Gun Dealer Reform
What does it solve?
Laws on how gun stores conduct their business have not been strengthened since the 1960s. Congress should pass comprehensive gun dealer reform.
Gun dealer reform should include requiring updated best practices for store security, record keeping, training, and ensuring that gun dealers who violate the law and endanger public safety can be swiftly held accountable. In addition, the federal agency that regulates gun dealers, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), needs the resources and authority to protect the public.
Dealer License Required
Which states require all gun dealers to get a state-issued license?
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Alabama has adopted this policy
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Alaska has not adopted this policy
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Arizona has not adopted this policy
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Arkansas has not adopted this policy
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California has adopted this policy
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Colorado has not adopted this policy
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Connecticut has adopted this policy
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Delaware has adopted this policy
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Florida has not adopted this policy
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Georgia has not adopted this policy
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Hawaii has adopted this policy
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Idaho has not adopted this policy
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Illinois has adopted this policy
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Indiana has adopted this policy
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Iowa has not adopted this policy
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Kansas has not adopted this policy
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Kentucky has not adopted this policy
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Louisiana has not adopted this policy
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Maine has not adopted this policy
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Maryland has adopted this policy
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Massachusetts has adopted this policy
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Michigan has not adopted this policy
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Minnesota has not adopted this policy
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Mississippi has not adopted this policy
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Missouri has not adopted this policy
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Montana has not adopted this policy
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Nebraska has not adopted this policy
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Nevada has not adopted this policy
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New Hampshire has adopted this policy
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New Jersey has adopted this policy
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New Mexico has not adopted this policy
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New York has adopted this policy
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North Carolina has not adopted this policy
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North Dakota has not adopted this policy
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Ohio has not adopted this policy
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Oklahoma has not adopted this policy
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Oregon has not adopted this policy
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Pennsylvania has adopted this policy
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Rhode Island has adopted this policy
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South Carolina has not adopted this policy
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South Dakota has not adopted this policy
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Tennessee has not adopted this policy
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Texas has not adopted this policy
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Utah has not adopted this policy
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Vermont has not adopted this policy
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Virginia has not adopted this policy
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Washington has adopted this policy
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West Virginia has not adopted this policy
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Wisconsin has not adopted this policy
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Wyoming has not adopted this policy
Myth & Fact
Myth
Fact
How it works
Comprehensive gun dealer reform would help stop guns from getting into the wrong hands.
Gun dealers can stop firearms from getting into the wrong hands. They can do this with best practices in selling firearms and securing stores. Common-sense laws can ensure that all gun dealers are protecting the public and that gun dealers that ignore the law can be held accountable.
There are nearly 78,000 gun dealers in the United States, more than the number of McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, and Wendy’s locations in the country combined. The laws regulating these sellers are outdated. The ATF—the federal agency responsible for regulating gun dealers—is under-resourced and hampered by restrictions written by the gun lobby.
As a result of these restrictions and shortage of resources, only a small number of gun sellers are inspected each year. In fiscal year 2020, ATF inspectors found violations in just under half of inspections.1ATF, “Firearms Compliance Inspection Results FY 2020,” last reviewed May 9, 2023, https://bit.ly/3VWJtP8. These violations range from the failure to keep full and accurate inventory and failing to complete the required forms necessary for crime gun tracing, to a failure to conduct background checks. Additionally, gun dealers must be required to use security practices that will ensure they are not susceptible to theft.
By the numbers
78k
The nearly 78,000 gun dealers in the US in 2022 were regulated by laws written in the 1960s.
9%
In 2022, the ATF only inspected about 7,300 gun dealers, or 9 percent of FFLs, leaving the agency well short of its stated goal of inspecting each licensed dealer every three years.
10x
States with the highest number of gun dealers per capita have 10 times higher rates of guns trafficked to another state and subsequently used in a crime.
5/day