The Federal Firearms Act of 1938 (FFA) imposed a federal license requirement on gun manufacturers, importers, and persons in the business of selling
firearm
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions).
The first firearms originate ...
s. The term federal firearms licensee (FFL) is used to refer to those on whom the license requirement is imposed.
The "FFL" abbreviation is also used to refer to the
license
A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...
itself.
In addition to the licensing component of the FFA, the law required licensees to maintain customer records, and it made illegal the transfer of firearms to certain classes of persons, such as convicted felons. These classes of persons are commonly referred to as "prohibited persons". The circumstances resulting in the prohibition (such as a felony conviction) are often referred to as "disabilities". The FFA was repealed by the
Gun Control Act of 1968
The Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA or GCA68) is a U.S. federal law that regulates the firearms industry and firearms ownership. Due to constitutional limitations, the Act is primarily based on regulating interstate commerce in firearms by general ...
(GCA), though many of its provisions were reenacted as part of the GCA, which revised the FFA and its predecessor, the
National Firearms Act
The National Firearms Act (NFA), 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, was enacted on June 26, 1934, and currently codified and amended as . The law is an Act of Congress in the United States that, in general, imposes an excise tax on the manufact ...
of 1934 (NFA).
[
The FFA was enforced by the Alcohol Tax Unit, one of the precursors of the ]Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention ...
.
See also
*Firearm Owners Protection Act
The Firearm Owners' Protection Act (FOPA) of 1986 is a United States federal law that revised many provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968.
Federal firearms law reform
Under the Gun Control Act of 1968, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and ...
, a 1986 law that significantly amended the GCA and eased many of the restrictions on firearms sellers
*Gun law in the United States
In the United States, the right to keep and bear arms is modulated by a variety of state and federal statutes. These laws generally regulate the manufacture, trade, possession, transfer, record keeping, transport, and destruction of firearms, ...
References
{{reflist
External links
15 U.S. Code § 901 to 910 - Repealed
1938 in American law
75th United States Congress
United States federal criminal legislation
United States federal firearms legislation
United States federal privacy legislation
June 1938 in the United States