Fact Sheet - Facts and Figures for Fiscal Year 2020
Fast Facts
ATF closed 6,251 cases that were recommended for prosecution in previous years up to and including FY 2020.
ATF has 9,403 active explosive licensees and permittees and 130,525 active federal firearms licensees.
ATF conducted 5,827 firearm compliance inspections in FY 2020.
Personnel
| Special agents | 2,653 |
|---|---|
| Industry operations investigators (IOIs) | 760 |
| Administrative/professional/technical | 1,669 |
| Total full-time employees | 5,082 |
Personnel in Field Divisions
Outside of headquarters in Washington, DC, ATF has 25 field divisions across the country.
| Special agents | 2,341 |
|---|---|
| IOIs | 728 |
| Administrative/professional/technical | 538 |
| Total full-time employees in field divisions | 3,607 |
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 2020. 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 | 8,025 |
|---|---|
| Indicted cases | 6,934 |
| Convicted cases | 5,181 |
| Criminal group and gang cases | 1,639 |
Of the total cases that were recommended for prosecution in previous years up to and including FY20, ATF closed 6,251 cases.
Defendants
| Recommended for prosecution | 10,012 |
|---|---|
| Prior arrests | 70,439 |
| Prior convictions | 18,192 |
| Defendants indicted | 10,077 |
| Number convicted | 7,204 |
| Received life sentence | 4 |
| Received death sentences | 24 |
The data show an average of 7.0 prior arrests and 1.8 prior convictions per defendant recommended for prosecution.
Criminal Investigations Initiated
| Firearms cases initiated | 39,449 |
|---|---|
| Arson cases initiated | 2,252 |
| Explosives cases initiated | 976 |
| Alcohol and tobacco cases initiated | 12 |
Firearms Licensees
As of FY20, there were 130,525 active federal firearms licensees (FFLs).
| Type 01: Dealer | 52,795 |
|---|---|
| Type 02: Pawnbroker | 7,114 |
| Type 03: Collector | 52,729 |
| Type 06: Manufacturer of Ammunition | 1,807 |
| Type 07: Manufacturer of Firearms | 14,126 |
| Type 08: Importer | 1,136 |
| Type 09: Dealer of Destructive Devices | 127 |
| Type 10: Manufacturer of Destructive Devices | 422 |
| Type 11: Importer of Destructive Devices | 269 |
Inspections
ATF conducted 5,827 firearm compliance inspections in FY 2020.
Firearms compliance inspections resulted in the following recommendations:
| No violations | 3,277 | 56.2% |
|---|---|---|
| Report of violations | 1,289 | 22.1% |
| Warning letter | 804 | 13.8% |
| Warning conference | 306 | 5.3% |
| License surrendered/out of business | 96 | 1.6% |
| Revocations/denials | 40 | 0.7% |
| Other dispositions | 15 | 0.3% |
Most Frequently Cited Violations
| 27 CFR 478.125(e) | Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely acquisition and disposition (A&D) record of firearms |
|---|---|
| 27 CFR 478.124(c)(1) | Failure to obtain a completed ATF F 4473 |
| 27 CFR 478.21(a) | Failure to complete forms as prescribed |
| 27 CFR 478.124(c)(3)(iv) | Failure to record NICS contact information on an ATF F 4473 |
| 27 CFR 478.123(a) | Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely manufacture or acquisition record |
| 27 CFR 478.124(c)(5) | Failure by transferor to sign and/or date an ATF F 4473 |
| 27 CFR 478.124(c)(4) | Failure to record firearm information on an ATF F 4473 |
| 27 CFR 478.124(c)(3)(i) | Failure to verify or record identification document on ATF F 4473 |
| 27 CFR 478.123(b) | Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely licensee disposition record |
| 27 CFR 478.126a | Failure to report multiple sales or other dispositions of pistols and revolvers |
Firearms Application Inspections
ATF conducted 10,525 application inspections. Of those inspections, 8,385 were approved and 237 were denied. The remaining 1,903 applications were abandoned or withdrawn.
Explosives Licensees
As of FY20, there were 9,403 active federal explosives licenses and permits (FEL/FEPs).
| Manufacturers | 2,103 |
|---|---|
| Importers | 557 |
| Dealers | 571 |
| Dealers in black powder | 340 |
| Limited permits | 57 |
| Users | 5,775 |
Inspections
ATF conducted 2,407 explosives compliance inspections in FY 2020.
Explosive compliance inspections resulted in the following recommendations:
| No violations | 2,051 | 85.2% |
|---|---|---|
| Report of violations | 84 | 3.5% |
| Warning letter | 82 | 3.4% |
| Warning conference | 19 | 0.8% |
| License surrendered/out of business | 23 | 1.0% |
| Revocations sought | 6 | 0.2% |
| Other dispositions | 142 | 5.9% |
Most Frequently Cited Violations
| 27 CFR 555.127 | Failure to timely/accurately enter all required explosive inventory identification and quantity information in a daily summary of magazine transactions (per magazine) |
|---|---|
| 27 CFR 555.124(c)(2) | Failure to record the (brand) name of manufacturer or name of importer of explosive material(s) in the permanent record (Dealer) |
| 27 CFR 555.123(b)(2) | Failure to record the manufacturer's mark of identification of explosive material(s) in the permanent record (Manufacturer) |
| 27 CFR 555.125(b)(3)(vi) | Failure to record the name, address and license/permit number of the person from whom explosive material(s) are received in the permanent record (User) |
| 27 CFR 555.29 | Unlawful storage of explosive materials |
Explosives Application Inspections
ATF conducted 835 application inspections. Of those inspections, 702 were approved and 13 denied. The remaining 120 applications were abandoned or withdrawn.
Imports and National Firearms Act (NFA)
| NFA registration applications (and transfer applications) | 487,745 |
|---|---|
| NFA registrations processed (total weapons) | 512,315 forms 2,353,436 weapons |
| NFA making and transfer tax collected | $51,700,000 |
| NFA special occupation tax collected | $8,000,000 |
| Permanent Import Form 6 permit applications (firearms, ammunition and defense articles) | 8,207 |
| Temporary Import Form 6 permit applications for non-immigrant aliens | 3,167 |
| Total import permit applications | 11,374 |
Note: All taxes collected for NFA go 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 490,800 trace requests in FY 2020.
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 2,252 fire and arson investigations in FY 2020.
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 | 472,948 |
|---|---|
| NIBIN leads | 104,206 |
| NIBIN hits | 6,775 |
Laboratories
In FY 2020, ATF’s laboratories accomplished the following:
- Received 1,734 requests for analysis and testing
- Completed analysis on 941 forensic cases (FSL)
- Performed 113 laboratory case testing experiments (FRL)
- Performed 84 laboratory research testing experiments (FRL)
- Provided 25.5 days of expert testimony in the courts
- Worked 175 days at crime scenes
- Provided 235 days of instruction for federal, state and local investigators and forensic examiners
Budget
The agency’s FY 2020 enacted budget is approximately $1.4 billion.
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives
www.atf.gov
