Hobbyists and small gunsmiths applying for a home-based FFL

Where will the licensed premises be?

Plan a home-based FFL: pick the license type, prepare your ATF Form 7 answers and the local zoning check the law requires. Free to read.

Free to read
No sign-up until the draft
Every fact cites its source

ePlan fills in

Zoning district
Home business rules
License type
ATF fee
Local police notice

How it works

FFL application kit, from one answer

Enter the premises address and what you'll do under the license.One answer starts the project. ePlan names it and looks up the place.
ePlan checks home business zoning and picks the license type and fee.3 more questions, each with a "not sure yet" way out.
Read the kit free, then download your Form 7 answers and zoning request.The draft marks what to check (amber), what to pick (blue) and what to fill in (violet).

What you get

FFL application kit and 2 more documents

The first draft is free to read. Each document after it is drafted from the same confirmed facts.

The first draft

FFL application kit (ATF Form 7 answer sheet)

License type and fee
Applicant and responsible persons
Business premises and hours
Local law and zoning certification
Notice to the chief local law enforcement officer
Photos, fingerprints and payment checklist

Modeled on: ATF Form 7 instructions; 18 U.S.C. 923(d) and 27 CFR 478.44

Next · 2

Home occupation permit application

Business description
Hours, visitors and deliveries
Storage and security
Signs and parking

Next · 3

Special occupational tax (SOT) checklist

Class and rate
Gross receipts test
Payment and renewal

From public data

What ePlan fills in, and from where

ParcelRegrid nationwide parcel data (or the county assessor)
Zoning districtNational Zoning Atlas, where mapped, and the town's zoning code
License types and fees27 CFR part 478 (eCFR)
Special occupational tax rates27 CFR 479.32 (eCFR)

$200

buys a 3-year federal license for a firearms dealer (other than destructive devices); renewal is $90 for 3 years
Source: 27 CFR 478.42(c), eCFR

Questions

FFL Application Kit: what people ask

How much does an FFL cost?

ATF's fee for a dealer license (other than destructive devices) is $200 for three years, and $90 to renew. A firearms manufacturer pays $50 a year and a collector of curios and relics $10 a year. Destructive device licenses cost $1,000 a year.

Source: ecfr.gov

Can I get an FFL at home?

Federal law allows it where local law does. You must certify that the business isn't prohibited by state or local law at the premises, that you'll comply with those laws within 30 days of approval, and that you've sent notice to your local chief law enforcement officer.

Source: law.cornell.edu

How long does ATF take to decide?

ATF must approve or deny a properly completed application within 60 days of receiving it. If it fails to act in that time, the applicant may go to federal court to compel a decision.

Source: ecfr.gov