Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

Zeroed Out: Trump Administration Formally Ends Biden-Era War on Gun Dealers

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Zeroed Out: Trump Administration Formally Ends Biden-Era War on Gun Dealers

On April 7, the Trump Administration formally revoked the Biden-Harris Administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for inspections of federal firearm licensees (FFLs). The edict ended a bureaucratic reign of terror that was costing small business people their livelihoods over harmless clerical errors in the voluminous paperwork that accompanies regulated gun sales. Also announced were a review of two anti-gun administrative rules from the prior administration, one on the status of braced pistols under the NFA and another on who is required to become an FFL to sell guns. These moves continue the rollback of anti-gun policies perpetrated under Biden-Harris and signal a significant, pro-gun shift by the Trump Administration.

We have extensively reported on the Trump administration’s early pro-gun moves, including here, here, here, here, here, and here. All these actions followed a Feb. 7 Executive Order by the President entitled “Protecting Second Amendment Rights.” The president directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to review several categories of actions by the prior administration to “assess any ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens.” She was then supposed to report back to the White House with a “proposed plan of action to … protect the Second Amendment rights of all Americans.” While that report has not been made public to date, it’s clear the Trump White House has wasted no time translating the recommendations into actions.

Zero Tolerance was among the most infamous Biden-era tactics against a gun industry he had publicly declared “the enemy” during a televised debate. The policy supposedly targeted “willful” violations of a specified list of infractions, including transferring a firearm to a prohibited person; failing to conduct a required background check; falsifying records, such as a firearms transaction form; failing to respond to a trace request; and refusing to permit ATF to conduct an inspection. A single such violation would, under the policy, presumably result in revocation of the FFL’s license.

While those violations, on their face, seem rather serious, and while “willfulness” is supposed to put the government to a high burden of proof, that is not how the policy worked in practice. Falsifying records, for example, could translate simply to making a mistake in any of the dozens of inputs necessary to complete an ATF Form 4473, the document used when a firearm is sold from a dealer to an unlicensed person.

Failure to conduct a required background check, moreover, didn’t necessarily mean FFLs were selling guns out of the back door without paperwork, but could include a situation where there was legitimate confusion over the rules. For example, federal law specifies that certain firearm-related permits, including some carry licenses, provide an alternative to the background check normally required. There can also be misunderstandings over when an FFL is required to run a background check when returning a gun to its owner after storage, consignment, or repair.

The government’s required showing of “willfulness” is supposed to prevent exploiting innocent mistakes by FFLs acting in good faith from being used against them. But under the Biden-Harris Zero Tolerance policy, ATF turned this doctrine on its head by claiming the specified “zero tolerance” violations inherently demonstrated willfulness. 

By all accounts, the policy represented, in the words of anti-gun propaganda site The Trace,  a “crackdown that triggered the steepest increase in gun store license revocations in [ATF’s] history.”

An announcement published on April 7 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives quoted Attorney General Pam Bondi as saying:  “The prior administration’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy unfairly targeted law-abiding gun owners and created an undue burden on Americans seeking to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms – it ends today.”

This presumably means ATF will return to its prior practice of conducting inspections in a more wholistic manner that considers the facts and circumstances of each case and allows for remedial measures to be taken where the FFL was operating in good faith.

The April 7 announcement also noted that DOJ and ATF have plans to revisit the regulatory framework surrounding stabilizing braces (Final Rule 2021R-08F) and the definition of “engaged in the business” of firearms dealing (Final Rule 2022R-17F).

NRA-ILA had opposed both of these rules as exceeding ATF’s statutory authority, creating confusion, and causing legal traps for law-abiding gun owners. 

The announcement continued: “The DOJ and ATF will conduct an in-depth review over the coming months and will engage in consultations with stakeholders, including gun rights organizations, industry leaders and legal experts. Further updates on the status of these reviews will be released in due course.”

ATF Acting Director Kash Patel stated: “Today’s repeal of the Zero Tolerance Policy and the comprehensive review of stabilizing brace regulations and the definition of ‘engaged in the business’ marks a pivotal step toward restoring fairness and clarity in firearms regulation,” He also noted ATF’s commitment “to working with all stakeholders to ensure our policies are balanced, constitutional and protective of Americans’ Second Amendment rights.”

