Publications

This open letter provides information for public and private institutes and the provisions pertaining to the Safe Explosives Act.

Published/Revised: November 29, 2002

The purpose of this open letter is to advise all federal firearms licensees (FFLs) of updated guidance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) that reminds you of your obligations under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Brady Act), 18 U.S.C. § 922(t), when transferring a firearm to a person who is not an FFL.

Published/Revised: May 23, 2025

This open letter has been rescinded. The purpose of this letter is to advise federal firearms licensees in Alaska of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady law.

Published/Revised: July 29, 2025

Tracing firearms in connection with criminal investigations and improving availability of relevant Executive Brand records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

Published/Revised: January 16, 2013

This open letter has been rescinded.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This open letter has been rescinded.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 purpose of this letter is to advise federal firearms licensees in Arizona of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady law.

Published/Revised: July 29, 2025

The purpose of this letter is to advise federal firearms licensees in New Hampshire of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady Law.

Published/Revised: October 28, 1998

This open letter was sent from ATF's Deputy Director to all federal firearms licensees and all federal explosives licensees/permittees discussing how ATF continues to work towards maintaining and building positive working relationships industry members, trade associations, law enforcement, and the general public.

Published/Revised: November 19, 2012

This open letter has been rescinded.  The purpose of this letter is to advise federal firearms licensees in Arkansas of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady law.

Published/Revised: July 29, 2025

This open letter has been rescinded. The purpose of this letter is to advise federal firearms licensees in Delaware of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady Law.

Published/Revised: July 29, 2025

This open letter has been rescinded. The purpose of this letter is to advise federal firearms licensees in the District of Columbia of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady Law.

Published/Revised: July 29, 2025

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation will cease its operations as the NICS point of contact on March 31, 1999. Therefore, beginning April 1, 1999, in order to initiate a NICS check for any firearm, Colorado licensees must contact the FBI's NICS Operations Center.

Published/Revised: March 2, 1999

The purpose of this open letter is to provide guidance to federal firearms licensees (FFLs) in Alaska regarding firearms transferees whose government issued identification documents indicate a residence address that is neither a street address nor a rural route and box number address. 

Published/Revised: January 1, 2012

This open letter has been rescinded. The purpose of this letter is to advise federal firearms licensees in Florida of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady Law.

Published/Revised: July 29, 2025

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