After the nasty tricks of the Biden-Harris administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) continues to hand out treats under President Trump. Gun owners got the equivalent of a full-sized candy bar heading into the Halloween weekend as the agency published proposed changes to what is colloquially known as ATF Form 1, the application to make or register a firearm regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA). The amendments would streamline and modernize the NFA acquisition process.
Thursday’s publication was a follow-on to changes first proposed in August and allows additional time for stakeholders to offer comments.
The Federal Register notice announcing the proposal indicated annual Form 1 applications have increased nearly five-fold since the form was last renewed. However, ATF estimates the time burden associated with completing the process will be more than halved, thanks to the use of electronic forms and additional efficiencies the proposed changes would implement.
Some of the proposed changes would include allowing the option to attach either a passport style photograph or a copy of a photo-ID; allowing additional types of electronic or digital signatures; allowing for electronic fingerprints; and removing the current requirement of sending the chief local law enforcement officer (CLEO) of the applicant’s jurisdiction of residence a copy of the application. Removal of the CLEO notification requirement would alleviate not just administrative burdens, but privacy concerns as well, as ATF is fully capable of performing the required background checks without the CLEO’s involvement.
Needless to say, NRA is still working towards legally dismantling the NFA’s paradigm of applications, taxes, and registration. Notable progress was achieved last July 4, when President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, which removed taxes on suppressors, “short-barreled” rifles and shotguns, and the NFA category dubbed “any other weapons.” Shortly thereafter, NRA and other pro-Second Amendment groups filed litigation seeking to remove these items from the NFA’s purview entirely. Those cases are pending.
In the meantime, it is encouraging to see ATF professionalizing and streamlining the NFA process to reduce its burdens on law-abiding Americans. This continues to deliver on a promise the agency made after President Trump took office to abandon the abuses of the Biden-Harris administration and usher in a “new era of reform.”
Comments will be accepted on ATF’s proposed revisions to Form 1 until midnight of Dec. 1, 2025. Visit www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain for more information and to weigh in on the process. Under the “Information Collection Review” tab, select “Information Collection Review.” In the middle of the page, click the link for “Currently under Review - Open for Public Comments.” Look for “Department of Justice” and find OMB Control Number 1140-0011. The “Comment” tab is on the right side of the screen. Thoughtful and respectful comments from those acquainted with the NFA application process will ensure the best results.
While multi-pronged efforts are underway to free law-abiding Americans from the NFA’s overreach once and for all, ATF is doing what it can to make the current process as painless as possible. That, at least, is notable progress.
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