ATF occasionally issues publications to inform the industries it regulates and the general public about the laws and regulations administered and enforced by ATF. These include guidebooks, newsletters, brochures, studies, and reports.
| Document Type | Title and Description |
|---|---|
| Publication | Fact Sheet - National Tracing Center (NTC) - How Does It Work?
ATF’s National Tracing Center (NTC) identifies shooters within hours of mass casualty events. It dismantles trafficking networks moving weapons to cartels and foreign criminal organizations. It gives investigators the lead they need when no other lead exists. Read the full fact sheet to learn more about how the NTC works. Published/Revised: |
| Regulatory | 2026 - Memo - NICS Alert Policy
NICS Alert Policy memo, dated October 2, 2026. This memo provides updates to the April 2025 NICS Alert Policy memo and should be utilized to detail the new process for entering NICS alerts. While the overall process is the same, NICS alerts are now automated through ATF’s Case Management System (CMS). The CMS will guide agents through each step of the workflow process. Published/Revised: |
| Report | 2025 - Firearms Commerce Report
2025 - Firearms Commerce in the United States Report Published/Revised: |
| Report | Firearms Trace Data: United States and Territories - 2025 - Top Calibers Recovered and Traced
This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025. Published/Revised: |
| Report | Firearms Trace Data: United States and Territories - 2025 - Categories Associated with Firearms Recovered and Traced
This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025. Published/Revised: |
| Report | Firearms Trace Data: United States and Territories - 2025 - FFL Theft/Loss Reports Matching Firearms Subsequently Recovered and Traced
This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025. Published/Revised: |
| Report | Firearms Trace Data: United States and Territories - 2025 - Time-to-Crime - Firearms Sourced and Recovered
This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025. Published/Revised: |
| Report | Firearms Trace Data: United States and Territories - 2025 - Age of Possessor - Firearms Recovered and Traced
Information from the 2024 Firearms Trace Data report. Data includes firearms recovered and traced in the United States and territories, sorted by age of possessor. Published/Revised: |
| Report | Firearms Trace Data: United States and Territories - 2025 - Number of Firearms Sourced and Recovered
This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025. Published/Revised: |
| Report | Firearms Trace Data: United States and Territories - 2025 - Time-to-Crime Firearms Recovered and Traced
This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025. Published/Revised: |
| Report | Firearms Trace Data: United States and Territories - 2025 - Firearm Types Recovered and Traced
This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025. Published/Revised: |
| Regulatory | 2026 - August - All FFLs - Silencers
The purpose of this open letter is to notify all federal firearm licensees (FFLs) of guidance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regarding modifying firearm silencers registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). A complete silencer may be repaired, or the caliber may be changed, and such actions will not be considered a new making under the National Firearms Act (NFA), provided the action does not result in destroying the serialized “frame or receiver,” remove, obliterate, or alter required markings, or make a new firearm. Published/Revised: |
