Gun shop Preston, Idaho

How buying a gun in Preston 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 Idaho law allows.

Idaho has no permit to purchase, no firearm registration and no state waiting period. At a licensed dealer you show photo identification, complete ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs a federal NICS background check before the gun is handed over. Federal law sets the dealer minimum age at 18 for rifles and shotguns and 21 for handguns. Idaho adds no purchase permit and no state background check on a private sale between two Idaho residents, though it is still a crime to transfer a firearm to someone you know cannot legally have one.

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

• Franklin
• Dayton
• Clifton
• Weston
• Riverdale
• Whitney
• Mink Creek
• Downey
• Malad City
• Fairview

Carrying a gun in Franklin County

Idaho Code 18-3302(4)(f) lets anyone over 18 who is a United States citizen or a current member of the armed forces, and who is not otherwise disqualified, carry a concealed firearm in Idaho without a license. Licenses are still issued, and many people want one for reciprocity and for the federal school-zone exception. The Franklin County sheriff issues both the standard five-year license and the enhanced license, which under Idaho Code 18-3302K requires an eight-hour face-to-face course with at least 98 rounds of live fire. Courthouses, schools and federal buildings stay off-limits.

Hunting near Preston

Idaho Fish and Game sets deer and elk seasons by game management unit. For 2026 the general any-weapon deer season opens October 10 in most units and closes October 24 or October 31. The backcountry units 16A, 17, 19 and 20 run September 15 to November 20, and the Panhandle units are white-tailed deer only from October 10 to 31 before any deer opens November 1 to 14. General archery deer runs August 30 to September 30. Elk is hunted on zone A and B tags, each zone with its own archery and any-weapon dates.

Franklin County is in the Bear River elk zone. General any-weapon deer in Units 75, 76 and 77 runs October 10 to 24 and the motorized hunting rule applies; antlerless opportunity in this zone is mostly controlled hunt only, so read the deer tables before you plan.

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest above Mink Creek and Cub River holds the local deer and elk, and Oneida Narrows Reservoir is a short drive upstream.

Public shooting ranges near Preston

Idaho Fish and Game runs or supports five public shooting ranges, and the Bureau of Land Management lists nine more on public land around the state. Hours, fees and range rules vary, so call ahead or check the agency page before you drive out.