The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending regulatory requirements to submit fingerprints and photographs with firearms applications. Currently, applicants must submit 2" x 2" passport-style photographs and either one or two fingerprint cards, depending on the application type. ATF proposes that all applicants, whether individuals or responsible persons ("RPs") for entity applicants, could instead submit a copy of a photo ID, and that individuals and Gun Control Act RPs would submit just one fingerprint card. RPs under the National Firearms Act would submit one fingerprint card only if needed to facilitate a background check.
Comments close Oct 5, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations implementing a statutory exemption and a statutory authority to grant relief from certain National Firearms Act ("NFA") requirements to better distinguish between them. ATF also proposes to amend manufacturer registration requirements to include a provision granting relief to manufacturers from registering firearms they manufacture for the U.S. Government ("USG"). In conjunction with this, ATF is proposing a new provision permitting manufacturers to register such firearms "late"--after the existing regulatory window for registering manufactured firearms--if they fall out of USG contract.
Comments close Sep 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is proposing to amend Department of Justice ("Department") regulations governing ATF Form 5300.9, Firearms Transaction Record, ("Form 4473"). Specifically, ATF proposes streamlining identity and residence verification requirements and documents; doubling the performance timeframe for transactions under Form 4473 following a National Instant Criminal Background Check System ("NICS") check; permitting electronic forms and notice, auto-populating, and attached copies; addressing private party transfers and firearms handler checks; incorporating ATF rulings and other guidance; further aligning regulations with statutory text; and making minor technical revisions.
Comments close Aug 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes to remove Department of Justice ("Department") regulations regarding the Youth Handgun Safety Act. If finalized, this rule would remove the requirement that federal firearms licensees who deliver handguns to non-licensees post signs and provide written notice regarding the Act's provisions to each handgun purchaser.
Comments close Aug 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes to amend Department of Justice ("Department") regulations regarding the permanent import provisions of the Arms Export Control Act ("AECA"). The proposed rule would allow importers to apply for ATF authorization to convert items imported temporarily-- under a Department of State ("DOS") authorization or under the entry clearance requirements for temporary imports in the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR") maintained by the Department of Commerce ("DOC")--to permanent imports in compliance with other applicable federal firearms laws, without having to export and then reimport the items.
Comments close Aug 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to clarify that federal firearms licensees ("FFLs") may lawfully import frames, receivers, or barrels that may be used on both sporting and non-sporting firearms ("dual-use frames, receivers, or barrels") if, at the time imported, there is an identified firearm sporting configuration for the frame, receiver, or barrel. Further, once the frame, receiver, or barrel is in the United States, a dual-use frame, receiver, or barrel may be used to assemble a sporting, non- sporting, or National Firearms Act ("NFA") firearm, provided assembling such firearm complies with other federal firearms laws.
Comments close Aug 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending the definition of "importation" in the implementing regulations for the Gun Control Act ("GCA") and the National Firearms Act ("NFA"). Specifically, the rule proposes to create an exclusion from the GCA and NFA's import requirements for items brought into a customs-bonded warehouse ("CBW") (in addition to the existing exclusion for a foreign-trade zone ("FTZ")). The proposed modification to the definition would also remove the condition that items may be brought into FTZs and CBWs only "for storage." The proposed rule does not exempt merchandise from any applicable customs requirements.
Comments close Aug 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations for transporting firearms registered under the National Firearms Act ("NFA") in interstate or foreign commerce. ATF proposes to no longer require that persons transporting certain NFA firearms within the United States for short-term purposes (365 days or fewer) submit notice to ATF and await approval before transporting; and that persons transporting certain NFA firearms within the United States for long-term purposes (more than 365 days) or for permanent relocation would no longer have to await approval after submitting notice before transporting.
Comments close Aug 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes to define the term "willfully" in Department of Justice ("Department") regulations that implement the Gun Control Act.
Comments close Aug 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to authorize federal firearms licensees ("FFLs" or "licensees") to generate, maintain, and store records in an electronic record-keeping system.
Comments close Aug 6, 2026
Federal law permits federal firearms licensees ("FFLs") to transfer firearms to a person residing in the same state but who does not appear in person. These are "non-over-the-counter" ("NOTC") sales. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations on NOTC sales. These proposed changes would remove restrictions limiting this option to background check-exempt transfers. The proposed rule would permit FFLs to conduct NOTC transfers while complying with background check requirements and adds remote identity proofing and electronic notices to chief law enforcement officers. These changes would provide greater flexibility for individuals lawfully purchasing firearms.
