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The Drop in Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers in America

Introduction

The number of federally licensed gun dealers in the United States has dropped dramatically as a result of licensing reforms implemented during the Clinton Administration, combined with changes to the law made by the 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (the "Brady Law") and the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. From January 1994 to April 2002, the number of Type 1 Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders has fallen 74 percent as a result of the enforcement of little-known provisions of these laws.

This report examines the causes and importance of the drop in gun dealers, reveals new efforts by the gun lobby to reverse the decline, and offers recommendations to build on the successful efforts of the last decade to keep the number of gun dealers at a manageable level.

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 All contents � 2002 Violence Policy Center

 


The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational foundation that conducts research on violence in America and works to develop violence-reduction policies and proposals. The Center examines the role of firearms in America, conducts research on firearms violence, and explores new ways to decrease firearm-related death and injury.