To do a Federal Firearms License number lookup, current licensees should use the ATF’s FFL eZ Check tool at fflezcheck.atf.gov, which confirms another dealer’s license by the first three and last five digits of the number. If you don’t hold an FFL yourself, the ATF publishes downloadable monthly listings of active licensees that you can filter by state and search by business name or address.
Pick the Right Tool for Your Situation
Which method works depends on whether you’re a licensee. eZ Check requires you to enter your own 15-digit FFL number before it will run a query, so non-licensees can’t use it. The downloadable listings have no such restriction and are the practical choice for anyone without a license of their own.
The listings show the business name, address, and license number of every active FFL in the state you select, for the month you select. They update monthly, so a very recently issued or revoked license may not appear yet. You can find them on the ATF’s Federal Firearms Listings page.1Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal Firearms Listings
There’s also a simpler path when you’re doing business with a specific dealer: ask for a certified copy of the license. Federal regulations require both sides of an FFL-to-FFL transaction to verify each other’s licensed status, so licensees routinely share copies. Once you have one from a particular licensee, it stays valid for the term of that license. Businesses with multiple licensed locations can provide a certified master list covering all of them.2eCFR. 27 CFR 478.94 – Sales or Deliveries Between Licensees
Read the Number Before You Enter It
An FFL number is 15 characters in six segments, and reading them correctly saves you from typing a bad query into eZ Check.
- Region code (1 digit): which of seven ATF regions issued the license.
- District code (2 digits): the state or territory of issuance. The region and district together form the “RDS key” — the first three digits.
- County code (3 digits): the FIPS code for the county or locality where the FFL operates.
- License type (2 digits): the category, such as 01 for a standard dealer or 07 for a manufacturer.
- Expiration code (2 characters): the last digit of the expiration year, then a letter for the month (A for January through L for December, skipping I).
- Sequence number (5 digits): a unique identifier for that license.
When eZ Check asks for the first three and last five digits, it wants the RDS key and the sequence number. Those two pieces alone identify the licensee.
Running an eZ Check Query
Go to fflezcheck.atf.gov. Enter your own 15-digit FFL number, then the first three and last five digits of the license you want to verify. Submit.
If the license is active, the system returns the full license number, expiration date, license name, trade name, premises address, and mailing address.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. FFL eZ Check Application
Compare every field to the copy of the license you received. A mismatch on name or address is worth resolving before you ship anything. Licensees do relocate, change trade names, or operate under legal names that differ from their storefront, so a discrepancy isn’t automatically fraud. It’s a reason to stop and confirm.
What eZ Check Won’t Show
Two license categories are excluded from eZ Check results: Type 03 (Collector of Curios and Relics) and Type 06 (Ammunition Manufacturer). Querying one of those returns an error rather than a confirmation.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. FFL eZ Check Application For those holders, use the downloadable monthly listings or contact the ATF directly.
When the License Looks Expired
An expiration date in the past doesn’t necessarily mean the license is dead. If a licensee submits their renewal application (ATF Form 8 Part II) before the expiration date and the ATF hasn’t finished processing it in time, the licensee can request a Letter of Authorization from the Federal Firearms Licensing Center. The LOA lets them keep operating under the existing license for up to six months past the printed expiration, and the ATF can extend it further if processing continues.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Licensees
If a dealer’s certificate shows an expired date but they say they’re operating under an LOA, ask for a copy. eZ Check helps here too: when a license has an LOA on file, the verification results include the LOA issuance date and its expiration date alongside the standard license fields.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. FFL eZ Check Application Confirm the LOA covers the date of your transaction.
Why the Check Is Worth the Two Minutes
Every FFL-to-FFL transfer requires the selling licensee to verify the buyer’s identity and licensed status before the sale is completed.2eCFR. 27 CFR 478.94 – Sales or Deliveries Between Licensees
The ATF has stated it will, absent extraordinary circumstances, initiate license revocation proceedings against any dealer who willfully violates the Gun Control Act. The listed triggers include transferring firearms to a prohibited person, failing to run required background checks, and falsifying transaction records.5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal Firearms Licensee Quick Reference and Best Practices Guide Shipping to a license that turns out to be expired, revoked, or fabricated puts a dealer in that zone. Running eZ Check or reviewing an LOA takes a few minutes, and it’s the cheapest protection available.