Licensee “eZ Check” Verification for Transfers

What it does

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to allow federal firearms licensees ("FFLs") that are transferring a firearm to another FFL to verify the transferee FFL's license through ATF's publicly available "FFL eZ Check" system, as an alternative to the current requirement to obtain a certified copy of the transferee's license. Additionally, because the eZ Check system is accessible, free to use, and updated regularly, this rule removes the now-unnecessary provision that allows a transferor to rely on a certified list provided by a multi-licensed organization for up to 45 days to make transfers to licensees operated by such organization.

The Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What changed in the regulation

1 part of Title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

27 CFR 478

Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).

Compared with

The Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau has published 12 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 0 in all of 2025.

Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.

Before this

No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 1140-AA61 since Jan. 1, 2025.

Since then:

• July 6, 2026 Withdrawing direct final rule. Licensee “eZ Check” Verification for Transfers; Withdrawing Direct Final Rule

What happens next and when

This direct final rule is effective on August 4, 2026, unless significant adverse comments are received by June 5, 2026. If ATF receives a significant adverse comment within the stated time that warrant revising the rule (as described under the "Public Participation" heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this regulation at Part IV of this preamble), ATF will publish a notice in the Federal Register withdrawing the rule before the effective date. Commenters should be aware that the https://www.regulations.gov comment system will not accept comments after midnight Eastern Time on the last day of the comment period.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket ATF-2026-0009 on Regulations.gov
• Title 27 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register