On May 23, ATF published an open letter to federal firearms licensees (FFLs) with updated guidance on obligations under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, when transferring a firearm to a person who is not an FFL.

The letter also addresses whether FFLs may accept certain state permits in lieu of a National Instant Criminal Background Check before transferring a firearm to a nonlicensee. ATF has created a new chart with its current assessment of all such permits for each state and territory.

Read the full open letter.

ATF has issued an updated national policy for administrative actions related to compliance inspections of federal firearms licensees. The guidance promotes clear, consistent and fact-based decisions that uphold ATF’s commitment to public safety and respect for Second Amendment rights.

The policy replaces the 2021 Enhanced Regulatory Enforcement policy, also known as the “zero-tolerance” policy. It directs industry operations investigators to consider all circumstances of an inspection rather than applying automatic outcomes, ensuring ATF uses its regulatory authority fairly and effectively.

Read the ATF press release.

ATF took part in a multi-agency press conference hosted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on May 2 in Nogales, Arizona, about the unified effort of government to stop weapons trafficking to Mexico.

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Brendan Iber of ATF’s Phoenix Field Division discussed ATF's part in the whole of government approach in preventing Mexican cartels and terrorist organizations from acquiring illegal firearms, which would put American lives in danger.

He also discussed the partnership that ATF has with federal firearms licensees. “We work hand in hand with them,” Iber said. “ATF educates these federal firearms licensees on identifying straw purchasers and working with them to stop this. ... When a straw purchaser goes into a federal firearms licensee, they are the first line of defense to stop this from leaving their store.”

View the press conference (ATF SAC Brendan Iber begins at 12:10).

ATF’s latest videos on our YouTube channel include the announcement by the Washington Field Division of a large-scale operation involving firearms and narcotics trafficking that spanned Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Texas. The investigation resulted in the seizure of 122 firearms and over 10,000 fentanyl pills as well as the arrest of 17 people who were in the U.S. illegally.

We’ve also added recent news stories from Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio regarding ATF firearms trafficking cases and arrests.

Watch ATF videos on YouTube.