Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Firearms Questions and Answers

Conduct of Business

The identification document presented by the transferee must have a photograph of the transferee, as well as the transferee’s name, residence address, and date of birth. The identification document must also be valid (e.g., unexpired) and have been issued by a governmental entity for the purpose of identification of individuals. An example of an acceptable identification document is a current driver’s license.

A combination of government issued documents may be used to meet the requirements of an identification document. For example, a passport which contains the name, date of birth, and photograph of the holder may be combined with a voter or vehicle registration card containing the residence address of the transferee in order to comply with the identification document requirements. A passport issued by a foreign government is also acceptable so long as it has all of the required information.

Whether a hunting license or permit issued by a retailer meets the definition of an identification document is State law specific. This license or permit meets the definition of an identification document if the State in which the retailer is located has authorized the retailer to supply State issued documents. If the State recognizes the hunting license or permit as government issued, then this license or permit would qualify as being government issued for the purposes of supplementing another government issued identification document.

A description of the location of the residence on an identification document, such as a rural route, is sufficient to constitute a residence address provided the purchaser resides in a State or locality where it is considered to be a legal residence address.

[18 U.S.C. 922(t); 27 CFR 478.11 and 478.124]

Last Updated: January 15, 2026

ATF.gov

An official website of the U.S. Department of Justice

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov