An Overview of the FFL Approval Timeline

Getting your federal firearms license isn’t exactly a walk in the park, but many people might assume that it’s much more difficult than it really is. A large part of getting your own FFL is waiting for approval through various steps of the process. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is responsible for issuing FFLs to responsible business owners, but it can take a bit of time to get back to you. We’re going to show you an overview of the FFL approval timeline so that you have a better idea of what you can expect as you attempt to get an FFL.

Learning ATF Requirements

Part of the reason it can take a while to get an FFL is that you need to be familiar with the process and what an FFL entails before you apply for one. There’s more to learn about your FFL than simply the class of license your business needs. The ATF is very specific about what each FFL requires. Familiarizing yourself with these requirements before you begin the application process is a crucial step for anyone looking to get an FFL. Failure to understand exactly what you need or what your FFL allows you to do could lead you into some serious trouble with ATF.

Completing Your FFL Application

An overview of the FFL approval timeline wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t talk about the application itself. Thankfully, most businesses that are looking to get their own FFL go through a relatively simple application process. If you are a larger corporation that wants to deal with explosives or destructive devices, the application will take more time, however. The most important thing to remember is that you need to know which class of FFL you’re applying for. Once you understand which class you need, the actual application itself won’t take you more than a few hours to complete; you’ll likely have most of the relevant information on hand anyway.

ATF Application Processing and Review

After you submit your license application, the ATF has two months to respond to your application with either an approval or denial. As long as you followed the application’s directions to the letter and you don’t have anything outstanding that prohibits you from selling FFL goods, you’ll likely hear back from the ATF within those two months. Don’t be surprised if it gets down to the wire before they respond; there are many businesses that apply for FFLs annually, and the ATF must sort through many applications before they get to yours.

Once the process is over, your business will need a partner that it can rely on for FFL credit card processing. That’s where Electronic Transfer can help. We support FFL businesses in all their transactions, and we’d love to partner with you next!