Getting a Federal Firearms License (FFL) is easier than many people think. For example, you don't need a traditional gun store, and in many cases, you can even operate an FFL business from your home (of course, your actual purpose and zoning matter a LOT here).
To get an FFL, you'll need to:
- Meet the federal requirements (and possibly some state/local ones, too),
- Choose the right type of license,
- Establish a compliant business and location,
- Submit your application to ATF, and
- Complete an interview with an ATF Industry Operations Investigator (NOT an ATF Agent).
In this article, I'll walk you through the process of getting your FFL step-by-step.
Why should you listen to me? My name is Ryan Cleckner and I am a firearms attorney that has helped over 20,000 people get their FFL, I've represented hundreds of FFLs across the country against the ATF, and I'm a recognized subject-matter-expert on ATF compliance (testimonies in from of Congress, national news appearances, etc).
Looking for the complete FFL roadmap? This article focuses on the process of getting your license. For everything from deciding whether an FFL is right for you through starting and operating your firearms business, see our complete Get Your FFL guide.
Step 1 - Ensure You Meet FFL Requirements
Generally, you must be at least 21 years old, be legally able to possess firearms, and satisfy the other federal requirements for an FFL.
The requirements for getting an FFL are that easy. The ATF, and possibly your state, have minimum requirements that you and your business (if applicable) must meet before you’ll get your license to be a licensed firearms dealer or manufacturer.
There are certain classes of people who can’t possess firearms or ammunition, and therefore can’t get an FFL. These people are considered “prohibited persons" under the Gun Control Act.
There are also some location requirements that may vary depending on your state of residence as part of the application process. For example, federally, you can be a home based FFL but some states restrict it.
For example, if you’re living in an apartment building in New York city, you probably aren’t going to get an FFL. But, as long as your local zoning approves of you having a firearms license at the address you choose, then the ATF will give you an FFL!
There are a few tricks to getting your FFL at your home – I share all of these and more in the Get Your FFL Course.
Step 2 - Choose Your FFL License Type
The type of FFL you get depends on what you intend to do with it.
If you want to deal in firearms and/or be a gunsmith, then you’ll only need a Type 1 FFL.
If you want to manufacture firearms, then you’ll need a Type 7 FFL. It’s important to note that a Type 7 Federal Firearms License also lets you be a firearms dealer - therefore, if you want to manufacture and sell firearms, a Type 7 FFL covers both! The Type 1 FFL is, by far, the most popular followed by the Type 7 FFL.
| You want to… | Typical license |
|---|---|
| Sell firearms / gunsmith | Type 01 |
| Manufacture firearms | Type 07 |
| Manufacture ammunition | Type 06 or 07 |
| Import firearms | Type 08 |
| Collect C&R firearms | Type 03 |
For a breakdown of what each type of federal firearm license allows, along with which class of SOT applies, see this chart:
SOT stands for Special Occupational Taxpayer (sometimes called an SOT License)and depending on which Class of SOT goes along with the federal firearms license type you choose, you can either buy/sell, make, and/or import NFA Firearms (sometimes called Class 3 firearms) like suppressors, short barreled rifles, machine guns, and more.
SOT Class Activity
| Activity | SOT Class | FFL Types |
|---|---|---|
| Buy/Sell NFA Firearms | Class 3 | 1, 2, and 9 |
| Make NFA Firearms | Class 2 | 7 and 10 |
| Import NFA Firearms | Class 1 | 8 and 11 |
Not sure which one you need? → See our complete guide to FFL license types.
Step 3 - Establish a Compliant Business and Location
As your real estate agent likely says, "location is everything." The same is true with getting your FFL.
No matter where you get your FFL, you're going to have to make sure that you are compliant with your local zoning rules - in fact, you're likely going to need an approval from your local zoning department. And, believe it or not, this is often the most difficult part of getting an FFL.
Zoning is often the biggest hurdle because local zoning departments don't understand federal firearms laws (nor anything about FFLs) and it's all too easy for government employees to say "no" without having to do any real work.
