The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recently published proposed changes to what is commonly called ATF Form 1, the application to make or register a firearm regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA). And unlike under the Biden registration, these changes would be friendly to lawful gun owners, not antagonistic.
According to a report at nraila.org, the October 30 publication follows changes first proposed in August and also allows additional time for public comment.
“Information Collection (IC) OMB 1140-0011 is being revised to reflect an increase in the number of applicants per year, rising from 25,716 applicants during the last renewal to 148,975, an increase of 123,259,” the Federal Registry document stated. “However, there has also been a decrease in the time burden due to changes in technology allowing electronic forms, reducing the number of respondents who must provide fingerprints and reducing the number of copies, allowing electronic fingerprints on-site, reducing respondents who must provide photographs, allowing cell phone photographs, and allowing photocopied identification cards instead, all submitted electronically.
“In addition, the requirement to complete an extra copy of the form and submit it to local law enforcement is going away, and the fillable forms have made it possible to populate the second copy at the same time as the first copy, both of which reduce the time burden even more. As a result, there has been a corresponding decrease in the burden hours per respondent, from .5 hours to .2 hours each, resulting in a combined reduction in total annual burden hours from 102,808 to 29,795 (a decrease of 73,013 hours).”
According to NRA-ILA, 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,” the report stated.
The NRA and other pro-gun organizations have filed lawsuits challenging the NFA now that the $200 tax was removed through President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. But as NRA-ILA pointed out, this move by ATF is a step forward.
“Needless to say, NRA is still working toward legally dismantling the NFA’s paradigm of applications, taxes and registration,” the report stated. “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.’”
More on TTAG Regarding the ATF Form 1: