchanged or consumed on location at an event, restaurant, bar, party and so on.
- Attempts to donate or gift alcohol or tobacco except when posted by a Page, Group, or Instagram profile representing legitimate brick-and-mortar entities, including retail businesses, websites or brands, or a private individual sharing content on behalf of legitimate brick-and-mortar entities.
- Asks for alcohol or tobacco
- Weight loss products
- Content about weight loss that contains a miracle claim and attempts to buy, sell, trade, donate or gift weight loss products.
- Historical artifacts
- Content that attempts to buy, sell, trade, donate or gift or asks for historical artifacts.
- Entheogens
Content that attempts to buy, sell, trade, donate or gift or asks for entheogens.
- Note: Debating or advocating for the legality or discussing scientific or medical merits of entheogens is allowed.
Hazardous Goods and Materials - Content that attempts to buy, sell, trade, donate or gift or asks for hazardous goods and materials.
- Except when any of the above occurs in a fictional or documentary context
For the following content, we restrict visibility to adults 21 years of age and older:
- Firearms
Content posted by or promoting legitimate brick-and-mortar store, entities, including retail businesses websites, brands, or government agencies which attempt to buy, sell, trade, donate or gift (including in the context of an auction or a raffle) firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, explosives, or lethal enhancements. - For the following content, we restrict visibility to adults 18 years of age and older:
Alcohol/tobacco
Content posted by or promoting legitimate brick-and-mortar entities, including retail businesses websites or brands, which attempt to buy, sell, trade, donate or gift of alcohol or tobacco products.
Bladed weapons
- Content that attempts to buy, sell, trade, donate or gift bladed weapons.
Weight loss products and potentially dangerous cosmetic procedures
Content that - Attempts to buy, sell, trade, donate or gift weight loss products or potentially dangerous cosmetic procedures.
- Admits to or depicts using a weight loss product or potentially dangerous cosmetic procedures, except when admitting to use in a disapproval context.
Shows coordination or promotion (by which we mean speaks positively, encourages the use of or provides instructions to use or make a diet product or perform dangerous cosmetic procedures). - Sex toys and sexual enhancement products
- Content that attempts to buy, sell, trade, donate or gift sex toys and sexual enhancement products
- Real money gambling
Content that shows admission to personal use of, coordinates or promotes (by which we mean speaks positively about), or encourages the use of entheogens.
Except when any of the above occurs in a fictional or documentary context.
For the following Community Standards, we require additional information and/or context to enforce:
- In certain cases, we will allow content that may otherwise violate the Community Standards when it is determined that the content is satirical. Content will only be allowed if the violating elements of the content are being satirized or attributed to something or someone else in order to mock or criticize them.