How to stay compliant with US gun laws

Federal law provides a broad framework for permissible firearm use and transactions, leaving it up to states to supplement federal regulations with additional policies as long as they don’t conflict. Two primary federal statutory regimes govern the transfer, sale, and possession of firearms: the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is the agency charged with enforcing these laws. More info glockswitch.us

Operations Investigators (IOI) conduct compliance inspections at FFLs to ensure that licensees are adhering to all federal, state and local requirements. These inspections are often conducted without notice and may include the examination of offsite storage facilities, if applicable.

To prevent straw purchases, which are sales made on behalf of prohibited persons, the GCA requires both an FFL and the prospective purchaser to truthfully fill out and sign a form certifying that the buyer is not a prohibited person. The BSCA, passed in 2024, further criminalizes straw purchases and illegal arms trafficking by increasing applicable penalties.

The potential penalties

Managing all of these state-level restrictions can be a challenge for an FFL, especially in the face of new legislation and ever-changing political landscapes. At Orchid, we understand the risks of non-compliance and have developed software that helps firearms businesses streamline their state-level compliance efforts. Available as a cloud-based application or API-driven integration, Orchid eState(tm) feeds state firearm restriction data directly into your point of sale (POS), enterprise resource planning system (ERP), and/or ecommerce website by ZIP code, product characteristic, and/or UPC.