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Faxed Copies of FFL License

notdownorout
Check out this auction:

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?item=34086929

In the auction the seller states that it is acceptable (per ATF) for an FFL license to be faxed. Is this correct? If yes, does anyone know where to find the regulation stating that faxing is acceptable?
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • duckhunter
    Not as per the atf web site.

    I WOULD RATHER BE DUCK HUNTING.
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  • cody45
    a "signed in ink" FFL license is for the benefit of the shipper-seller. Really all that is needed is a verifiable valid FFL license number of the dealer who will receive shipment. This can be by fax, verbal, or otherwise. Read the ATF regs. Most sellers want paper for their files but they don't need it. FFL licenses can be verified online and this subject has been covered in this forum many times before.
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  • D.S.COLE
    According to all Ive read and been told by batf an FFL cannot be Faxed it must be a signed in ink ,preferably colored ink not black and mailed to be valid. Wholesale Distributors will not ship to a dealer until they have it in hand ,not faxed. A dealer cant ship to another dealer except by this method, once a dealer has your FFL on file it is not necessary to mail another with each transaction. It is valid until it expires.
    I have to sit down and mail out dozens every 3 years when ours expires and is renewed . Wholesalers cant ship to you until they have a new one every 3 years.
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  • nmyers
    According the Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide (ATF P5300.4), Cody 45 & Duckhunter are correct. But, what some dealers & wholesalers require may be their rules, & is not necessarily required by law.

    While the regulations specifically state that the pen-signed photocopy is considered a "certified" copy of the FFL acceptable for determining the identity of the person to whom you are transferring a firearm, it is not a requirement. If you went into a gun or pawn shop to sell a gun, would you ask the owner for a signed copy of his FFL? Not likely. If you wanted to send your broken gun to Ruger for repair, would you ask them for a signed copy of their manufacturers license? Of course not. You KNOW that they are eligible to receive the item.

    When transferring a gun to someone you don't know, it may be prudent to ask for the signed copy. Remember, the FFL EZ-check is < 10 years old; until recently, ATF said on their website that it was NOT to be used as a substitute for a signed copy of an FFL. In any case, not everyone uses a computer, or trusts it, & many still want to have a paper in their file just in case there is a problem in the future.

    Neal
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  • EOD Guy
    quote:Originally posted by nmyers
    According the Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide (ATF P5300.4), Cody 45 & Duckhunter are correct. But, what some dealers & wholesalers require may be their rules, & is not necessarily required by law.

    While the regulations specifically state that the pen-signed photocopy is considered a "certified" copy of the FFL acceptable for determining the identity of the person to whom you are transferring a firearm, it is not a requirement. If you went into a gun or pawn shop to sell a gun, would you ask the owner for a signed copy of his FFL? Not likely. If you wanted to send your broken gun to Ruger for repair, would you ask them for a signed copy of their manufacturers license? Of course not. You KNOW that they are eligible to receive the item.

    When transferring a gun to someone you don't know, it may be prudent to ask for the signed copy. Remember, the FFL EZ-check is < 10 years old; until recently, ATF said on their website that it was NOT to be used as a substitute for a signed copy of an FFL. In any case, not everyone uses a computer, or trusts it, & many still want to have a paper in their file just in case there is a problem in the future.

    Neal




    Obtaining a certified copy is not an option for transfers between licensees, it is a legal requirement. The statement on the eZCheck web site pertains to transfers between licensees. There is no requirement for an unlicensed individual to obtain a certified copy of an FFL. Using the eZCheck system is acceptable.
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  • aglore
    Supposedly coming out in the August News Letter they will be making a statement that faxed copies are legal.

    AlleninAlaska
    Delta Firearms & Supplies
    http://www.galleryofguns.com

    aglore@gci.net
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  • chappsyny
    Mr. Aglore is correct. The regs were reinterpreted several months ago, right around the time of the Shot Show, but word hasn't spread very fast because the BATF hasn't sent out an FFL newsletter since the change. It will be in the next one then more people will be aware that it is OK to use a faxed copy of an FFL for shipments between dealers.

    cat.gif
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  • EOD Guy
    I think I read in another thread somewhere that the new policy was due to a recent Supreme Court decision concerning electronic copies of documents. It will take some time for everyone to get on board once BATF officially releases the policy but will make things easier.

    I wonder how many of the paranoid among us will still require original signatures.
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