In our Get Your FFL course, I have an entire lesson (in the Business/Entity Requirements Chapter) dedicated to explaining the requirements and giving you the tips and tricks you need to satisfy them. As just one example, if you're looking to get a home-based FFL, your local zoning may have a generic restriction against home businesses. However, if you look closely, it may only restrict retail foot-traffic. If that's you, then maybe your FFL could still be useful for online sales only or perhaps appointment-only transfers (no "retail foot traffic").
Also, I include sample letters that have worked for thousands of others facing zoning issues that explain how the ATF's definition of "manufacturing" includes things as simple as joining an upper and a lower receiver of an AR-15 and therefore isn't likely the same thing as your zoning department's definition of manufacturing which usually includes heavy machinery like mills or lathes.
You're also going to need to decide how to apply for your license (either as an individual, company, or corporation). This must be decided PRIOR to applying as you can't just change it later. If you need help understanding the pros and cons of each and determining which is best for you, I walk you through all of that in our Get Your FFL course.
Step 4 - Apply for Federal Firearm License
Upon ensuring you meet the requirements for an FFL, have chosen the right type of FFL, and hopefully taken your course so you have everything set up properly now to avoid trouble with the ATF later, you’re finally ready to apply for your Federal Firearm License from the BATF.
The steps to this can be very difficult and may require multiple forms and extra steps depending on your location. It's not quite as simple as filling out an ATF form like some people would have you believe. For example, out of the seven chapters in our course, only one has to do with actually filling out the application - the rest help you with all the other things you need to know.
FFL licensing also involves other things (if you're interested in doing it the right way) like complying with the GunControl Act (GCA), National Firearms Act (NFA), your local zoning law, getting a business license in some instances, and other firearm laws.
You'll have to meet every FFL requirement and some of the paperwork involves ensuring the correct application fee, using the correct fingerprint card.
It's likely that you've already seen other information about this process and, if you have, it's even more likely that you're confused about exactly what you're supposed to do because the internet (reddit, forums, social media) is full of so-called experts that give out conflicting, confusing, and sometimes outright wrong information. Heck, there's as many bad opinions about FFLs as there are about anything else related to firearms.
However, if you completed the RocketFFL Get Your FFL Course, you’ll have every detail and access to all the necessary forms in order to get your own Federal Firearms License hassle-free.
Application Process
The main part of the FFL application process is filling out and submitting an ATF Form 7.
On that form, you'll be declaring the applicant/business entity, details about the location and intended business activity, payment depending on the license type, and information about the responsible persons (RPs), to include photos and fingerprints.
You'll then be submitting one packet of information to the ATF and different packet to your local law enforcement.
After approximately 6 weeks, you'll be contacted by the ATF for the next step and then, if you did everything properly, you'll be receiving your FFL a couple of weeks after that.
Step 5 - Complete an interview with an ATF Industry Operations Investigator
As part of the FFL application process, you're going to have a meeting with an ATF Industry Operations Investigator (IOI). This ATF employee is NOT an ATF Agent - they're not even law enforcement.
This person, the IOI, is the inspector that meets with you to confirm the information on your application and to ensure that you understand what's expected of you.
Many people stress about this meeting but I can assure you this: if you have everything set-up properly and you know what you're doing, this meeting is a breeze.
Getting Your FFL
So, there you have it. In five simple steps, you can become a licensed firearm manufacturer, firearm dealer, and/or international arms exporter or importer.
Even if you're not interested in opening up a gun shop or being a full-fledged firearms business and you'd rather just collect an FFL transfer fee for conducting transfers, this may be for you.
Also, with the right type of license, you can be a manufacturer of ammunition or even just a curio and relic collector.
If you're also wanting to sell or make an NFA item (like silencers/suppressors, short barreled rifles, armor piercing ammunition, and more), you'll need to become a Special Occupational Taxpayer as well. Don't worry - you can bundle our SOT course with our FFL course to save money and you'll learn more about SOTs to see if it's right for you in our Get Your FFL course.
FFL License FAQ
You apply for an FFL by submitting a properly completed Form 7 to the ATF.
After submission of an application, it takes 8 weeks to get your FFL.
As long as everything is set up properly and you make the correct elections through the process, getting an FFL can actually be quite simple.