Publications

This open letter has been rescinded. The purpose of this letter is to advise you of your responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady law. 

Published/Revised: July 29, 2025

The Omnibus Appropriations Act for 1999 provides that a pawnbroker may complete a NICS check when a firearm is offered as collateral for a loan, at the option of the dealer. ATF will be publishing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking setting forth the procedures pawnbrokers must follow if they wish to complete the optional NICS check at the time a firearm is offered for pawn.

Published/Revised: October 30, 1998

The purpose of this letter is to remind all federal law enforcement agencies and military components of certain provisions of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 pertaining to plastic explosives that do not contain a detection agent.

Published/Revised: April 26, 2012

The purpose of this open letter is to update licensed and registered importers of firearms, ammunition and other regulated commodities on the lawful importation of certain firearm barrels into the United States for commercial purposes.

Published/Revised: November 22, 2005

The purpose of this letter is to clarify that the revised ATF Form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record Part I - Over The Counter, has no effect on the procedures Indiana Federal Firearms Licensees must follow in order to comply with the Brady Law. The procedures enumerated in the September 2003 Open Letter to All Indiana Firearms Licensees are still in effect.

Published/Revised: December 29, 2005

ATF has received questions from firearms dealers in Pennsylvania concerning the use of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)/Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) to do background checks of people who are acquiring firearms from other nonlicensees in what are commonly called “private transfers.”

Published/Revised: December 29, 2005

This open letter has been rescinded. The purpose of this letter is to advise you of your responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady law. 

Published/Revised: July 29, 2025

This open letter has been rescinded. The Colorado Department of Public Safety recently notified ATF that the State of Colorado will again act as the point of contact for NICS checks for all firearms transactions. Therefore, beginning Aug. 1, 1999, in order to request a NICS check for any firearm transaction, you must contact the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Published/Revised: July 29, 2025

The purpose of this open letter is to provide information regarding ATF revisiting its guidelines for the application of the tables of distances for the storage of certain explosive materials.

Published/Revised: September 17, 2012

The purpose of this open letter is to inform all federal firearms licensees that ATF is in the process of amending its regulations and forms related to nonimmigrant alien provisions of the Gun Control Act.

Published/Revised: December 8, 2011

The purpose of this open letter is to inform all federal firearms licensees that ATF will be revising the regulations in 27 C.F.R. Part 478 to conform to the Department of Justice's conclusions by removing the separate 90-day residency requirement for aliens.

Published/Revised: December 22, 2011

The purpose of this letter is to clarify the definition of "display fireworks" in the federal explosives regulations. 

Published/Revised: November 7, 2011

The purpose of this open letter is to provide guidance on the issue of marijuana for medicinal purposes and its applicability to federal firearms laws.

Published/Revised: November 21, 2011

This open letter is to all federally recognized Indian tribes and explosives licensees and permittees and provides guidance regarding the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. The law created an exemption for federally recognized Indian tribes or tribal agencies from provisions of the Federal explosives laws with respect to display fireworks.

Published/Revised: March 15, 2011

This open letter has been rescinded. The provisions of North Dakota law regarding the issuance of concealed weapons permits were recently amended.  Based on these changes, concealed weapons permits issued on or after Dec. 1, 1999, will now qualify as alternatives to a NICS check at the time of transfer.

Published/Revised: July 29, 2025

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has now notified ATF and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that they will cease operations as the NICS point of contact on Sept. 30, 1999.  Therefore, beginning Oct. 1, 1999, in order to initiate a NICS check for any firearm, South Carolina licensees must contact the FBI's NICS Operations Center

Published/Revised: September 3, 1999

The purpose of the this open letter is to provide guidance on certain regulatory requirements and definitions under the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) about selling or delivering firearm frames or receivers.

Published/Revised: July 7, 2009

The purpose of this open letter is to provide guidance on your obligations as a federal firearms licensee (FFL) with respect to the passage of the Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act that took effect on June 19, 2009. 

Published/Revised: July 16, 2009

The purpose of this letter is to provide Federal explosives licensees and permittees with information about the recent district court decision regarding ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP). 

Published/Revised: July 17, 2009

The purpose of this open letter is to provide guidance regarding firearms transferees whose only identification documents indicate only Post Office Box or Rural Route number as a residence address.

Published/Revised: July 7, 2007

The purpose of this letter is to advise New York Federal firearms licensees that the New York license to carry and possess handguns  no longer qualifies as an alternative to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check. 

Published/Revised: May 2, 2006

This letter is to provide information to tribal law enforcement departments regarding the Omnibus Consolidation Appropriations Act of 1997.  This Act made it unlawful for any person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (MCDV) to ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms or ammunitions.

Published/Revised: August 16, 2006

The purpose of this open letter is to advise that the recent amendment to what was formerly known as Kentucky's contiguous state law has no effect on federal firearms laws and regulations.

Published/Revised: June 25, 2007

The purpose of this open letter is to inform licensed firearms importers and registered importers of U.S. Munitions Import List Articles that the United States Department of State has rescinded the sanctions on trade in defense articles and services from South Africa.

Published/Revised: July 11, 2005

The purpose of this letter is to provide notification that the ATF will be switching to electronic funds processing (ECP) for all payments received by the agency.

Published/Revised: January 25, 2008