Fact Sheet - Facts and Figures for Fiscal Year 2019
Fast Facts
ATF closed 7,110 cases that were recommended for prosecution in previous years up to and including FY 2019.
ATF has 9,512 active explosive licensees and permittees and 130,048 active federal firearms licensees.
ATF conducted 13,079 firearm compliance inspections in 2019.
Personnel
| Special agents | 2,597 |
|---|---|
| Industry operations investigators (IOIs) | 811 |
| Administrative/professional/technical | 1,650 |
| Total full-time employees | 5,058 |
Personnel in Field Divisions
Outside of headquarters in Washington, DC, ATF has 25 field divisions across the country.
| Special agents | 2,274 |
|---|---|
| IOIs | 770 |
| Administrative/professional/technical | 547 |
| Total full-time employees in field divisions | 3,591 |
Cases and Defendants
Case and defendant data presents a snapshot in time of matters proceeding through the various phases of the judicial process. The typical ATF case recommended for prosecution remains open over a period of approximately 4 years.
Cases and defendants indicted, convicted, and sentenced are not subsets of cases and defendants recommended for prosecution in FY 2019. The snapshot presents actual judicial activity in the fiscal year regardless of the year the matter was recommended for prosecution. For example, “percentage indicted” should not be calculated based upon the presented data, as the case indicted may have been presented in a previous fiscal year.
Cases
| Total cases recommended for prosecution | 11,319 |
|---|---|
| Indicted cases | 8,360 |
| Convicted cases | 6,887 |
| Criminal group and gang cases | 1,690 |
Of the total cases that were recommended for prosecution in previous years up to and including FY19, ATF closed 7,110 cases.
Defendants
| Recommended for prosecution | 17,206 |
|---|---|
| Prior arrests | 150,540 |
| Prior convictions | 39,272 |
| Defendants indicted | 12,441 |
| Number convicted | 9,773 |
| Received life sentence | 48 |
| Received death sentences | 1 |
The data show an average of 8.7 prior arrests and 2.3 prior convictions per defendant recommended for prosecution.
Criminal Investigations Initiated
| Number of firearms cases | 35,790 |
|---|---|
| Number of arson cases | 2,052 |
| Number of explosives cases | 1,088 |
| Number of alcohol and tobacco cases | 11 |
Firearms Licensees
As of FY19, there were 130,048 active federal firearms licensees (FFLs).
| Type 01: Dealer | 53,746 |
|---|---|
| Type 02: Pawnbroker | 7,314 |
| Type 03: Collector | 52,193 |
| Type 06: Manufacturer of Ammunition | 1,885 |
| Type 07: Manufacturer of Firearms | 13,030 |
| Type 08: Importer | 1,108 |
| Type 09: Dealer of Destructive Devices | 129 |
| Type 10: Manufacturer of Destructive Devices | 392 |
| Type 11: Importer of Destructive Devices | 251 |
Inspections
ATF conducted 13,079 firearm compliance inspections in FY 2019.
Firearms compliance inspections resulted in the following recommendations:
| No violations | 6,911 | 52.84% |
|---|---|---|
| Report of violations | 2,594 | 19.83% |
| Warning letter | 1,482 | 11.33% |
| Warning conference | 415 | 3.17% |
| License surrendered/out of business | 1,634 | 12.49% |
| Revocations/denials | 43 | 0.33% |
Most Frequently Cited Violations
| 27 CFR 478.124(c)(1) | Failure to obtain a completed ATF F 4473 |
|---|---|
| 27 CFR 478.125(e) | Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely Acquisition and Disposition (A&D) record |
| 27 CFR 478.21(a) | Failure to complete forms as indicated in instructions |
| 27 CFR 478.124 (c)(3)(iv) | Failure to record NICS contact information on ATF F 4473 |
| 27 CFR 478.124 (c)(5) | Failure by transfer to sign and/or date ATF F 4473 |
| 27 CFR 478.124(c)(3)(i) | Failure to verify or record purchaser’s identification document on ATF F 4473 |
| 27 CFR 478.126a | Failure to report multiple sales or other dispositions of pistols and revolvers |
| 27 CFR 124(c)(4) | Failure to properly record firearms information on ATF F 4473 |
| 27 CFR 478.102(a) | Failure to complete a NICS/POC background check |
| 27 CFR 478.123(a) | Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely manufacture or acquisition record |
Firearms Application Inspections
ATF conducted 9,418 application inspections. Of those inspections, 7,679 were approved and 1,739 were denied, abandoned or withdrawn.
