Rules and Regulations Library
| Title | Description | Category | Document Type |
|---|---|---|---|
 All FFLs-May2008-Open Letter-Procedual Guidance for Licensed and/or Registered Importers for ATF Form 6A (300 KB) |
This open letter is a reminder of the procedures to follow when completing ATF Form 6A as outlined in 27 CFR 478.112 and on the instruction page of the form. | Firearms | Open Letter |
|
National-Jan2008-Open Letter-Submitting Payments to ATF (88 KB) |
The purpose of this letter is to provide notification that the ATF will be switching to electronic funds processing (ECP) for all payments received by the agency.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
All FFLs-June2007-Open Letter-Post Office (P.O.) Boxes or Rural Route Numbers as a Residence Address (296 KB) |
The purpose of this open letter is to provide guidance regarding firearms transferees whose only identification documents indicate only Post Office Box or Rural Route number as a residence address. | Firearms | Open Letter |
|
Kentucky-Jun2007-Open Letter-Amendment to What was Formerly Known as Kentucky’s Contiguous State Law (250 KB) |
The purpose of this open letter is to advise that the recent amendment to what was formerly known as Kentucky’s contiguous state law has no effect on Federal firearms laws and regulations.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
Tribal Law Enforcement-July2006-Open Letter-Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence (375 KB) |
This letter is to provide information to tribal law enforcement departments regarding the Omnibus Consolidation Appropriations Act of 1997. This Act made it unlawful for any person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (MCDV) to ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms or ammunitions.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
New York-May2006-Open Letter-New York's License to Carry and Possess Handguns No Longer Qualifies as Alternative to NICS Check (91 KB) |
The purpose of this letter is to advise New York Federal firearms licensees that the New York license to carry and possess handguns no longer qualifies as an alternative to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
Nevada-Jan2006-Open Letter-Nevada’s Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) Permits Again Qualify as Alternative to NICS Check (102 KB) |
The purpose of this letter is to advise you of an important change to the procedure you may follow beginning January 5, 2006. On this day, Nevada’s Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) permit will again qualify as an alternative to a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check. Accordingly, the October 17, 2005 Open Letter to Nevada Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) is superseded. | Firearms | Open Letter |
|
All FFLs-July2005-Open Letter-Importation of U.S. Manufactured Surplus Military Firearms Classified as Curios or Relics (101 KB) |
This Open Letter is to advise all Federal Firearms Licensees and registered importers of U.S. munitions import list articles that ATF was advised by the Department of State, on a case-by-case basis, permit the retransfer of U.S. manufacturing military firearms that were sold or granted by the United States Government classified by ATF as curios or relics. | Firearms | Open Letter |
|
All FFLs-July2005-Open Letter-Department of State Rescinded Sanctions on Trade in Defense Articles and Services from South Africa (71 KB) |
The purpose of this open letter is to inform licensed firearms importers and registered importers of U.S. Munitions Import List Articles that the United States Department of State has rescinded the sanctions on trade in defense articles and services from South Africa. | Firearms | Open Letter |
|
All FFLs-Dec2004-Open Letter-Establishment of the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System's Voluntary Appeal File (15 KB) |
The purpose of this letter is to inform Federal firearms licensees that the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) National Instant Criminal Background Check System's (NICS) Voluntary Appeal File (VAF) has been established. | Firearms | Open Letter |
|
Washington-Nov2003-Open Letter-Washington Concealed Weapons Permits are No Longer Valid Alternative to NICS Checks (145 KB) |
The open letter is to inform all Washington State Federal firearms licensees that as of November 30, 2003, all the grandfathered permits will have expired and Washington FFLs may longer accept a Washington concealed weapons permet as an alternative to a NICS check. | Firearms | Open Letter |
|
ATF Form 5320.20 (769 KB) |
Application to Transport Interstate or to Temporarily Export Certain National Firearms Act (NFA) Firearms | Firearms | Information Collection |
|
National-Oct2010-Open Letter-PACT Act and Tobacco in Interstate Commerce (293 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 |
|
National-Oct2010-Open Letter-Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT Act) (236 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 |
|
2010-3 - Identification of Maxim Side-Plate Receivers (182 KB) |
The right side-plate of a Vickers/Maxim-type firearm, manufactured with its camming lobe affixed in the proper location, and without an ATF approved block that prevents installation of machinegun fire control components, is a machinegun receiver, and therefore, a machinegun as defined by the GCA and NFA. Provided it has not been disassembled into its component parts, a complete Vickers/Maxim-type machinegun that is currently registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record with its serial number located on a component part of the receiver box other than the right side-plate has been lawfully registered under the NFA and may be lawfully possessed by the registrant under 18 U.S.C. 922(o).
| Firearms | Ruling |
|
2010-10 - Manufacturing Operations Maybe Performed by Licensed Gunsmiths Under Certain Conditions (135 KB) |
Any person licensed as a dealer-gunsmith who repairs, modifies, embellishes, refurbishes, or installs parts in or on firearms (frames, receivers, or otherwise) for, or on behalf of a licensed importer or manufacturer, is not required to be licensed as a manufacturer under the GCA, provided the firearms are: (1) not owned, in whole or in part, by the dealer-gunsmith; (2) returned by the dealer-gunsmith to the importer or manufacturer upon completion of the manufacturing processes, and not sold or distributed to any person outside the manufacturing process; and (3) already properly identified/marked by the importer or manufacturer.
| Firearms | Ruling |
|
Iowa-Jun2011-Open Letter-Transferring a Firearm to an Unlicensed Person Using an Iowa Permit Alternative (109 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.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
Kansas-May2011-Firearms-National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Requirement Exception. (110 KB) |
The purpose of this open letter is to advise you of an important change to the procedure you may follow to comply with the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act when transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person. This open letter supersedes the document by the same title, posted on April 8, 2010.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
All FFLs-Aug2011-Open Letter-Rural Route Address (138 KB) |
The purpose of this open letter is to provide further guidance regarding purchasers who present an identification document bearing a Rural Route address.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
All FFLs-Aug2011-Open Letter-September 11th Anniversary (90 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.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
|
Nebraska-Apr2011-Open Letter-Nebraska’s Concealed Handgun Permit Qualifies as Alternative to NICS Check (110 KB) |
The purpose of this open letter is to advise that ATF has reviewed Nebraska’s Concealed Handgun Permit Act, as amended in 2010 by Legislative Bill 817, and has determined that Nebraska’s Concealed Handgun Permit does qualify as an alternative to the background check required by the Brady law.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
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All FFLs-May2011-Open Letter-Complying with Recordkeeping Requirements When the Initial NICS Response is Changed (102 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. | Firearms | Open Letter |
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Nevada-Aug2011-Open Letter-Nevada’s Concealed Firearm Permit Qualifies as Alternative to NICS Check (110 KB) |
The purpose of this letter is to advise all Nevada Federal firearms licensees that Nevada's Concealed Firearm Permit qualifies as an alternative to the background check required by the Brady law.
| Firearms | Open Letter |
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2004-5 - Minigun Ruling (941 KB) |
The 7.62mm Aircraft Machine Gun, identified in the U.S. military inventory as the "M-134" (Army), "GAU-2B/A" (Air Force), and "GAU-17/A" (Navy), is a machinegun as defined by 26 U.S.C. 5845(b). Rev. Rul. 55-528 modified.
| Firearms | Ruling |
|
2002-5 - Transfer and Possession Machineguns (12 KB) |
Applications to transfer two (2) machineguns of a particular model to a Federal firearms licensee as sales samples will be approved if documentation shows necessity for demonstration to government agencies. | Firearms | Ruling |