How to Fill Out an FFL Application: Parts A, B, and Submission

To fill out an FFL application, you complete ATF Form 7 (5310.12), or Form 7CR (5310.16) if you’re applying as a collector of curios and relics, on paper — the ATF does not accept Form 7 through its eForms portal as of 2026.¹ The form has two parts: Part A collects information about you and your business, and Part B is a separate questionnaire that every “responsible person” fills out individually. You attach a fingerprint card and a 2″×2″ photograph for each responsible person, include payment for the license type you chose, mail the package to the Federal Firearms Licensing Center, and send a designated copy of the form to your local chief law enforcement officer. Getting the details right the first time matters, because a rejected or incomplete application restarts a clock that already runs close to 60 days.

Confirm You Qualify Before You Start

Federal law requires every FFL applicant to be at least 21 years old and legally permitted to possess firearms.² You cannot fall into any prohibited-person category: felony convictions, certain domestic violence misdemeanors, dishonorable military discharge, unlawful drug use, or unlawful immigration status, among others. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents qualify; nonimmigrant visa holders and undocumented immigrants do not.

The ATF will also deny an application if you’ve willfully violated firearms laws in the past or if you make false statements on the form.³ Your proposed business location must comply with state and local law, including zoning. If your city or county doesn’t allow firearms businesses at your address, the application will be denied no matter how clean the rest of it is.²

Pick the Right License Type

One of the first entries on the form is your license type. Check only the type you’re applying for. Most applicants use one of three:

Type 01 — Dealer (includes gunsmiths). Lets you sell firearms at wholesale or retail and perform gunsmithing work. Application fee $200, renewal $90 every three years.
Type 07 — Manufacturer. Covers manufacturing firearms and ammunition. Application fee $150, renewal $150 every three years.
Type 08 — Importer. For importing firearms and non-armor-piercing ammunition. $150 application, $150 renewal.

Other options include Type 02 (pawnbroker, $200/$90), Type 06 (ammunition manufacturer, $30/$30), Type 03 (collector of curios and relics, $30/$30), and the destructive devices licenses Types 09, 10, and 11 at $3,000.⁴ Every license runs three years from the date of issue. Match the type to what you’ll actually do day to day: a home-based gunsmith who also sells firearms needs a Type 01; someone building custom rifles needs a Type 07.

Gather Everything Before You Sit Down With the Form

Going back and forth to collect missing information is how applications end up delayed. Have all of this in hand first.

Personal details: full legal name, date of birth, place of birth, home address, phone, email, and Social Security Number. Business details: business name, any trade or “doing business as” name, and the exact physical address of the premises where you’ll conduct licensed activity. A P.O. box will not work. If you’re operating as a corporation, partnership, or LLC, you’ll need an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Sole proprietors can use their SSN, though many get an EIN anyway to keep personal and business finances separate.⁵

Fingerprints and photographs: each responsible person needs a completed FD-258 fingerprint card and a recent 2″×2″ photograph. Prints must be rolled onto the official FD-258 card; a printout on regular paper won’t do. Local law enforcement offices and private fingerprinting services can do this for you. Type 03 collector applicants are the one exception and do not need fingerprints or photos.⁶

A list of every responsible person. A “responsible person” is anyone with power to direct the management and policies of the business: sole proprietors, partners, corporate officers, board members with operational authority, and LLC members who participate in management.² Each one fills out a separate Part B and submits their own prints and photo.

Local zoning confirmation. Before you sign the state and local law certification, contact your local zoning or planning office and confirm in writing that a firearms business is allowed at your address. This is the single most common thing the ATF investigator catches later.

Fill Out Part A: Applicant and Business Information

Download the form from the ATF website and type or print clearly in ink.⁷

The opening block asks for your personal information: full name, SSN, date and place of birth, home address, phone, and email. The business block follows: business name, any trade name, and the physical address of the premises. If your mailing address differs from the business address, enter both. Then select your FFL type and identify the business structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or LLC) with the EIN or SSN that goes with it.

The section that trips people up is the state and local law certification. You’re signing a statement that your business will not violate state or local law at your proposed location and that you will comply with all applicable requirements within 30 days of approval. The ATF investigator verifies this during the in-person interview, and a zoning conflict is one of the most common reasons applications are denied.³ Don’t sign this section on faith.

If you’re applying for a Type 01 dealer license, Part A includes a certification that you’ll make secure gun storage or safety devices available to non-licensed buyers at your place of business.²

Fill Out Part B: Responsible Person Questionnaire

Every responsible person completes Part B individually. It collects name, address, date of birth, SSN, citizenship status, and place of birth, and then works through a series of yes-or-no background questions covering criminal history, domestic violence convictions, drug use, mental health adjudications, dishonorable discharges, and immigration status. Those questions mirror the federal prohibited-person categories.

Answer every question honestly. A false answer is itself a federal crime and will result in denial. Each responsible person signs and dates their own Part B, and each one’s fingerprint card and photograph go in the application package (Type 03 collectors excepted).⁶

Submit the Application

The form generates multiple copies. Mail the appropriate copy, together with your payment and the fingerprint card and photograph for each responsible person, to:

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Federal Firearms Licensing Center
P.O. Box 6200-20
Portland, OR 97228-6200⁸

Pay by check, credit card, or money order. The ATF does not accept cash.³ Make checks payable to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and confirm the amount matches the fee for the license type you selected. A mismatched payment will delay processing.

Then mail the CLEO copy separately. Federal law requires you to send a copy of the application to the chief law enforcement officer in the jurisdiction where the business will be located, typically the local police chief or county sheriff. The form itself includes a copy designated for the CLEO, and the instructions identify which copy goes where.²

What Happens After You Mail It

Three things follow, in sequence.

The ATF runs electronic background checks on every responsible person, screening against the same prohibited-person categories you answered in Part B. If something flags, the ATF will contact you; unresolvable disqualifying records lead to denial.⁹

An Industry Operations Investigator from the nearest ATF field office then schedules a visit to your proposed premises. The investigator verifies that your location exists and is suitable for the licensed activity, looks at your security setup, and interviews you about federal, state, and local requirements that apply to your business.³ It functions as a compliance orientation. Come prepared to discuss recordkeeping obligations and which transactions require a background check.

Federal law requires the ATF to approve or deny the application within 60 days of receiving it. If they fail to act within that window, you can file a federal court action to compel a decision.² ATF’s published data for February 2026 shows an average processing time of 60 days for paper Form 7 applications, so plan on the full window.¹ Incomplete applications and interview scheduling delays can push it further.

If the Application Is Denied

The most common reasons for denial are failure to comply with state or local law (especially zoning), disqualifying background check results, and false statements on the application.³ A denial notice explains the reason in writing.

A denial isn’t necessarily permanent. Zoning issues can often be resolved with your local government, after which you reapply. An incorrect background check result can be challenged at the source. The licensing statute also gives you the right to seek judicial review of a denial in federal court.²

1
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 923 – Licensing
3
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Apply for a License
4
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal Firearms Licenses
5
Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number
6
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Form 7/7CR Instructions – Application for Federal Firearms License
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Application for Federal Firearms License and Part B – Responsible Person Questionnaire – ATF Form 7 (5310.12)/7CR (5310.16)
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. New Mailing Addresses for Many ATF Registration Forms
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Fact Sheet – Federal Firearms and Explosives Licenses by Types