How to Obtain an FFL License: ATF Form 7, Fees, and Eligibility

To get a Federal Firearms License, you file ATF Form 7 by mail with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, include fingerprints and a photograph for every responsible person, pay a three-year fee that runs from $30 to $200 for most license types, pass a background check, and sit for an in-person interview with an ATF investigator at your proposed business location. From the day the ATF receives a complete application, the whole process takes roughly 60 days.

The steps below walk through what that actually looks like, in the order you’ll do them.

Pick the Right License Type

The ATF issues nine FFL types, each tied to a specific commercial activity. Applying for the wrong one means starting over, so decide before you touch the form.

Type 01 — Dealer. Buying and selling firearms at wholesale or retail, plus gunsmithing. This is the common choice for retail shops and online dealers.
Type 02 — Pawnbroker. Everything a Type 01 does, plus taking firearms as loan collateral.
Type 03 — Collector of Curios and Relics. A personal license for acquiring collectible firearms. It does not authorize running a business.
Type 06 — Ammunition Manufacturer. Commercial ammunition production, excluding armor-piercing rounds and destructive-device ammunition.
Type 07 — Firearms Manufacturer. Making firearms and ammunition and selling them. Dealing privileges are built in, so you don’t need a separate Type 01.
Type 08 — Importer. Bringing firearms and ammunition into the country for commercial sale, excluding destructive devices and armor-piercing ammunition.
Types 09, 10, and 11. Dealer, manufacturer, and importer licenses for destructive devices.

Every license runs for a three-year term. The Type 03 collector’s license is the only one that does not permit commercial activity — if you start selling firearms regularly for profit, you need a dealer’s license regardless of whether the guns are curios and relics.¹

Confirm You’re Eligible

The disqualifiers that stop someone from buying a gun also stop them from getting a license to sell them. You have to be at least 21 years old and a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. Beyond that, any of the following will sink an application:

A felony conviction in any federal, state, or local court
A misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence
Current unlawful use of, or addiction to, any controlled substance
A dishonorable discharge from the military
Having been found mentally incompetent or committed to a mental institution
Being a fugitive from justice
Having renounced U.S. citizenship

These prohibitions come from 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) and appear on ATF Form 7 itself.² Making a false statement on the application is a separate federal crime and an independent ground for denial.

Handle Zoning and State Licensing First

The ATF will not issue a license to a location that violates local zoning law, and it specifically instructs applicants to contact their local zoning department before submitting the application.² Home-based applications get tripped up here most often, because many municipalities restrict or outright prohibit commercial firearms activity in residential zones.

State law is the other layer. Some states require a separate state-level firearms dealer license on top of the federal one, with their own fees and process. Check with your state’s licensing authority before you assume the FFL is all you need. Any local business licenses your jurisdiction requires should also be in hand before you mail Form 7.

Complete ATF Form 7

Form 7 is the application for every FFL type except Type 03, which uses Form 7CR. As of 2026, ATF does not accept Form 7 through its eForms system — you download the paper form from the ATF website or request a paper copy and submit it by mail.³

The form asks for your personal identifying information, your business structure (sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation, or partnership), and the address of the proposed business premises. Eligibility questions are answered under penalty of perjury, so accuracy matters.

List Every Responsible Person

Anyone with authority to direct the management or policies of the business is a “responsible person” and must be listed on the application. For a sole proprietorship, that’s just you. For an LLC or corporation, it includes members, officers, directors, and anyone with decision-making power over firearm-related operations. Each responsible person individually completes Part B of the application, which is a separate questionnaire covering the same eligibility questions.⁴

Fingerprints and Photograph

For every license type except Type 03, each responsible person submits one FD-258 fingerprint card and one 2-by-2-inch passport-style photograph.⁴ Most local law enforcement agencies will fingerprint you, and private fingerprinting services will too. Type 03 collector applicants are exempt from fingerprints and photos.

