Firearm Permit

Below are instructions on obtaining and submitting firearm purchase certificate applications. 

Download and print the Firearm Purchase Certificate Application and the Firearm Instruction Sheet below.

Firearm Purchase Certificate Application

Firearm Instruction Sheet


Or call our office at 308-762-4955 and arrange for an application to be mailed to you. 


Application Submission Instructions:

1. Provide a photocopy of your Nebraska Driver’s License/State ID with your current address;

  • If applicable a photocopy of your permanent resident card.

2. Mail the completed application, required identification photocopy, and $5.00 non-refundable fee (cash only) payable to: 

Alliance Police Department

P. O. Box  D

Alliance, NE 69301

Attn: Records

Pursuant to Nebraska Statute 69-2403 a firearm purchase certificate is required to purchase, lease, rent, or receive a handgun. The law applies to both retail and private party transactions. The law also prohibits selling, leasing, renting, or transferring a handgun to a person who does not possess a handgun certificate.

Certificate Exceptions

  • A certificate is not required if:
  • The person acquiring the handgun is a licensed firearms dealer;
  • The handgun is an antique;
  • The person acquiring the handgun is authorized to do so on behalf of a law enforcement agency;
  • The transfer is temporary and the transferee remains within
  • In the line of sight of the transferor
  • Within the premises of an established shooting facility; or
  • The transfer is between a person and his or her spouse, sibling, parent, child, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or grandparent.

Documents Required at Time of Application

  • Current Nebraska operator’s license or Nebraska state ID card. The Nebraska license or ID must have your correct legal name. The address on your Nebraska license or ID must be a current residential address in Box Butte or southern Sheridan County and match the address on the application. Completed permits will only be mailed to the residential address on the application. We will not accept applications or issue purchase permits to applicants with only a post office box.
  • If your only form of ID is a Military ID card (must be active duty and temporarily or permanently stationed in Nebraska with military orders), you must also provide two forms of proof of Box Butte or southern Sheridan county residency (i.e. utility bill, vehicle registration, pay stub, etc.) with your current address.
  • Non-refundable application fee of $5.00 (cash only).
  • Applicants born on a United States military base outside the U.S. must provide their birth certificate.
  • Applicants that are not U.S. citizens must also provide a copy of their citizenship papers, U.S. Passport, or alien resident card.

Age & Residency Requirements

  • To obtain a handgun certificate from our office you must be at least 21 years old and a current Box Butte or southern Sheridan county resident.

Applications will be denied if the applicant:

  • Fails to answer all questions on the application
  • Has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year
  • Is a fugitive from justice
  • Is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance
  • Has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution
  • Is an alien unlawfully in the United States or an alien admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa
  • Has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions
  • Having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced his or her citizenship
  • Is subject to a court order that restrains the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of such intimate partner
  • Has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence
  • Is under indictment or information (i.e. charges have been filed in court) for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year

Re-Application Upon Expiration

  • Certificates are valid, statewide, for three years at which time applicants must re-apply for a certificate. All documentation above is required at the time of application regardless of whether a certificate has been issued to applicants in the past.

What to Do When You Receive Your Firearms Purchase Certificate

Upon receipt of your certificate, please inspect the document and ensure that the personal information is correct and that the Chief’s signature appears. You will need to sign your name on the line above the Chief. In the event of any typographical error or omission, please bring the certificate to the Police Department within thirty days for any corrections that may be necessary. Notification of any corrections beyond thirty days after issuance shall require a new application.

Also be aware that the permit card can be folded and laminated but MUST NOT come apart at the perforation as this will make it invalid.