Buying a gun in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County

Our shop takes its name from Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, the North Valley village of cottonwoods, acequias, farm fields and summer lavender along Rio Grande Boulevard. Most of our customers live somewhere in the Albuquerque metro, from the West Mesa and Rio Rancho to the South Valley, Los Lunas and the East Mountains. This guide explains how buying a gun online and picking it up locally works, which state and city rules apply, and where to shoot. It reflects the law as of September 2026 and is not legal advice.

How online-to-dealer buying works

Buying from us takes a few steps:

Order: choose a firearm in our catalog and pick a licensed dealer near you at checkout. There are dealers across Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Los Lunas and the East Mountains.
Shipping: we ship the firearm to that dealer, never to your home. Ammunition, optics and most parts ship straight to your door.
Paperwork: at the dealer you show photo ID, complete ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs a federal NICS background check.
The wait: New Mexico requires seven calendar days between the sale and the handover unless you hold a New Mexico concealed handgun license. You come back to collect the gun once the period is over and the check has cleared.
Transfer fee: each dealer sets its own, commonly $25 to $50 per firearm. Ask before you order.

Federal law sets the dealer minimum age at 18 for rifles and shotguns and 21 for handguns. For the waiting period details and the court case, read the New Mexico waiting period guide.

City and county rules

The New Mexico Constitution bars cities and counties from regulating the right to keep and bear arms, so Albuquerque and Bernalillo County cannot add their own purchase permits, registration or waiting periods. State law governs buying, and it is the same in Albuquerque as in Farmington or Hobbs. The city does set rules for its own property:

City parks: the city park ordinance bars hunting and discharging firearms in parks, and a 2020 mayoral administrative order restricted firearms in city parks and recreation facilities. Check posted rules before you carry into a city park, pool or sports complex.
City facilities: city administrative instructions note state-law bans on firearms in facilities such as child development centers, community centers, multigenerational centers, senior centers and health and social service centers, with certain exceptions.
Open space: discharging firearms on city Open Space land is not allowed outside the Shooting Range Park.
Schools, courts and pueblo land: state rules on schools, preschools and courthouses apply, and the metro borders Sandia, Isleta, Santa Ana and other pueblos, where a state carry license is not valid unless the tribe allows it.

The 2023 public health order

In September 2023, after a string of shootings that killed children, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a public health order that suspended open and concealed carry in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County for 30 days. A federal judge quickly blocked the carry suspension, and the order was narrowed to ban firearms in public parks and playgrounds in Bernalillo County, along with other measures such as inspections of licensed dealers and wastewater testing for drugs. It was renewed several times and expired on October 12, 2024. It is no longer in effect, though some related data-sharing agreements between state and local agencies continue.

Carrying in the metro

Open carry is legal for adults who may possess a firearm, and you may keep a loaded gun in your own vehicle. Concealed carry on foot needs a license from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, whose Concealed Carry Unit is based in Albuquerque. The license requires a 15-hour course, costs $100 and lasts four years. See the concealed carry guide for the full process.

Where to shoot near Albuquerque

Shooting Range Park: the City of Albuquerque runs this public range on the West Mesa off Paseo del Volcan, with rifle, pistol and muzzleloader lines from 10 to 200 yards plus trap and skeet fields. It is open Wednesday through Sunday and takes cards only. The BLM lists it among its partner ranges.
Albuquerque Trap Club: a volunteer club in the South Valley with six trap fields and a 5-stand. The New Mexico Department of Wildlife helped fund the 5-stand, and you do not need to be a member to shoot.
Farther out: the Department of Wildlife's free Tres Piedras rifle range north of Taos, and BLM-listed ranges near Socorro and Farmington.

Target shooting on national forest and BLM land is allowed in many places but closed in others, especially in the Sandia and Manzano foothills near homes. Check the Cibola National Forest and BLM Rio Puerco Field Office rules and any fire restrictions first.

Neighborhoods and nearby towns

Los Ranchos and the North Valley

The village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque is mostly farms, horse properties and homes on large lots. Many residents keep a shotgun or rifle for pests on the property. Local rules on discharging firearms apply inside village limits, so check with the village before you shoot on your land.

Rio Rancho and Corrales

Rio Rancho sits in Sandoval County, but the same state rules apply. The Jemez Mountains are about an hour north for elk and turkey hunting.

The East Mountains

Tijeras, Cedar Crest, Edgewood and Moriarty are more rural, and many residents hunt the Manzanos. Response times are longer out here, so a home-defense gun and a good safe are common purchases.

Los Lunas and Belen

Los Lunas and Belen in Valencia County are a short drive south on I-25 and share the same state rules.

Popular first purchases

Albuquerque buyers most often start with a compact 9mm for carry or home defense, a 12-gauge pump shotgun, or a .22 rifle for practice. Hunters in the metro usually want a .270, .308, 6.5 Creedmoor or .30-06 for elk and deer; see the elk and deer rifle guide. Whatever you choose, plan on a second trip to the dealer for the waiting period unless you have a license.