Rules and Regulations Library
| Title | Description | Category | Document Type |
|---|---|---|---|
 National-Oct2010-Open Letter-Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT Act) (217 KB) | The purpose of this open letter is to provide all State Attorneys General and State Tobacco Tax Administrators with information on amendments to the Jenkins Act. | Alcohol & Tobacco | Open Letter |
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National-Oct2010-Open Letter-PACT Act and Tobacco in Interstate Commerce (257 KB) | The purpose of this letter is to provide guidance to persons who sell, transfer, or ship for profit cigarettes or smokeless tobacco in interstate commerce or who advertise cigarettes or smokeless tobacco for such sale, transfer, or shipment on amendments to the Jenkins Act . | Alcohol & Tobacco | Open Letter |
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All FELs-Jun2014-Open Letter-Black Powder (62 KB) |
This is an open letter to all Federal explosives licensees and permittees in regards to inquiries about black powder exceptions under the Federal explosives laws.
| Explosives | Open Letter |
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Louisiana-Apr2015-Open Letter-Louisiana's Concealed Handgun Permit Qualifies as Alternative to to NICS Check (473 KB) |
The purpose of this open letter is to advise all Louisiana Federal firearms licensees that Louisiana's concealed handgun permit has been determined to qualify as an alternative to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
Kansas-July2013-Open Letter-Passage of the Kansas Second Amendment Protection Act (58 KB) |
The purpose of this open letter is to provide guidance and information related to the passage of the Kansas Second Amendment Protection Act, Kansas, effective April 25, 2013.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
2013-1 - Electronic Form 6 and 6A (2323 KB) |
Approved alternate method or procedure for individuals, Federal firearms licensees, and registered importers of articles enumerated on the U.S. Munitions Import List (USMIL) to file ATF Form 6 - Part I and Form 6A electronically using ATF eForms, provided all of the conditions set forth in this ruling are met. Supersedes ATF Rulings 2003-6 and 2010-9.
| Firearms | Ruling |
|
2013-2 - NFA Electronic Forms (583 KB) |
Approved alternate method or procedure for FFLs, legal entities, and government agencies to file ATF Forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10 using ATF eForms, provided all of the conditions set forth in this ruling are met.
| Firearms | Ruling |
|
2012-3 - AFMER Electronic Form (1442 KB) |
Approved alternate method or procedure for licensed manufacturers to submit the Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report (AFMER), ATF Form 5300.11, electronically using ATF eForms, provided all of the conditions set forth in this ruling are met.
| Firearms | Ruling |
|
West Virginia-Jun2014-Open Letter-West Virginia's Concealed Handgun Licenses (CHLs) as Alternative to NICS Checks (53 KB) |
The purpose of this open letter is to provide guidance regarding the West Virginia's Concealed Handgun Licenses (CHLs) issued on or after June 4, 2014 as an alternative to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
AG Order 2650-2003: Federal Register Vol. 68, No. 21 (60 KB) |
The Department of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney (OPA), is exempting a Privacy Act system of records entitled ‘‘Executive Clemency Case Files/Executive Clemency Tracking System (JUSTICE/OPA–001)’’ from subsections (c)(3), (c)(4), (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3), (d)(4), and (e)(5) of the Privacy Act. Information in this system relates to the investigation and evaluation of applicants for executive clemency and case-related correspondence regarding such applicants and the clemency process. | Resource Center | Ruling |
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Louisiana-Oct1998-Open Letter-Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law (474 KB) | The purpose of this letter is to advise Federal firearms licensees in Louisiana of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady law. | Firearms | Open Letter |
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National-Jan2016-Presidential Memorandum (24 KB) |
Tracing firearms in connection with criminal investigations and improving availability of relevant Executive Brand records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
| Firearms | Open Letter |
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December 2018 - Bump-Stock-Type-Devices - 2018R–22F (426 KB) |
The Department of Justice is amending the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives regulations to clarify that “bump fire” stocks, slide-fire devices, and devices with certain similar characteristics (“bump-stock-type devices”) are “machineguns” as defined by the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), because such devices allow a shooter of a semiautomatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger.
