Regulatory Update

ATF Proposes Replacing Indefinite FFL Record Retention with a Defined 20- or 30-Year Period

Proposal summary

ATF proposed moving away from indefinite retention for specified FFL and National Tracing Center records and requested comment on defined retention periods, including 20- or 30-year options. The proposal also addresses shorter retention concepts for certain private-party-transfer and firearm-handler-check forms.

Current status

The comment period has closed, but the proposal is not a final rule. Dealers should not change record-destruction practices simply because the NPRM discussed shorter periods.

Primary source: ATF — Firearm Records Retention Periods NPRM ↗

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