WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, America First Legal (AFL) and the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) secured a major victory over the Biden-Harris Administration when the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) reversed its unlawful policy allowing the agency to revoke federal firearms sales licenses (FFL) over minor paperwork errors.  

Historically, an FFL holder was required to “willfully” violate paperwork provisions to lose his or her license. However, in 2021, the Biden-Harris ATF issued a punitive and unlawful policy redefining “willfulness” to allow the federal government to revoke FFLs for typographical or inadvertent errors and minor violations. Sold as “zero-tolerance for rogue gun dealers that willfully violate the law,” the Biden-Harris ATF used its new policy as a hammer against gun stores. In just the first year, FFL revocations increased by more than 500 percent, and three times as many gun store licenses were revoked in 2022 than in 2021.

AFL and TPPF sued the Biden-Harris ATF to stop its illegal conduct. Now, with the case ready for decision, ATF has backed off, dropped its unlawful policy, and returned to the statutory definition of the relevant term. 

AFL is proud to stand with TPPF and defend law-abiding Americans’ constitutional right to own, sell, and carry firearms.

Read ATF’s new policy here.

Read AFL’s complaint here.

Photo credit: Adobe Stock Image / Roman