Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Publications

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 Description Category
Regulatory 1998 - October - North Carolina - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.51 MB]

This open letter has been rescinded.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:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Puerto Rico - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 1.88 MB]

This open letter has been rescinded.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:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - North Dakota - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 44.75 KB]

The purpose of this letter is to advise federal firearms licensees in North Dakota of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady law.

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Hawaii - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 1.86 MB]

This open letter has been rescinded.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. On Nov. 30, 1998, the interim provisions of the Brady law will cease to apply, and the permanent provisions of the Brady law will take effect.

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Indiana - All FFLs - Establishment of National Instant Criminal Background Check System [PDF - 1.87 MB]

This open letter has been rescinded.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. The permanent provisions of the Brady law provide for the establishment of a national instant criminal background check system (NICS) that licensees must contact before transferring any firearm to unlicensed individuals.

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Maryland - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.79 MB]

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:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Maine - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 1.87 MB]

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:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Michigan - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.43 MB]

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:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Guam - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.67 MB]

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:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Missouri - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.61 MB]

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:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Mississippi - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.13 MB]

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:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Minnesota - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 1.88 MB]

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:

Firearms
Regulatory 1998 - October - Massachusetts - All FFLs - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 1.87 MB]

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:

Firearms
Regulatory 2003 - October - Massachusetts - License to Carry No Longer an Alternative to NICS Check [PDF - 78.08 KB]

This open letter is to inform all Massachusetts federal firearms licensees that as of Oct. 21, 2003, all previously grandfathered Massachusetts licenses to carry will have expired. 

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory 2011 - April - National - Submitting ATF Form 4 or Form 5 [PDF - 93.76 KB]

The purpose of this letter is to provide guidance to any person submitting ATF Form 4, Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of a Firearm, or with ATF Form 5, Application for Tax Exempt Transfer and Registration of a Firearm.

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory 2011 - May - All FFLs - Complying with Recordkeeping Requirements When Initial NICS Response Changed [PDF - 101.56 KB]

The purpose of this open letter is to provide guidance to Federal firearms licensees (FFLs) on how to comply with recordkeeping requirements when there is a change to the response initially received by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) during a background check for a firearm transfer.

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory 2011 - August - All FFLs - September 11th Anniversary [PDF - 89.4 KB]

The purpose of this letter is to encourage all federal firearms licensees to increase their awareness and vigilance as the anniversary of September 11th approaches.

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory 2011 - June - Iowa - Transferring a Firearm to an Unlicensed Person Using an Iowa Permit Alternative [PDF - 108.63 KB]

The open letter provides guidance to all Iowa federal firearms licensees when transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person using an Iowa issued permit as an alternative to a NICS background check. 

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory Firearms Transaction Record Over-The-Counter - ATF Form 4473 (5300.9) [PDF - 416.57 KB]

Used by federal firearms licensees (FFLs) to determine if they may lawfully sell or deliver a firearm to the person identified in Section B, and to alert the transferee/buyer of certain restrictions on the receipt and possession of firearms.

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory 2007-1 - Maintaining Required Explosives Records in Computerized Form [PDF - 20.71 KB]

Under specified conditions, approval is granted to utilize computerized records as required records under 27 CFR 555, Subpart G.

Published/Revised:

Explosives
Regulatory ATF Industry Circular 1999-2: Unlawful Transportation, Shipment or Sale of Cigarettes [PDF - 248.33 KB]

This circular reminds all persons of the federal law (and penalties) applying to the shipments, sale or possession of cigarettes and to the domestic sales of cigarettes marked for export. Additionally, this circular addresses the sale of cigarettes on Native American tribal reservations.

Published/Revised:

Alcohol & Tobacco
Regulatory ATF Industry Circular 1970-14: Importation of Firearms, Ammunition and Implements of War [PDF - 3.19 MB]

This circular announces the issuance of a new Treasury Department regulation, Part 180 of Title 26, Code of Federal Regulations, entitled Importation of Arms, Ammunition and Implements of War.

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory ATF Industry Circular 1986-15: Armor Piercing Ammunition [PDF - 840.42 KB]

This circular announces that the President signed Public Law 99-408, on Aug. 28,1986. This law regulates the manufacture, importation and sale of armor piercing ammunition.

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Regulatory ATF Industry Circular 1982-8: Discontinuance of ATF Form 5400.3, for Black Powder [PDF - 659.16 KB]

This circular notifies explosives licensees that ATF Form 5400.3, Transaction Record for Black Powder to be used for antique weapons, is no longer required.

Published/Revised:

Explosives
Regulatory ATF Industry Circular 1985-2: Importation of National Firearms Act Curio and Relic Firearms [PDF - 690.73 KB]

This circular provides information concerning the importation of National Firearms Act (NFA) firearms for use as a sample for sales to law enforcement agencies when such firearms have been determined to be curios or relics.

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Last Updated: January 15, 2026

ATF.gov

An official website of the U.S. Department of Justice

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov