Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Madison County. Huntsville sits under the Tennessee River bluffs with Redstone Arsenal and the aerospace and defense employers around it driving growth. Parts and tools ship to your door; pistols ship to a Madison County dealer.
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 Alabama law allows.
Alabama requires no purchase permit, no waiting period and no registration, and dealers call the federal NICS system directly. You complete ATF Form 4473 at the dealer with a current photo ID and take the firearm once the check clears, subject to the federal ages of 21 for handguns and 18 for long guns. Online orders ship to the Alabama FFL you choose. Alabama law enforcement also maintains a prohibited-person database used to flag people who may not possess firearms.
Dealers in these communities all work for Huntsville-area buyers:
Alabama dropped its concealed carry permit requirement on January 1, 2023, so eligible adults may carry concealed without a license. Sheriffs still issue the optional pistol permit under the Alabama Uniform Concealed Carry Permit Act, in one-year, five-year and lifetime terms, and it remains useful for reciprocity and for some employers. The permit age is 19, or 18 for service members and honorably discharged veterans. Posted private property, schools and courthouses are still restricted, so read the signs.
In Zones A, B and C, which cover most of north and central Alabama, archery deer season opens October 15 and runs to February 10, with a special youth gun hunt in mid-November and gun or stalk hunting from November 21, 2026 to February 10, 2027. Zones D and E open earlier and close in late January. Centerfire rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders and air rifles are all legal in the gun season, with dog hunting allowed in certain areas. Check the current zone map and season table for your county before you hunt.
Madison County follows the Zone A calendar with gun season November 21 to February 10; Wheeler NWR carries the waterfowl hunting and the Swan Creek WMA range closes during duck season.
Engineers here read a parts diagram for fun, and Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge west of town brings in wintering ducks and geese.
The public ranges below are run or officially listed by state wildlife agencies and state forests near the cities we cover. Most ask for a hunting or fishing license, an access permit or a small daily fee, and some close for the season, so check the agency page before you drive out.
Source: State wildlife agency public range lists (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia), September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.
Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Madison, Athens, Decatur, Huntsville or anywhere in Madison County, and we ship the firearm to them. You fill out ATF Form 4473 at their counter and they run the background check.
No. Since January 1, 2023 eligible adults may carry concealed without a permit. The Madison County Sheriff still issues optional permits for reciprocity.
No. Alabama has no waiting period and no purchase permit. The dealer runs the federal background check and completes the sale when it clears.
Yes. Feral swine may be taken year round during daylight on private land with permission, and night hunting is allowed in set windows with the right license.
Bare steel pins, springs and strikers rust if left wet; nitrided or stainless parts resist it. Dry the pistol after a wet day and oil lightly.
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.
General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our buying guide and check with Madison County Sheriff or a local attorney about your own situation.