| Rules and Regulations | Rulemaking |
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Importation of Arms, Ammunition and Implements of War and Machine Guns, Destructive Devices, and Certain Other Firearms, Extending the Term of Import Permits (2010R-26P) Feb. 7, 2014 (69 KB) |
This rule amends the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to extend the standard term of import permits for firearms, ammunition, and defense articles from 1 year to 2 years. | Firearms | Rulemaking |
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1975-20 - Meaning of Terms "Inhabited Building" (15 KB) |
An office or repair shop used in connection with the manufacture, etc., of explosive materials are not "inhabited buildings."
| Explosives | Ruling |
|
1969-59 - Gunshow Sales at Non-Licensed Premises (43 KB) |
Firearms or ammunition may not be sold at gun shows by a licensed dealer, but orders may be taken under specified conditions | Firearms | Ruling |
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List of Explosive Materials - 2013 (54 KB) | Notice of List of Explosive Materials. One addition: Black powder substitutes | Explosives | General Notice |
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List of Explosive Materials - 2009 (60 KB) | Notice of List of Explosive Materials. Removes ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP) | Explosives | General Notice |
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List of Explosive Materials - 2003 (54 KB) | Notice of List of Explosive Materials. Two additions: Tetrazole explosives, and Ammonium perchlorate having particle size less than 15 microns. | Explosives | General Notice |
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All FFLs-July2004-Open Letter-3rd Anniversary of September 11th Attack (29 KB) | It will be 3 years this September since America was attacked. We at ATF remain vigilant, but we are requesting your assistance in our national effort to prevent terrorism. | Firearms | Open Letter |
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West Virginia-Jun2016-Open Letter - To All West Virginia FFLs regarding HB4145 (45 KB) | The purpose of this open letter is to provide guidance concerning West Virginia House Bill (HB) 4145 as it concerns the provisional licenses made eligible to West Virginia residents aged 18-20. | Firearms | Open Letter |
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Recordkeeping Regulations - Technical Amendment to 27 CFR 478.125 (54 KB) | This final rule makes technical amendments to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regulations in title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) pertaining to certain firearms recordkeeping requirements in 27 CFR 478.125 and 478.125a to provide clarity and enhance uniformity. The technical changes are being made in the wording of three tables to reflect the same wording in the body of the regulations associated with the tables regarding the required description of firearms for recordkeeping purposes | Rules and Regulations | Rulemaking |
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All FFLs Jun 2008 - Open Letter - Clarification for Firearms Importers on the Importablility of Firearms Barrels (179 KB) |
The purpose of this open letter is to provide guidance to federally licensed firearms importers and registered importers of U.S. Munitions Import List Articles and clarification on the importability of firearms barrels under 18 U.S.C § 925(d)(3). | Rules and Regulations | Open Letter |
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Implementation of Public Law 105-277 Relating to Secure Gun Storage, Amended Definition of “Antique Firearm,” and Miscellaneous Amendments (99R 125P) (247 KB) | The Department of Justice proposes amending the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), to codify into regulation certain provisions of Public Law 105-277, Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999. The proposed rule would amend ATF’s regulations to account for the existing statutory requirement for applicants for firearms dealer licenses to certify that secure gun storage or safety devices will be available at any place where firearms are sold under the license to nonlicensed individuals, and amend definitions of certain terms, including an amended definition of “antique firearm,” to include certain muzzle loading firearms. | Rules and Regulations | Rulemaking |
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ATF 20P (221 KB) |
Importation of Defense Articles and Defense Services-U.S. Munitions Import Lists (2011R-20P) - The Department of Justice is amending Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regulations to remove the cross reference to the regulatory United States Munitions List (USML) of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) that appears at 27 CFR 447.21; to clarify that the Attorney General exercises delegated authority pursuant to the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and Executive Order 13637 to designate defense articles and defense services as part of the statutory SML for purposes of permanent import controls, regardless of whether the Secretary of State controls such defense articles or defense services for purposes of export and temporary import; and to clarify that defense articles and defense services controlled pursuant to the Attorney General’s delegated AECA authority are part of the statutory USML (along with those that are controlled for export and temporary import by the Secretary of State), but that the list of defense articles and defense services controlled by the Attorney General is labeled the USMIL to distinguish it from the list of defense articles and defense services in the ITAR that are controlled by the Secretary of State. | Rules and Regulations | Rulemaking |