How buying a gun in Erie 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 Pennsylvania law allows.
Pennsylvania runs its own instant check, PICS, alongside the federal check, and dealers charge a small fee for it. The firearm ships to the Pennsylvania dealer you name at checkout. Handguns must always transfer through a dealer, and there is no waiting period and no purchase permit. Federal age limits apply: 21 for a handgun from a dealer, 18 for a long gun.
Dealers in these communities all work for Erie-area buyers:
- Millcreek
- Harborcreek
- Fairview
- North East
- Girard
- Edinboro
- Waterford
- Corry
Carrying a gun in Erie County
Pennsylvania requires a Licence to Carry Firearms to carry a handgun concealed or in a vehicle; open carry is lawful without one outside Philadelphia. Licences are issued by the Erie County Sheriff to residents 21 and over and are honoured by a number of other states. Courthouses, schools and federal buildings remain off limits.
Hunting near Erie
Pennsylvania's firearms deer season opens on the Saturday after Thanksgiving with Sunday hunting and runs about two weeks, with archery from early October. Semi-automatic rifles may not be used for big game; manually operated centerfire rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders and handguns are legal. Antlerless licences are sold by Wildlife Management Unit.
Erie County is Lake Erie shoreline and the grape belt, a waterfowl flyway with Presque Isle's bay and deer in the WMU 1B farm woodlots; firearms season opens the Saturday after Thanksgiving and semi-autos are not allowed for deer.
Presque Isle Bay and the lake shore draw duck hunters in late fall, and the game lands ranges to the south are the Game Commission's local facilities.
Public shooting ranges near Erie
These ranges are run by or officially listed by a state wildlife agency, a state forest or a national forest. Most ask for a hunting licence, a range permit or a small day fee, and hours change with the season, so check the agency page before you go.
Source: State wildlife agency, state forest and U.S. Forest Service public range listings, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.