Comments close Aug 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to update the definitions of "adjudicated as a mental defective" and "committed to a mental institution."
Comments close Aug 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to make clear that when individuals complete ATF forms for firearms or explosives, they should select their biological sex under the question on "sex."
Comments close Aug 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is proposing to amend Department of Justice ("Department") regulations on firearms with attached stabilizing braces. Courts have found that ATF's revisions in the 2023 final rule on the same topic violated the Administrative Procedure Act. Several courts have enjoined, stayed, or vacated the final rule, which has rarely been in effect. ATF is therefore proposing to remove from the regulatory definitions of "rifle" the two paragraphs added by the 2023 final rule that defined the term "designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder."
Comments close Aug 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes to amend Department of Justice ("Department") regulations establishing records retention periods for federal firearms licensees' ("FFLs" or "licensees") acquisition and disposition ("A&D") records, and the retention period for records the National Tracing Center ("NTC") receives. Specifically, ATF is proposing these records be retained for a specific period rather than indefinitely, and is considering either 20 or 30 years for the specified period. ATF is also proposing a brief retention period for forms used to facilitate private-party transfers or to conduct voluntary firearm handlers checks.
Comments close Aug 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to clarify that the term "business premises" includes properties that adjoin each other; or that are adjacent to each other and adjoin the same parking lot, sidewalk, or road.
Comments close Aug 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to provide clarity for conduct prohibited by federal law commonly referred to as a straw purchase.
Comments close Aug 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is proposing to revise regulations implementing the "engaged in the business" definition from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act ("BSCA"). Although Congress defined that term in BSCA, the Department of Justice ("Department") provided additional definitions in its implementing regulations to further define terms within the statutory definition and to include examples of covered activities that established rebuttable presumptions of being engaged in the business of dealing in firearms. This rule proposes to remove those changes. ATF has determined that the changes have not shown the expected impact on federal firearms licensee applications, administrative licensing actions, civil forfeitures, or other anticipated effects.
Comments close Aug 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to clarify when a state's firearms-related permit meets the requirements under the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended, as an alternative to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System check and includes minor changes to ensure that the regulatory language adheres closely to the language used in the statute.
Comments close Aug 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to clarify that, for purposes of the Gun Control Act of 1968, a person who travels aboard a common or contract carrier while in possession of a firearm or ammunition is not considered to have "delivered" or "caused to be delivered" said firearm or ammunition to the common or contract carrier, provided that the person possesses and maintains direct control over the firearm or ammunition for the duration of the trip.
Comments close Aug 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to clarify that, for purposes of transporting firearms interstate, any activities that are reasonably necessary to transportation such as staying overnight in temporary lodging, stopping for food, fuel, vehicle maintenance, an emergency, or medical treatment, or transiting between modes of transportation, are considered "transport" and thus protected by the Gun Control Act provision that addresses interstate transport of firearms. The proposed rule also addresses transporting ammunition and firearm accessories between states and the requirements for securing firearms during such transit.
Comments close Aug 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to clarify that certain training rounds do not meet the definition of "ammunition" as defined by the Gun Control Act and are not regulated by the Arms Export Control Act. Less-than-lethal ammunition, which is distinct from training rounds, will still generally be considered ammunition.
Comments close Aug 4, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to authorize spouses to file a joint application to make, transfer or receive, and register a firearm under the National Firearms Act ("NFA"). If the joint application is approved, both spouses would have a joint right to make or possess the firearm(s), and transferring the firearm(s) between the registered spouses would not constitute a further transfer within the meaning of the NFA, thus not requiring a transfer application.
Comments close Jul 7, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to update the procedure for transferring machine guns between qualified manufacturers, importers, or dealers. Specifically, the proposed rule would simplify the regulatory requirements for such machine gun transfers pursuant to requests to demonstrate firearms to a government entity or due to a licensee discontinuing business. The proposed changes would allow the implementing regulations to more closely mirror the statutory authority provided by the Gun Control Act.
