Rules and Regulations Library

Titlesort ascending Description Category Document Type
District of Columbia-Oct1998-Open Letter-Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law (916 KB) 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. Firearms Open Letter
Delegation Order - Designation of Acting Supervisory Officials (45 KB)

The purpose of this delegation order is to grant supervisors authority to designate acting supervisory officials of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Resource Center General Notice
Delegation Order - Authority to Make Determinations on Notices of Clearance, Letters of Clearance, or Denial, and Appeals of Letters of Denial Under 18 U.S.C. 843(h) (45 KB)

This order delegates certain authorities of the Director to subordinate Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) officials to make determinations on Notices of Clearance, Letters of Clearance, Letters of Denial, and Appeals of Letters of Denial under 18 U.S.C. 843(h) for responsible persons and employee possessors listed on explosives licenses and permits.

Resource Center General Notice
Delegation Order - Authority to Make Determinations on Applications for Restoration of Federal Firearms and/or Explosives (99 KB)

This order delegates certain authorities of the Director to subordinate Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) officials to make determinations on applications for restoration of Federal firearms and/or explosives privileges.

Resource Center General Notice
Delegation Order - Authority to Make Determinations on Applications for Relief from Federal Firearm and/or Explosives Disabilities (52 KB)

This order delegates certain authorities of the Director to subordinate Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) officials to make determinations on applications for relief from Federal firearms and/or explosives disabilities.

Resource Center General Notice
Delegation Order - Authority to Make Determination on Notices of Clearance, Letters of Clearance, Letters of Denial, and Appeals of Letters of Denial Under 18 U.S.C. 843(h) Jun. 6, 2003 (94 KB)

This order delegates certain authorities of the Director to subordinate Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) officials to make determinations on Notices of Clearance,  Letters of Clearance, Letters of Denial, and Appeals of Letters of Denial under 18 U.S.C. 843(h) for responsible persons and employee possessors listed on explosives licenses and permits.

Resource Center General Notice
Delegation Order - Authority to Maintain the National Firearms Registration Transfer Record (45 KB)

This order delegates authority to maintain custody and control of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record and authority to execute certifications relative thereto.

Firearms General Notice
Delegation Order - Authority to Issue Space Requests to General Services Administration (GSA) (45 KB)

This order delegates authority for issuing requests for space on Standard Form 81, Request for Space.

Resource Center General Notice
Delegation Order - Authority to Issue Reimbursable Work Authorizations (54 KB)

This order delegates authority for issuing General Services Administration (GSA) Form 2957, Reimbursable Work Authorizations, when required for alterations, renovations, repairs or services to real property occupied by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Resource Center General Notice
Delegation Order - Authority to Facilitate Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (47 KB)

This order delegates the authority to exercise the authorities and responsibilities committed to the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) under the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, Public Law 110–180 (NIAA).

Firearms General Notice
Delegation Order - Authority to Approve ATF F 1345.4 Request and Nondisclosure Agreement (47 KB)

This order delegates the authority to approve ATF F 1345.4, Request and Nondisclosure Agreement, for current, departing, and former employees who are removing or accessing Bureau documents.

Resource Center General Notice
Delaware-Oct1998-Open Letter-Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law (45 KB) The purpose of this letter is to advise Federal firearms licensees in Delaware of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady law. Firearms Open Letter
Decision-Making Authority Regarding the Denial, Suspension, or Revocation of a Federal Firearms License, or Imposition of a Civil Fine (2008R-10P) Jan. 14, 2009 (61 KB)

The Department of Justice is amending the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (‘‘ATF’’) to delegate to the Director of ATF the authority to serve as the deciding official regarding the denial, suspension, or revocation of federal firearms licenses, or the imposition of a civil fine. The Director will have the flexibility to delegate to another ATF official the authority to decide a revocation or denial matter, or may exercise that authority himself.