Pay the Fee

Fees are set by federal regulation and cover the full three-year license period.⁵ One fee applies per business location, and the ATF accepts checks, money orders, and credit cards.²

Type 01 (Dealer) and Type 02 (Pawnbroker): $200 initial, $90 renewal
Type 03 (Collector): $30 initial, $30 renewal
Type 06 (Ammunition Manufacturer): $30 initial, $30 renewal
Type 07 (Firearms Manufacturer): $150 initial, $150 renewal
Type 08 (Importer): $150 initial, $150 renewal
Types 09, 10, and 11 (Destructive Devices): $3,000 initial, $3,000 renewal

What Happens After You Mail It

Send the completed Form 7, fingerprint cards, photographs, and payment to the Federal Firearms Licensing Center at the address printed on the form. Once the FFLC has your package, the process moves in stages.

The FFLC runs an electronic background check on every responsible person listed.⁶ If any one of them fails, the application is denied.

Once the background check clears, an Industry Operations Investigator from the local ATF field office contacts you to schedule an in-person interview at your proposed business location.⁶ The IOI verifies the information on your application, confirms the premises comply with zoning, and walks you through the federal recordkeeping and reporting rules you’ll need to follow. Treat it as an orientation.

The IOI then writes a recommendation for or against issuing the license. From the day the ATF receives a properly completed application, the whole process takes about 60 days.⁶ Incomplete applications and zoning issues add weeks.

Once you’re licensed, the term runs three years. About 90 days before it expires, the ATF mails you a renewal application (ATF Form 8, Part II), and letting the license lapse means you cannot legally engage in any firearms business activity until a new one is issued.⁷

If Your Application Is Denied

A denial isn’t the end. You have 15 days from the denial notice to request a hearing in writing with the Director of Industry Operations at the ATF field division that handled your application. The DIO presides over the hearing and makes the final licensing decision for the ATF.⁸

If the DIO upholds the denial, you can appeal to the appropriate federal district court within 60 days. The court reviews the case from scratch rather than deferring to the ATF’s conclusion.⁸ Most denials come from eligibility disqualifiers or zoning problems. If the issue is fixable, such as a zoning variance you can obtain, resolving it and reapplying is often simpler than pursuing an appeal.

Extra Costs for Manufacturers and NFA Dealers

If you’re applying for Type 07 or planning to deal in restricted items, the FFL is only part of what you’ll pay.

ITAR Registration for Manufacturers

Anyone who manufactures defense articles, which includes commercially produced firearms and ammunition, must register with the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls even if they never export a single item.⁹ Registration is triggered from the first firearm you manufacture. Producing firearm parts like barrels or suppressors, threading muzzles, rechambering firearms, and systematized ammunition loading all count.

The annual ITAR fee starts at $3,000 for first-time registrants. Qualifying small manufacturers can petition for a $500 discount, bringing the first year to $2,500. Returning registrants pay $4,000 or more depending on how many export authorizations they hold.¹⁰ For a small gunsmith who machines a few barrels a year, this fee can dwarf the FFL itself. Budget for it before you apply.

Special Occupational Tax for NFA Items

If you plan to deal in items regulated under the National Firearms Act — suppressors, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, machine guns, and similar restricted items — the FFL alone is not enough. You also register and pay an annual Special Occupational Tax:

Class 3 (Dealer): $500 per year
Class 2 (Manufacturer): $1,000 per year, reduced to $500 if gross receipts were under $500,000 in the most recent tax year
Class 1 (Importer): $1,000 per year, with the same $500 reduced rate for small businesses

The SOT is due when you first engage in NFA business and annually on July 1, charged per business location.¹¹ A Type 07 FFL paired with a Class 2 SOT is one of the most versatile combinations in the industry, letting you manufacture, deal in, and possess NFA firearms.

1
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Federal Firearms Licenses
2
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Application for Federal Firearms License – ATF Form 7 Instructions and Definitions
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). eForms Applications
4
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Form 7/7CR Instructions – Application for Federal Firearms License
5
eRegulations – ATF eRegulations. 27 CFR 478.42 – License Fees
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Apply for a License
7
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Federal Firearms Licensee Quick Reference and Best Practices Guide
8
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Explanation of the Hearing Process
9
eCFR. 22 CFR Part 122 – Registration of Manufacturers and Exporters
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U.S. Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Registration Payment
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 5801 – Imposition of Tax