How to Get a Federal Firearms License

With the gun control debate, and laws changing for the same, it is imperative to know the exact procedure of getting a federal firearms license and act fast. Else, if the laws are passed, more is the likelihood of getting your FFL with hassles and interference of the government which will invariably cause delay.

Contrary to what many believe, the federal firearms license is NOT a license or a legal permit to buy firearms or use one but a license for being able to conduct business of selling the same. Though the procedure is very simple and easy, what is important is the fulfillment of criteria to be eligible for obtaining a license and following the application process properly.

The first and foremost step is that you need to be aware of the conditions for eligibility. Have a look at the same in the following sections.

Requirements
The following are the requirements for being eligible for acquiring a federal firearms license. Make sure you comply with each of them to avoid any infringement and trigger any kind of investigation from their side regarding the same.

• You have completed 21 years (minimum) of age.
• You are a US citizen.
• You have not renounced your citizenship ever.
• You are a resident of the state where you wish to conduct your business and want to obtain your license.
• If you are from the military background, you should have honorable discharge from your service.
• You have not been found guilty in any crime.
• You have not broken laws related to the federal firearms license (the Gun Control Act i.e. GCA) anytime before.
• You have not been imprisoned for more than a year.
• You do have any restraining order from the court.
• You are not taking any treatment for mental illness, and are or were a psychological patient.
• You must not be addicted to controlled substances* and if you at all possess them, ensure that the possession is legal.
• You have not withheld documents or facts that are relevant to obtaining a federal firearms license, willfully.
• You have an appropriate place to conduct the business.

(Note: Controlled substances' means any drug whose trading and possession are controlled by the government. For example, scheduled or prescribed drugs, illegal drugs, etc.)

Once you fit into these aforementioned federal firearms license requirements, you can proceed with the federal firearms license dealers application. We'll see the details in the section below.

Application
The process starts with filling up the appropriate form i.e. ATF Form 7 (seven). ATF stands for alcohol, tobacco, firearms. Getting the right application form is the main thing. Please note that the federal firearms license application is not available online. So you have only two options which are, either calling up this number, 703-455-7801 (the center's number) and ask for the form. It will be delivered to you ( by post, U.S. Mail service).

The second option at your hand is to directly approach the distribution center and ask for the ATF Form 7. These are the only two ways of acquiring the federal firearms license application.

Well, once you get hold of the form, all you need to do is fill in all the details completely. Be sure to not withhold any information that is asked for. Carefully fill in the details in the appropriate spaces and recheck if you have put the fingerprints or not.

The final step is to send this completed form to the BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) regional office. The address of the same is P.O. Box 2994, Atlanta, GA 30301. Contact number : 404-417-2750.

With the above mentioned step, your things-to-do is over. Now you just have to wait for the BATFE to get back to you with confirmation or denial of issuing the federal firearms license. This process takes sixty days.

Hope you find this information on how to get a federal firearms license helpful, and acquire your license soon. Following the prescribed steps and fulfilling the necessary requirements is the key.