The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has released the 35th Edition of State Laws and Published Ordinances — Firearms (ATF P 5300.5). This information will help FFLs and gun owners comply with federal and state firearm laws and, specifically, remain in compliance with the Gun Control Act of 1968. The information is found on the ATF website here: ATF.gov/firearms/state-laws-and-published-ordinances-firearms-35th-edition.

The ATF website has links to the particular laws for all 50 U.S. States as well as the American territories such as the U.S. Virgin Islands. This makes it quick and easy to check for updates in your region. We encourage readers to review the pertinent state or territory link provided on the ATF website that is relevant to your location. Click here for more information.

NOTE: The ATF Guide to State Laws has this caveat: This material is not intended to provide legal advice and should be used only for informational purposes. It is possible that a state may have passed a more recent law(s) or issued interpretations or regulations that have yet to be published and are not included in this publication. If you have any questions regarding state, county or local laws, please contact your state’s Attorney General.

“Since the beginning of the Biden administration, the number of Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) has gone down by [over] 1,600.” — America’s 1st Freedom

The Biden Administration, acting through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is aggressively working to shut down gun stores and FFL businesses throughout the country. According to the NRA America’s 1st Freedom site, some 1619 FFLs have gone out of business since 2020 when Joe Biden took office. That is a major change, reflecting extremely hostile and aggressive policies now being pushed by the anti-gun Biden administration.

“The Biden administration said that they would use the ATF as a bludgeon against the industry, and that’s in fact what they are trying to do. They are turning the agency that is charged with regulating the firearm industry — the manufacturers, the distributors, the retailers — and using the levers of that regulatory agency as a means to shut down and deny people their Second Amendment rights.” – Mark Oliva, NSSF Director for Public Affairs

We recommend our readers consult a recent, detailed article on Americas1stFreedom.org that explains the ATF’s aggressive campaigns against gun dealers and small-business FFLs. That article explains how the aggressive Biden policies have resulted in a huge number of gun shops and FFLs shutting down: “What’s the result of Biden’s constant drumbeat of propaganda and executive actions against America’s firearms retailers? According to ATF figures, as of April 2023, there were 1,619 fewer licensed firearms dealers than there were when Biden took office in January 2021.”

Additionally, ATF records indicate licensee revocations jumped sharply after Biden’s directives to the ATF: “In January 2022, out of 470 FLL audits performed, there were only three license revocations. A year later, there were 678 (44% more) inspections and 17 revocations — six times the number of revocations from the previous January.”

“What [Biden’s] latest Executive Order actually did was direct various federal agencies to make life as difficult as possible for firearms dealers, as Biden knows that making it more difficult for retailers to sell guns makes it more difficult for law-abiding Americans … to buy them.” — America’s 1st Freedom

Along with the aggressive actions of the ATF, President Biden wants to ban certain types of firearms through Executive Order. This is rule by fiat, without Legislative approval, which is not what the Constitution intended. Laws are to be made by Congress, not by a dictator.