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Gun shop San Antonio, Texas

Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Bexar County. San Antonio is the Bexar County seat and the second-largest city in Texas, built around the Alamo and the four Spanish colonial missions strung along the San Antonio River south of downtown. Joint Base San Antonio ties Fort Sam Houston, Lackland and Randolph together, and the Balcones Escarpment cuts across the north side where the city climbs into the Hill Country.

San Antonio, Bexar County
CountyBexar
LicensesTexas Department of Public Safety, Handgun Licensing
Hunting zoneNorth Zone
Public range

How buying a gun in San Antonio 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 Texas law allows.

Texas requires no purchase permit, no registration and no state waiting period. At a licensed dealer you show photo identification, fill out ATF Form 4473 and wait for the federal NICS background check; the Department of Public Safety notes that a current Texas License to Carry may be used in place of that check when you buy a handgun. At the counter, federal law puts the floor at 18 for long guns and 21 for handguns, and Texas adds nothing to that. A private sale between two Texas residents needs no state check, though it remains an offense to hand a firearm to someone you know may not legally have one.

Dealers in these communities all work for San Antonio-area buyers:

  • Alamo Heights
  • Leon Valley
  • Converse
  • Schertz
  • Universal City
  • Helotes
  • Live Oak
  • Castle Hills
  • Von Ormy
  • China Grove

Carrying a gun in Bexar County

Texas has allowed license-free handgun carry since the Firearm Carry Act of 2021 took effect on September 1 of that year: an adult of 21 or older who may lawfully possess a firearm can carry a handgun, concealed or in a holster, without applying for anything. Licenses are still issued, and they are issued statewide by the Department of Public Safety rather than by any county office. Schools, courthouses, polling places during voting, secured airport areas, correctional facilities and premises that draw more than half their receipts from on-site alcohol sales remain closed to carry, and a property owner may post the signs described in Penal Code 30.06 and 30.07.

Hunting near San Antonio

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department sets white-tailed deer seasons county by county. Archery-only season runs October 3 to November 6, 2026. The 2026-27 general season runs November 7, 2026 to January 3, 2027 in the North Zone, which takes in Bexar County and most of the Hill Country, and to January 17, 2027 in the South Zone below U.S. Highway 90. Muzzleloader and the North Zone special late season fall on January 4 to 17, 2027, with the South Zone late season January 18 to 31, 2027. Any legal firearm may be used, but rimfire ammunition of any caliber is barred for deer. Bag limits and antler rules change at the county line, so read the Bexar County page in the Outdoor Annual.

Bexar County sits in the North Zone, with the general season November 7, 2026 to January 3, 2027, a bag of five deer and no more than two bucks, and a special late season January 4 to 17, 2027 limited to antlerless and unbranched-antlered deer. Hunting is on private leases west toward Medina County and south into the brush, since city discharge rules cover the built-up area.

Government Canyon State Natural Area and Medina Lake lie on the northwest edge, Calaveras and Braunig lakes on the south side, and working ranch country starts within half an hour of Loop 1604 past Helotes and Somerset.

Concealed carry pistols for San Antonio

Carry guide →

Home defense for San Antonio

Home defense guide →

Buying a gun in San Antonio: common questions

Can I buy a gun online and pick it up in San Antonio?

Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Alamo Heights, Leon Valley, Converse, San Antonio or anywhere in Bexar County, and we ship the firearm to them. You fill out ATF Form 4473 at their counter and they run the background check.

Do I need a permit to buy a rifle or handgun in San Antonio?

No. Texas issues no purchase permit and keeps no registry. You complete Form 4473 and pass the NICS check at the licensed dealer in or near San Antonio that receives your order.

Is there a waiting period in Texas?

There is no state waiting period. If NICS returns a proceed, the dealer can transfer the firearm the same day you walk in to collect it.

Can I carry a handgun in San Antonio without a license?

Since September 1, 2021 an adult of 21 or older who can lawfully own a firearm may carry a handgun in Texas without a license, concealed or holstered, subject to the places listed in Penal Code 46.03.

Who issues the Texas License to Carry?

The Texas Department of Public Safety issues it for the whole state. Bexar County plays no part in the application, and the fee is the same wherever you live.

Where do my firearms ship?

Rifles, shotguns and handguns go to a licensed dealer you name. Ammunition, optics, magazines and parts ship to your address in Texas.

Can a city in Texas add its own gun rules?

Texas preempts most local firearm regulation, so San Antonio, New Braunfels and San Marcos follow state law on purchase and carry. City ordinances still govern discharging a firearm inside the limits, and posted private property rules apply everywhere.

What does an FFL transfer cost in San Antonio?

Each dealer sets its own fee, commonly $20 to $75. Call before you order to confirm the price and that they accept firearms shipped from an online store.

Nearby cities

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More Texas guides

General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our Texas gun law overview and check with Texas Department of Public Safety, Handgun Licensing or a local attorney about your own situation.