Explosives Licensees
As of FY19, there were 9,512 active federal explosives licenses and permits (FEL/FEPs).
| Manufacturers | 2,134 |
|---|---|
| Importers | 554 |
| Dealers | 580 |
| Dealers in black powder | 353 |
| Limited permits | 189 |
| Users | 5,822 |
Inspections
ATF conducted 3,727 explosives compliance inspections in FY 2019.
Explosive compliance inspections resulted in the following recommendations:
| No violations | 3,001 | 80.52% |
|---|---|---|
| Report of violations | 152 | 4.08% |
| Warning letter | 120 | 3.22% |
| Warning conference | 59 | 1.58% |
| License surrendered/out of business | 388 | 10.41% |
| Revocations sought | 7 | 0.19% |
Most Frequently Cited Violations
| 27 CFR 555.127 | Failure to maintain an accurate Daily Summary of Magazine Transactions (DSMT) |
|---|---|
| 27 CFR 555.215 | Failure to comply with housekeeping guidelines |
| 27 CFR 555.54(a) | Failure to report change of address |
| 27 CFR 555.29 | Failure to comply with storage requirements |
| 27 CFR 555.57(b) | Failure to timely notify the following changes: Responsible Persons, and Employee Possessors |
Explosives Application Inspections
ATF conducted 881 application inspections. Of those inspections, 753 were approved and 128 denied, abandoned or withdrawn.
Imports and National Firearms Act (NFA)
| NFA registration applications (and transfer applications) | 370,347 |
|---|---|
| NFA registrations processed (total weapons) | 342,860 forms 1,949,822 weapons |
| NFA making and transfer tax collected | $37,300,000 |
| NFA special occupation tax collected | $7,000,000 |
| Imports Form 6 non-immigrant alien processed | 8,280 |
| Imports Form 6 processed | 7,113 |
| Total import permit applications | 15,393 |
Note: All taxes collected for NFA goes to the general fund of the U.S. Treasury Department.
Tracing
ATF’s National Tracing Center(NTC) is the only organization authorized to trace U.S. and foreign manufactured firearms for local, state, federal and international law enforcement agencies. NTC provides critical information that helps domestic and international law enforcement agencies solve firearms crimes, detect firearms trafficking, and track the intrastate, interstate, and international movement of crime guns.
NTC processed more than 450,000 trace requests in FY 2019.
Certified Fire Investigators (CFI)
ATF’s CFIs provide support for fire and arson investigations throughout the entire United States, its territories and other countries.
ATF initiated 2,052 fire and arson investigations in FY 2019.
National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)
NIBIN provides local, state and federal law enforcement, forensic science, and prosecutors with an automated ballistic imaging system that will aid their investigations by using digital images of shell casings to link violent crimes involving firearms and subsequently identify firearm users in violent crimes.
| Acquisitions | 387,247 |
|---|---|
| NIBIN leads | 67,639 |
| NIBIN hits | 6,48 |
Laboratories
In FY 2019, ATF’s laboratories accomplished the following:
- Received 2,386 requests for analysis and testing
- Completed analysis on 2,567 forensic cases (FSL)
- Performed 270 laboratory case testing experiments (FRL)
- Performed 255 laboratory research testing experiments (FRL)
- Provided 127 days of expert testimony in the courts
- Worked 231 days at crime scenes
- Provided 812 days of instruction for federal, state and local investigators and forensic examiners
Budget
The agency’s FY 2019 enacted budget is approximately $1.317 billion.
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives
www.atf.gov
