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How to Locate an FFL

A Federal firearms licensee (FFL) is a gun dealer licensed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, to buy and sell firearms to the general public. There are nine types of FFLs, ranging from a gun store dealer to those who do business with "Destructive Devices." The most common are classified as Dealers in Firearms Other Than Destructive Devices (Includes Gunsmiths), Pawnbrokers, and Collectors of Curios and Relics.

Instructions

- 1
  Use your Internet browser to go to the ATF website.
- 2
  Click on the "About ATF" button on the top left side of the page.
- 3
  Click on the "Freedom of Information Act" button on the drop down menu.
- 4
  Scroll down the "Freedom of Information Act" page and click on the "Lists of Federal Firearms Licensees" (FFLs) red link.
- 5
  Scroll down the page and choose the state where you are looking for a FFL and the current month.
- 6
  Download either the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or text file.
- 7
  Open the file and find the FFL you wish to locate.

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