Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 23, 2026

HonestGun.com (“HonestGun.com,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit honestgun.com (the “Site”), how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. By using the Site, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

HonestGun.com is an independent, informational resource for first-time firearm buyers. We do not sell firearms, and we are not a licensed firearms dealer (FFL). We publish articles, guides, and related content, and we may earn commissions through affiliate links.

1. Information We Collect

Information you give us directly

  • Email newsletter sign-up. If you subscribe to our newsletter or welcome email series, we collect your email address and, if you provide it, your first name.
  • Contact or comments. If you email us, fill out a contact form, or leave a comment on the Site, we collect whatever information you include (e.g., your name, email address, and the content of your message).

Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, we and our service providers automatically collect certain information about your device and how you use the Site, including:

  • IP address and approximate location (city/region level)
  • Browser type, device type, and operating system
  • Pages visited, time spent on pages, referring/exit pages, and links clicked
  • Search terms that led you to the Site (via Google Search Console)
  • Date and time of your visit

Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies, pixels, and similar tracking technologies to operate the Site, understand how it’s used, and support affiliate and advertising links. See Section 4 for details and your opt-out choices.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Operate, maintain, and improve the Site and its content
  • Send the newsletter, welcome email series, and other updates you’ve signed up for
  • Understand which content and searches bring visitors to the Site, so we can improve and expand it
  • Track affiliate link clicks so we can be credited for qualifying purchases
  • Serve and measure advertising (once ads are added to the Site)
  • Respond to questions or comments you send us
  • Detect, prevent, and address technical issues, spam, or abuse
  • Comply with legal obligations

We do not use any information collected through the Site to make decisions about your eligibility to purchase or own a firearm, and we do not verify or transmit any such eligibility information — that process happens entirely through licensed dealers and background check systems, outside of this Site.

3. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information for money. We share information only in the following ways:

Service providers. We use third-party vendors to run the Site, including:

  • Analytics: Google Analytics and Google Search Console, to understand traffic and search performance.
  • Email delivery: an email service provider (currently evaluating ConvertKit and Beehiiv) to manage newsletter sign-ups and send emails.
  • Affiliate programs: Amazon Associates and other affiliate/partner programs, when you click an affiliate link on the Site.
  • Advertising: an ad network (e.g., Google AdSense, Ezoic, or Mediavine) once display advertising is added to the Site.

Each of these providers processes data under their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.

Legal reasons. We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or if we believe in good faith it’s necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of HonestGun.com, our users, or others.

Business transfers. If HonestGun.com is ever involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

We do not share your information with third parties for their own independent marketing purposes without your consent.

4. Cookies, Analytics, and Advertising — Your Choices

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. The Site uses them for:

  • Essential functions — basic site operation.
  • Analytics — Google Analytics uses cookies to help us understand aggregate visitor behavior. You can opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
  • Affiliate tracking — affiliate partners (like Amazon Associates) use cookies to attribute purchases to HonestGun.com after you click an affiliate link.
  • Advertising — once display ads are added, our ad network may use cookies to serve interest-based ads. You can opt out of personalized advertising through Google Ads Settings, YourAdChoices, and optout.aboutads.info.

Most browsers let you block or delete cookies through their settings. Blocking cookies may affect how parts of the Site function.

We currently do not respond differently to “Do Not Track” browser signals, because no common industry standard for responding to them has been adopted yet.

5. Affiliate Disclosure

HonestGun.com participates in the Amazon Associates Program and other affiliate marketing programs. This means we may earn a commission when you click certain links on the Site and make a qualifying purchase, at no additional cost to you. Products and services are recommended based on our own research and opinions; affiliate relationships do not change the price you pay.

6. Data Retention

We keep the information described above for as long as needed to provide the Site and email communications, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Email subscriber information is kept until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete it.

7. Your Choices

  • Email: Every email we send includes an unsubscribe link. You can also email us at the address below to be removed.
  • Cookies: Adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies (see Section 4).
  • Access/deletion requests: You can ask us what personal information we have about you, or ask us to delete it, by emailing us (see Section 9).

8. California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended, gives you the right to know what personal information we’ve collected, request deletion, opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information, and not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. To exercise any of these rights, email us with “California Privacy Request” in the subject line. We do not knowingly sell personal information for money.

9. Children’s Privacy

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

10. Third-Party Links

The Site links to third parties such as gun stores, FFL dealers, manufacturers, training resources, and affiliate retailers. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third-party sites.

11. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the information we collect, but no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as the Site grows. We’ll update the “Effective Date” above when we do.

13. Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or your information? Contact us at:

privacy@honestgun.com