Firearms Rulemaking
Decision-Making Authority Regarding the Denial, Suspension, or Revocation of a Federal Firearms License, or Imposition of a Civil Fine (68 KB)

The Department of Justice has adopted as final, without change, an interim rule that amended the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF’) to delegate to the Director of ATF the authority to serve as the deciding official regarding the denial, suspension, or revocation of federal firearms licenses, or the imposition of a civil fine.

Firearms Rulemaking
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
Connecticut-Oct1998-Open Letter-Permanent Provisions of the Brady Law (821 KB) The purpose of this letter is to advise Federal firearms licensees in Connecticut of their responsibilities under the permanent provisions of the Brady law. Firearms Open Letter
Commerce in Firearms and Ammunition-Reporting Theft or Loss of Firearms in Transit (2007R-9P) (269 KB) The final rule specifies that when a Federal firearms licensee (FFL) discovers a firearm it shipped was stolen or lost in transit, the transferor/sender FFL must report the theft or loss to ATF and to the appropriate local authorities within 48 hours of discovery.  Firearms Rulemaking
Commerce in Explosives - Storage of Shock Tube with Detonators (2005R-3P) (66 KB)

The Department of Justice is amending the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) by allowing shock tube to be stored with detonators because these materials when stored together do not pose a mass detonation hazard. Shock tube is a small diameter plastic laminate tube coated with a very thin layer of explosive material. When initiated, it transmits a low energy wave from one point to another. The outer surface of the tube remains intact during and after functioning.

Explosives Rulemaking
Commerce in Explosives - Hobby Rocket Motors (2004R-7P) (153 KB)

The Department of Justice is amending the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to clarify that the requirements of part 555 do not apply to model rocket motors consisting of ammonium perchlorate composite propellant, black powder, or other similar low explosives, containing no more than 62.5 grams of total propellant weight, and designed as single-use motors or as reload kits capable of reloading no more than 62.5 grams of propellant into a reusable motor casing.

Explosives Rulemaking
Commerce in Explosives - Amended Definition of "Propellant Actuated Device" (2004R-3P) Aug. 11, 2006 (66 KB)

The Department of Justice is proposing to amend the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to clarify that the term ‘‘propellant actuated device’’ does not include hobby rocket motors or rocket-motor reload kits consisting of or containing ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP), black powder, or other similar low explosives.

Explosives Rulemaking
Commerce in Explosives - Amended Definition of "Propellant Actuated Device" (110 KB)

The Department of Justice is amending the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (‘‘ATF’’) to clarify that the term ‘‘propellant actuated device’’ does not include hobby rocket motors or rocket-motor reload kits consisting of or containing ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (‘‘APCP’’), black powder, or other similar low explosives.

Explosives Rulemaking
Commerce in Explosives (107 KB)

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking, in part, pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) which requires an agency to review within ten years of publication, rules for which an agency prepared a final regulatory flexibility analysis addressing the impact of the rule on small businesses or other small entities. Based on comments we have received in response to the RFA analysis, this document proposes amendments to the explosives regulations relating to fireworks.

Explosives Rulemaking
Colorado-Mar1999-Open Letter-Correction Notice-Colorado Bureau of Investigation Ceases Operations as NICS Point of Contact (96 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.

Firearms Open Letter
Colorado-July1999-Open Letter-Correction Notice-State of Colorado Point of Contact for Background Checks (95 KB)
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 August 1, 1999, in order to request a NICS check for any firearm transaction, you must contact the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Firearms Open Letter
Colorado Open Letter - HB1298.pdf (221 KB)

Colorado House Bill 1298 (HB1298) establishes a state requirement for an FFL in Colorado to obtain approval, in the form of a “proceed” response, from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) prior to any firearm transfers. HB1298 prohibits the CBI from approving a firearm transfer until the CBI determines that its background investigation is complete and that the transfer would not violate federal prohibitions on firearms possession or result in a violation of state law. 

Firearms Open Letter
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