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Rules and Regulations Library

Rules Regulations Library

Document Type Title and Description Category
Open Letter 2005 - October - Alaska - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 1.86 MB]

This open letter has been rescinded.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:

Firearms
Open Letter 2016 - January - National - Presidential Memorandum [PDF - 23.71 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).

Published/Revised:

Firearms
Open Letter 1998 - October - American Samoa - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.5 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This open letter has been rescinded.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
Open Letter 1998 - October - Arizona - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.43 MB]

This open letter has been rescinded.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:

Firearms
Open Letter 1998 - October - New Hampshire - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 93.12 KB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 2012 - September - All FFLs - Building Positive Working Relationships With Industry Members [PDF - 160.7 KB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 1998 - October - Arkansas - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.68 MB]

This open letter has been rescinded.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:

Firearms
Open Letter 1998 - October - Delaware - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 1.87 MB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 1998 - October - District of Columbia - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.7 MB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 1999 - March - Colorado - Correction Notice - Colorado Bureau of Investigation Ceases Operations as NICS Point of Contact [PDF - 95.4 KB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 2012 - June - Alaska - Identification Showing Residence is Neither a Street Address or Rural Route and Box Number [PDF - 99.27 KB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 1998 - October - Florida - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.77 MB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 1998 - October - Montana - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 2.57 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
Open Letter 1998 - October - All FFLs - Pawnbroker Transactions [PDF - 29.24 KB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 2012 - April - National - Unmarked Plastic Explosives [PDF - 115.98 KB]

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:

Explosives
Open Letter 2005 - All FFLs - Lawful Importation of Certain Firearm Barrels Into the United States for Commercial Purposes [PDF - 34.31 KB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 2005 - December - Indiana - Procedures for Indiana FFLs Using the Revised ATF Form 4473 [PDF - 53.58 KB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 2005 - December - Pennsylvania - Private Transfers of Firearms and Using NICS or the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) [PDF - 36.62 KB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 1998 - October - New York - Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law [PDF - 1.92 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
Open Letter 1999 - July - Colorado - Correction Notice - State of Colorado Point of Contact for Background Checks [PDF - 1.9 MB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 2012 - September - All FELs - Table of Distance Requirements [PDF - 115.1 KB]

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:

Explosives
Open Letter 2011 - December - All FFLs - Future Amendment of Nonimmigrant Alien Provisions [PDF - 66.96 KB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 2011 - December - All FFLs - State of Residence [PDF - 70.01 KB]

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:

Firearms
Open Letter 2011 - November - All FELs - Clarify the Definition of "Display Fireworks" in the Federal Explosives Regulations [PDF - 71.11 KB]

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

Published/Revised:

Explosives
Open Letter 2011 - September - All FFLs - Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes [PDF - 56.61 KB]

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:

Firearms

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