Buying a used gun privately in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania requires a background check on private-party gun sales (handguns only; long guns unregulated). Check the serial number before you meet anyway: a background check screens the buyer, not the gun.
Before you pay: ask for a photo of the serial number before you meet, check it here, then make sure the serial on the frame or receiver matches and hasn't been scratched, ground or altered. Possessing a gun with an obliterated serial number is a federal crime, whoever removed it.
If the serial number comes back as stolen, don't buy the gun and don't confront the seller. Leave, and give the serial number and the seller's details to local police on their non-emergency line.
About the Pennsylvania records
These are reports of stolen and lost guns filed with police in Pennsylvania, dated 2012–2017. They are historical and not complete: many stolen guns are never reported, and not every agency's records are included. Of the 24 reports, 0 are marked recovered. A check shows a gun as outstanding only when its latest report is still stolen or lost. SafeOrStolen never publishes serial numbers; the only way to look one up is to check it. See the national stolen gun statistics.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a gun is stolen in Pennsylvania?
Enter the gun's serial number at SafeOrStolen (safeorstolen.com/gun-serial-number-lookup/pennsylvania). SafeOrStolen searches 24 police reports of stolen and lost guns from Pennsylvania, dated 2012–2017, 242,815 reports from 33 other jurisdictions, live Ohio law-enforcement records and SafeOrStolen's own theft reports. You get a result in a few seconds, and the first 2 checks are free.
How many stolen gun reports does SafeOrStolen have for Pennsylvania?
24 police reports, dated 2012–2017: 24 reported stolen, 0 reported lost and 0 marked recovered. That is 0.0% of the 242,839 reports SafeOrStolen holds, and ranks Pennsylvania 33 of the 34 jurisdictions covered.
Do I need a background check to buy a gun privately in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania requires a background check on private-party gun sales (handguns only; long guns unregulated). Check the serial number before you meet anyway: a background check screens the buyer, not the gun.
Is a gun that isn't in these records definitely not stolen?
No. Many stolen guns are never reported, and these are historical police records. A no-match result on SafeOrStolen means nothing was found in the records searched. Ask for the receipt or transfer paperwork, and use a licensed dealer for the transfer when you can.