Fire Arms Dealer License

Archive for July, 2009

If you are in the process of starting your own firearms business, then you will need to acquire a Federal Firearms License (FFL). Some people apply for a license by obtaining an FFL kit that they order online. This is an easy way to make sure that you have completed all of the steps necessary to fill out your application correctly. You also will find out what requirements are needed in order to get your application approved.

Most kits come with all of the information you will need to get started on applying for your FFL. For example, the contents of some kits are as follows.

• Instructions on how to accurately complete the application

• An up-to-date guide explaining all the facts about an FFL

• A list of all Bureau of Ammunition, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (BATFE) offices with each office’s phone number

• The website of the BATFE and sometimes a direct link to it

• The actual application you will need to fill out

• An explanation of the Gun Control Act and the laws governing all firearms dealers in the United States. Such things as statutes, regulations and interpretations accompanying the explanation

• The required BATFE approved Acquisitions and Dispositions Book for you to log your gun sales

• A thorough explanation on how to keep accurate records, run your business and record keeping requirements

• A listing of all of the firearms that might qualify and Curios and Relics

• A list of wholesale gun retailers

• Information on how to accept and process credit card payments

• An explanation on how to build your own personal online business

• The yellow BATFE wall sign that is required to be hung in the premises where the license is issued

The contents of all FFL kits vary in content and price. It is important for you to browse a few of these kits online before choosing the one you want to use. You will find that obtaining an FFL is not as difficult as you might think if you decide to use a kit rather than trying to find all of the information haphazardly yourself.

You cannot sell guns or ammunition unless you have been approved for and received a Federal Firearms License from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Ammunition and Explosives (BATFE). This is specifically defined in the Gun Control Act which mandates that persons engaged in the business of dealing in, manufacturing, or importing firearms, or manufacturing or importing ammunition, obtain a Federal Firearms License (FFL). BATFE is an agency of the United States Department of Justice and that is where you go to obtain an FFL. You must comply with all the regulations set forth by the Department in order for you to be approved for your license.

The Gun Control Act specifically defines a dealer as any person who is engaged in the business of selling firearms at wholesale or retail, repairing firearms or making or fitting special barrels, stocks, or trigger mechanisms to firearms or who is a pawnbroker. You may wonder what “engaged” in business actually means. It simply is defined as a “person who devotes time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of obtaining livelihood through repetitive purchase and resale of firearms.” If you fit this description, then you are on your way to obtaining a Federal Firearms License.

There are some specific things you will need to do before sending in your completed application. You also must meet requirements that apply specifically to you and your business. The requirements basically pertain to age (You must be at least 21 years old.), crime (You cannot have been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year, a fugitive, a substance abuse user, an illegal alien, mentally ill, etc.), law (You have not willfully violated Federal firearms law.), truthfulness (You application is true to the best of your knowledge.), and business conditions (Your place of business must follow Federal and state firearms guidelines.). Complete definition of these requirements can be found on many online websites or you can contact the BATFE regional office nearest you.

Once your application is completed, you will need to send it to your regional BATFE office. You will also need to send the appropriate fee, a photo ID and fingerprints obtained from a law enforcement agency. It really is not difficult to obtain an FFL if you follow step-by-step instructions and adhere to Federal firearms license requirements.

You may be wondering how to get your FFL (Federal Firearms License) and there are a few requirements that you must pay close attention to and follow before completing your application. Getting this license makes it possible for you or your company to engage in a business that has to do with manufacturing firearms and ammunition or to be involved with the interstate and intrastate sale of firearms. Having a valid FFL has been a requirement in the United States since the Gun Control Act was enacted in 1968.

The first thing you need to decide is what kind of firearms license do you want and is there a special kind that you need. There are nine types to select from and they are: Type 1 Dealer or gunsmith other than destructive devices, Type 2 Title 1 dealer who is doing business as a pawnbroker, Type 3 Licensed collector of curio and relic firearms, Type 6 Licensed manufacturer of ammunition and reloading components other than armor piercing ammunition, Type 7 Title 1 dealer and manufacturer of firearms other than destructive devices, ammunition and ammunition components other than armor piercing ammunition, Type 8 Importer of Title 1 firearms and ammunition, Type 9 Dealer in Title 1 firearms including NFA destructive devices but no other NFA items, Type 10 Manufacturer of Title 1 firearms, ammunition and ammunition components including NFA destructive devices but no other NFA items, and not including armor piercing ammunition, and Type 11 Importer of Title 1 firearms, ammunition and NFA destructive devices, but no other NFA items.

There are also certain conditions that must be met in order for you to obtain your FFL. You will be approved if you are 21 years of age or older, you are not prohibited from handling or possessing firearms or ammunition, you have not violated the Gun Control Act, you have not failed to disclose information in connection with your application and you have the right premises for conducting business. As you can see, it really isn’t difficult to be licensed if you know how to get your FFL and that you make sure that all of the requirements have been met before sending in your application.