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Gun shop Elko, Nevada

Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Elko County. Elko is the capital of northeastern Nevada, built on ranching and on the gold mines of the Carlin Trend that still run shift buses out of town every morning. Its Basque boarding houses and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering give the place a character no other I-80 town has.

Elko, Elko County
CountyElko
LicensesElko County Sheriff, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in Clark County
Hunting zoneRuby Mountains and Independence Range
Public rangeIn the county

How buying a gun in Elko 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 Nevada law allows.

Nevada has no permit to purchase, no firearm registration and no state waiting period. What it does have, since January 2, 2020, is a background check on nearly every transfer: buying from a dealer means photo ID, ATF Form 4473 and a federal NICS check, and two private parties must appear together at a licensed dealer so the dealer can run the check, with narrow exceptions in statute for immediate family and short temporary transfers. Under federal law a dealer sells rifles and shotguns from age 18 and handguns from age 21. Nothing in state law adds a second permit or a second wait.

Dealers in these communities all work for Elko-area buyers:

  • Spring Creek
  • Lamoille
  • Carlin
  • Ryndon
  • Osino
  • Halleck
  • Wells
  • Jackpot

Carrying a gun in Elko County

Open carry of a handgun needs no license in Nevada for an adult who may lawfully possess one. Carrying concealed requires a Nevada concealed firearm permit, and permits are issued by the sheriff of the county where you live, which in the Las Vegas valley means the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Applicants must be 21, or 18 to 20 with active-duty or honorably discharged military service, and must pass a Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs firearms safety course that includes live fire. A permit runs five years and the sheriff has up to 120 days to decide. Schools, child care property and posted public buildings are off limits.

Hunting near Elko

The Nevada Department of Wildlife sets big-game hunts by hunt unit and hunt code rather than by one statewide season. Mule deer, elk and pronghorn tags are drawn from the annual big-game draw, with applications open from about mid-March to mid-May; the 2026 deadline was May 7. Most any-legal-weapon mule deer hunts fall between October and late November, with earlier archery and muzzleloader hunts and a few late hunts either side. State rules allow a centerfire rifle from .22 through .50 caliber with a case no longer than three inches, and prohibit full metal jacket, steel core and tracer ammunition.

Elko is the gateway to the Ruby Mountains, the highest and wettest range in the Great Basin, with mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, Himalayan snowcock and the Ruby Marshes all within an hour. Lamoille Canyon and the Independence Range carry most of the public access.

Elko County runs a public shooting range northwest of town, open from dawn to dusk with reserved bays and public lanes, and the surrounding BLM ground is open to dispersed shooting.

Public shooting ranges near Elko

The Nevada Department of Wildlife does not run public shooting ranges, so Nevada's public ranges are county and city facilities; everything else on our list would be a private club, which we leave out. Dispersed shooting on BLM and Forest Service ground is allowed in most of the state but is closed across much of the Las Vegas valley by county ordinance, so check before you drive out.

Source: Clark, Washoe and Elko county parks and community development pages, the City of Carson City parks department and BLM Nevada, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.

Deer rifles for Elko

Hunting guide →

Carry pistols for Elko

Carry guide →

Buying a gun in Elko: common questions

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

Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Spring Creek, Lamoille, Carlin, Elko or anywhere in Elko 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 gun in Elko?

No. Nevada has no permit to purchase and no firearm registration. You show photo ID, fill out ATF Form 4473 and pass a federal background check at the licensed dealer near Elko that receives your order.

Is there a waiting period in Nevada?

No. Nevada has no state waiting period. Once the background check clears, the dealer can hand the firearm over the same day, and most checks come back in minutes.

Who issues concealed carry permits in Elko County?

The sheriff of the county where you live issues the Nevada concealed firearm permit; in Clark County that is the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. You must be 21, or 18 to 20 with qualifying military service, and pass a Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs course with live fire.

How does a gun I order reach Elko?

We ship every firearm to a licensed dealer near Elko that you choose at checkout, never to your home. The dealer runs the background check and hands the gun over. Ammunition, optics and most parts ship straight to your door.

What does a transfer cost?

Each dealer sets its own transfer fee, commonly $25 to $50 per firearm, and some charge more for handguns. Ask the dealer near Elko what it charges before you order.

What rifle works for mule deer and elk near Elko?

Shots across sage flats and open basins can be long, so flat-shooting cartridges such as the 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, .308, .30-06 and 7mm Remington Magnum are the usual picks, and many elk hunters move up to a .300 Winchester Magnum. State rules require an expanding bullet, so leave full metal jacket ammunition at home.

What does an FFL transfer cost in Elko?

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 Nevada guides

General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our Nevada gun law overview and check with Elko County Sheriff, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in Clark County or a local attorney about your own situation.