ATF Says Faxing of FFLs OK

[StopTheGrays]

Just a heads up for those of us who do a lot of transfers and hate to wait for paperwork to go back and forth.


http://www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/newsletter/0805fflnewsletter.pdf

This section of the regulations requires a licensee to verify another licensee's status prior to making sales or deliveries to such licensee. Please be advised that ATF will now recognize a faxed copy of a Federal Firearms License as an acceptable alternative form of verification.

 

[Flyboy]

Looks like F-Troop finally joined the twentieth century.

 

[StopTheGrays]

How many years to do think it will take for them to allow the emailing of scanned copies of FFLs to be aprroved? It is the next logical step and cannot be any less verifable than faxed copies.

 

[pbhome71]

IMHO, this only works for regular FFL. Folks with C&R still need to mail in, since FFL ez check does not work for 03 folks.

 

[carebear]

Still, it is a watershed decision.

Now you only have shipping/mailing time one way from time of money receipt by the seller.

This will make online gun sales explode from the convenience.

 

[Beren]

This will make online gun sales explode from the convenience.

Shush. If they figure that out, they'll reverse their decision.

 

[Correia]

Man, I wish they would have done this before my last group buy.

Seriously though, this is awesome news.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Please be advised that ATF will now recognize a faxed copy of a Federal Firearms License as an acceptable alternative form of verification.

A mere thirty years after fax technology became commonplace, the B.A.T.F.E. catches on! Your tax dollars at play.

 

[scout26]

Yes, but they still have to be signed with a quill pen.

 

[Beren]

BATFE issues further clarification:

"Yes, you may fax the FFL, but the FFL holder must still sign the copy after it is transmitted."

BATFE leaves ambiguous whether they mean the copy which was faxed, or the copy which was received at the remote end, so that they have room to reinterpret in the future.

 

[ke6guj]

IMHO, this only works for regular FFL. Folks with C&R still need to mail in, since FFL ez check does not work for 03 folks.

Well, it should work for C&R folks also. According to the newletter, it say that a faxed copy of an FFL is recognized as verification. Using the EZ-check is suggested as an additional safeguard..

ATF strongly suggests that FFLs utilize the FFLeZ Check system and verify the authenticity of the transferee’s license prior to shipping or disposing of a firearm(s) to another licensee.

.. so in all probability that means that most FFL's will take the suggestion as law (to cover their butts) and not accept faxed FFLs from C&R's since they can't verify with EZ-check.

edit: and the reason that EZ-check doesn't work to verify a C&R is that some C&R's complained that it was too easy to get personal addresses through the EZ-check system. Perhaps some sort of adjustment to the system that showed that the license was valid, and the address was correct, but only if you had a copy of the license already in hand, would gain us that safeguard put address our privacy concerns.

 

[Kharn]

Perhaps some sort of adjustment to the system that showed that the license was valid, and the address was correct, but only if you had a copy of the license already in hand, would gain us that safeguard put address our privacy concerns.

That'd be ok with me. For example, make the checker input the license number, street number & name, and zip code and give back the full address in return, if the info matches.

Kharn

 

[ke6guj]

Yup, thats along the lines of what I was thinking.

 

[MasterPiece Arms.com]

"Yes, you may fax the FFL, but the FFL holder must still sign the copy after it is transmitted."

Just how do you sign something AFTER it's transmitted? Do you reach through the phone line, stick your hand out the other end and sign the received copy?

 

[TarpleyG]

BATFE issues further clarification:

"Yes, you may fax the FFL, but the FFL holder must still sign the copy after it is transmitted."

BATFE leaves ambiguous whether they mean the copy which was faxed, or the copy which was received at the remote end, so that they have room to reinterpret in the future.

Beren,

Where did you find this tidbit? It isn't a part of the newsletter. Sounds as if this is something that is a holdover from the old way of doing it, before they made this new announcement. Perhaps they haven't updated the FAQ page.

-----------------------------------------

Here's the whole section of the newsletter:

CERTIFIED FAXED COPIES OF LICENSES

Section 27 CFR 478.94 requires the following for sales
or deliveries of firearms between licensees:
“A licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed
dealer selling or otherwise disposing of firearms, and
a licensed collector selling or otherwise disposing of
curios or relics, to another licensee shall verify the
identity and licensed status of the transferee prior to
making the transaction. Verification shall be established
by the transferee furnishing to the transferor a certified
copy of the transferee’s license and by such other means
as the transferor deems necessary:...”

This section of the regulations requires a licensee to
verify another licensee’s status prior to making sales or
deliveries to such licensee. Please be advised that ATF
will now recognize a faxed copy of a Federal firearms
license as an acceptable alternative form of verification.
ATF strongly suggests that FFLs utilize the FFLeZ
Check system and verify the authenticity of the
transferee’s license prior to shipping or disposing of a
firearm(s) to another licensee.

In addition, verification and certification of a license
is not considered valid unless a legible copy of
the transferee’s license clearly identifies the name,
address, license number and expiration date of the
license. Acceptance of blurred or illegible copies of a
transferee’s license may constitute noncompliance with
regulations.

Finally, since all fax machines and settings differ, FFLs
may need to fax with a fax resolution setting of fine,
super fine, or photo to ensure the fax copy of the
license is legible.

 

[cracked butt]

What a crock.

Where I work, we can fax documents back and forth to get the proper signatures on them, its all legal, at least in the eyes of the FDA.

 

[MechAg94]

Our company does that also cracked butt.

 

[tetchaje1]

Beren was joking folks. He was poking fun at the ATF. Let's all take a deep breath and smile at the clever post...