ATF proposes 20- or 30-year retention limits for FFL A&D and NTC firearm records
ATF rulemaking 2026-08929 — status: rule proposed
Official title: Firearm Records Retention Periods
What it does
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives published a notice of proposed rulemaking to set fixed retention periods for certain firearms records that are currently retained indefinitely. ATF is proposing that FFL acquisition and disposition (A&D) records and records received by the National Tracing Center be retained for either 20 or 30 years, and would establish a brief, specific retention period for forms used to facilitate private-party transfers and voluntary firearm handler checks. The proposal was published May 6, 2026, and is in the notice-and-comment stage.
Industry impact
If finalized, the rule would require FFLs, manufacturers, and NFA/SOT holders to update record-retention policies and procedures to apply the specified time limits and to manage secure disposal of records older than the retention period. Some businesses may reduce long-term physical or digital storage costs but will need to ensure compliance during any transition and when using third-party recordkeepers. The change could reduce the pool of older records available for tracing at the NTC, but it does not alter who may buy or transfer firearms or the substantive requirements for transfers and licensing.
Latest official status: Proposed rule: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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