Comments close Jul 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to make administrative and technical clarifying revisions. These revisions add conforming references to the Department of Commerce in the relevant processes, and respond to regulatory changes already made by the Departments of Commerce and State that have effectively divided export and temporary import controls between those two agencies. The revisions also make minor technical amendments to punctuation for better clarity.
Comments close Jun 5, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to allow federal firearms licensees ("FFLs") that are transferring a firearm to another FFL to verify the transferee FFL's license through ATF's publicly available "FFL eZ Check" system, as an alternative to the current requirement to obtain a certified copy of the transferee's license. Additionally, because the eZ Check system is accessible, free to use, and updated regularly, this rule removes the now-unnecessary provision that allows a transferor to rely on a certified list provided by a multi-licensed organization for up to 45 days to make transfers to licensees operated by such organization.
Comments close Jun 5, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to clarify that a person engaged in the business of dealing, importing, or manufacturing firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act must pay a special (occupational) tax ("SOT") for each business activity conducted at the same location. However, they are not required to pay a tax for each license they have at that location if the licenses are for the same type of business activity. The rule proposes clarifying that licensees pay one SOT per business activity (manufacturing, importing, or dealing).
Comments close Jul 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to include terms that the United States Munitions List uses to describe the composition of defense articles ("compositional terms"). Specifically, the proposed rule would amend Department regulations that implement the Arms Export Control Act ("AECA") to define the compositional terms "component," "accessories and attachments," and "part" for purposes of permanent imports under the AECA.
Comments close Jul 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to allow persons making National Firearms Act ("NFA") firearms to adopt certain markings previously placed on the firearm to comply with NFA marking requirements.
Comments close Jul 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to remove the requirement that a copy of all applications to make or transfer a firearm subject to the National Firearms Act, and the specified form for responsible persons, as applicable, be forwarded to the chief law enforcement officer of the locality in which the applicant/transferee or responsible person is located.
Comments close Jul 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is proposing to amend Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to remove the existing, outdated list of proscribed countries from which ATF denies applications to permanently import defense articles and services and update it to reference a Department of State list of proscribed countries. The rule also proposes to remove the list of former Soviet countries from which ATF currently denies applications to permanently import most firearms and ammunition, leaving only the Russian Federation as the proscribed country of origin for these imports.
Comments close Jul 6, 2026
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to update the definition of "unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance," a category of persons who may not possess firearms under federal law. This definition was established in 1996 to facilitate operation of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Since then, court decisions and ATF internal guidance have evolved to include recurring use as a factor. As a result, ATF is aligning the definition with the best statutory understanding, as informed by judicial decisions.
Comments close Jun 30, 2026
Due to receiving adverse comments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is withdrawing the direct final rule, "Licensee "eZ Check" Verification for Transfers," published on May 6, 2026.
Abstract not supplied.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to implement certain provisions of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 ("PATRIOT Improvement Act") relating to trafficking in contraband cigarettes or smokeless tobacco. This act amended the Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act ("CCTA") by, among other things, reducing the threshold amount of cigarettes necessary to trigger jurisdiction under the CCTA from a quantity in excess of 60,000 to a quantity in excess of 10,000; extending the provisions of the CCTA to cover contraband smokeless tobacco; expanding record-keeping requirements; and imposing reporting requirements.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations on the National Firearms Act ("NFA") to reflect statutory changes made to the NFA by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ("OBBBA"). Among other things, the OBBBA reduced the tax remittance rate for certain NFA firearms. This rule is necessary to make conforming changes to ensure that ATF's regulations are current and consistent with the statute.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to require that a National Instant Criminal Background Check System background check be performed as part of the approval process to make a National Firearms Act ("NFA") firearm. ATF already conducts such background checks as part of its processing and this amendment to the regulation simply ensures that the regulations addressing NFA processes are consistent with the statutory requirements.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations in response to the Supreme Court's decision in Garland v. Cargill. The Supreme Court held that ATF exceeded its statutory authority in its December 2018 final rule titled "Bump-Stock-Type Devices" by classifying a bump stock as a "machine gun" because a semi-automatic rifle equipped with a non-mechanical bump-stock-type device is not a "machine gun" under the National Firearms Act. Accordingly, ATF is removing from the three regulatory definitions of "machine gun" the two sentences that incorporated bump stocks into those definitions.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is amending Department of Justice explosives regulations on importing plastic explosives by removing the requirement to submit the required attestation in triplicate.
