Who is eligible for a firearms license?

An application for a federal firearms license will be approved if the applicant:

  • Is 21 years of age or over;
  • Is not prohibited from shipping, transporting, receiving or possessing firearms or ammunition, nor in the case of a corporation, partnership, or association, is any individual possessing, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the corporation, partnership, or association prohibited from shipping, transporting, receiving or possessing firearms or ammunition;
  • Has not willfully violated the Gun Control Act (GCA) or its regulations;
  • Has not willfully failed to disclose material information or has not made false statements concerning material facts in connection with their application;
  • Has premises for conducting business or collecting; and
  • The applicant certifies that:
    1. The business to be conducted under the license is not prohibited by state or local law in the place where the licensed premises is located;
    2. Within 30 days after the application is approved the business will comply with the requirements of state and local law applicable to the conduct of the business;
    3. The business will not be conducted under the license until the requirements of state and local law applicable to the business have been met;
    4. The applicant has sent or delivered a form to the chief law enforcement officer where the premises is located notifying the officer that the applicant intends to apply for a license; and
    5. If the applicant is to be a licensed dealer, the applicant certifies that secure gun storage or safety devices will be available at any place in which firearms are sold under the license to persons who are not licensees (“secure gun storage or safety device” is defined in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(34)).

[18 U.S.C. 923(d)(1); 27 CFR 478.47(b)]

Last Reviewed July 9, 2020