A Federal Firearms License (FFL) is the basic federal license required to to engage in the business of dealing, manufacturing, or importing of firearms, or manufacturing or importing ammunition.
Both the Type 01 FFL dealer’s license (the basic license to sell firearms other than destructive devices) and the Type 07 FFL manufacturer’s license (the basic license to manufacture firearms other than destructive devices) are exempt from many of the restrictions on the sale and transfer of firearms that private citizens are subject to under the Gun Control Act. Unlike ordinary citizens, these license holders are: able to buy and sell firearms in interstate commerce and receive firearms via common carrier; able to purchase firearms from wholesalers at discount and in unlimited quantities; and, are able to bypass requirements that apply to unlicensed individuals, such as background checks.
Publications
America’s Hidden Gun Manufacturers (May 2024)
Press Release
An Analysis of the Decline in Gun Dealers: 1994 to 2016 (December 2016)
Press Release
More Gun Dealers Than Gas Stations: A Study of Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers in America (December 1992)
Press Release
State-Level Versions of America’s Hidden Gun Manufacturers
Hidden Gun Manufacturers in Illinois (October 2025)
Press Release
Michigan’s Hidden Gun Manufacturers (May 2025)
Press Release
Pennsylvania’s Hidden Gun Manufacturers (May 2026)
Press Release
Wisconsin’s Hidden Gun Manufacturers (November 2025)
Press Release