NRA-ILA commends the administration for these significant steps and looks forward to participating in the review process. Happier days for gun owners and the industries that serve them appear to lie ahead.  

TRENDING NOW
Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

News  

Friday, March 21, 2025

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

On March 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an interim final rule entitled, Withdrawing the Attorney General’s Delegation of Authority. That bland title belies the historic nature of the measure, which is aimed at reviving ...

Firearm Turn-ins, Worse than Useless?

News  

Monday, April 28, 2025

Firearm Turn-ins, Worse than Useless?

Once again, Chicago has provided a cautionary tale in gun control. This time the city helped to illustrate the futility of gun turn-ins – sometimes incorrectly termed “buybacks” by those under the misimpression that all ...

Maine: Extreme Gun Ban Bill Added to Thursday's Gun Hearing

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Maine: Extreme Gun Ban Bill Added to Thursday's Gun Hearing

The Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary has added MORE anti-gun bills to their Thursday, May 1st, public hearing. Details about the hearing are below. 

U.S. Supreme Court Allows Decision Recognizing Young Adult Carry to Stand

News  

Monday, April 28, 2025

U.S. Supreme Court Allows Decision Recognizing Young Adult Carry to Stand

On Monday, April 21, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review an appeal from the state of Minnesota in Worth v. Jacobson, allowing to stand an Eight Circuit ruling declaring that a ban on obtaining carry permits by ...

Australian Gun Regime Exposes the Fallacy of “Red Flag” Laws

News  

Monday, April 28, 2025

Australian Gun Regime Exposes the Fallacy of “Red Flag” Laws

As we wrote about last week, a cornerstone of the Biden administration’s “Strategic Implementation Plan for Countering Domestic Terrorism,” a plan aimed at curtailing Second Amendment rights under the guise of fighting domestic terrorism, was ...

Hawaii: Firearm Ban Scheduled for Final Floor Vote- Contact Your Lawmakers Today!

Monday, April 28, 2025

Hawaii: Firearm Ban Scheduled for Final Floor Vote- Contact Your Lawmakers Today!

Senate Bill 401 banning semi-automatic rifles with certain characteristics, “assault shotguns” and standard capacity magazines could receive its final floor vote in both the House and Senate as early as today. Please use the TAKE ACTION button ...

Rep. Sheri Biggs Introduces Bill to Ease Shotgun Purchases

News  

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Rep. Sheri Biggs Introduces Bill to Ease Shotgun Purchases

On April 28, 2025, Representative Sheri Biggs (R-SC-03) reintroduced the No Frivolous Applications for Short-Barreled Shotguns (NFA SBS) Act (H.R. 3034). This legislation removes short-barreled shotguns from the National Firearms Act so that they will be treated ...

Louisiana: House Committee to Host “Gun Day” Next Thursday – Take Action!

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Louisiana: House Committee to Host “Gun Day” Next Thursday – Take Action!

Thursday, May 8th, at 10:00 am, is "gun day" in the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee. Multiple firearm related bills are scheduled to be heard, including three important pro-gun bills, HB 393, HB 407, and SB ...

Texas: Legislative Update on Self-Defense Protections on Publicly Owned Property, Short-Barrel Rifles & Universal Recognition!

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Texas: Legislative Update on Self-Defense Protections on Publicly Owned Property, Short-Barrel Rifles & Universal Recognition!

Over the past week, the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs advanced two key NRA-supported bills—Senate Bill 706, recognizing all out-of-state carry licenses, and Senate Bill 1596, removing short-barreled rifles and ...

NRA Files Amicus Brief in “Ghost Gun” Case Before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Thursday, May 1, 2025

NRA Files Amicus Brief in “Ghost Gun” Case Before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Yesterday, the National Rifle Association joined an amicus brief, along with the Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League, Firearms Owners Against Crime – Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Educational Action, and Second Amendment Foundation, filed in a ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.