FFL Ez Check is an online service by the ATF that provides the current status of any federal firearms license.
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Federal Firearm License Background
In order to be engaged in the business of selling, making, or importing firearms, you must have a Federal Firearms License and there is a different FFL type for each activity.
As a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), the person or company that is the FFL holder, there are many benefits but there are also many requirements and many rules and regulations to follow. Also, the ATF can and will conduct compliance inspections.
For example, you must keep a log of all firearms you’ve received and transferred, called a bound book, you must satisfy the background check requirements for in-person sales, and you must have a copy of another FFL’s license before transferring a firearm.
As an FFL Dealer, you must be able to show that you had a copy of a valid ffl prior to conducting an ffl transfer and you’ll need to have certain FFL information (like the ffl number, licensee name and the expiration date).
Even if you’re not an FFL dealer yourself, you’re going to need to use an FFL is you’re selling a gun across state lines (and some state laws require an FFL be used for all firearm sales).
Ez Check System
The Ez Check system is run by the ATF and it allows anyone (not just FFLs) to enter the number from an FFL license and then get an official status of that particular license.
A full FFL number is 15 characters long, however, only the first three and last five digits need to be entered for an ffl license query on Ez Check.
The ATF ez check system will provide the following information for each valid federal firearm license:
- Expiration Date
- License Name (and Trade Name if any)
- Premises Address (and Mailing Address if any)
Also, if a license is expired but it is in the process of being renewed, the ATF may provide a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to the FFL. If an LOA has been issued, and therefore the FFL can continue business until their new license comes, the ez check system will also provide the LOA issue and expiration dates.
Why and When to Use FFL Ez Check
If you’re an FFL dealer or FFL Manufacturer, then ATF rules and regulations REQUIRE you to have a valid copy of another licensee’s FFL prior to transferring a firearm to them.
The easiest way to do this is to contact the other dealer and have them send a copy which you can then confirm that the expiration date hasn’t passed and then keep it in your records in case of an inspection.
However, for reasons we’ll discuss below, just getting a copy of the ATF form may not be enough. We strongly recommend using FFL Ez Check every time you’re transferring a firearm so that you can verify the FFL.
Even if you’re not an FFL, you may be purchasing a firearm online or having a gun transferred to you. If so, especially if it’s across state lines, you’re going to need to use an FFL and you can use FFL Ez Check to make sure you’re dealing with an actual licensee.
Importance of FFL Verification
Unfortunately, there can be fraud with firearms transactions and FFLs.
It is all too easy for a criminal to make a fake copy of an FFL – afterall, in most cases it’s just a photocopy or a scan of a license. Criminals can then alter the address to have the firearms shipped to them instead of the actual FFL.
Or, in the case of a bad dealer, the ATF may revoke the license after a bad inspection and the company or person is no longer able to operate as an FFL. However, they may still have a copy of their old FFL and the expiration date hans’t passed yet (or they could alter the date).
In both of these cases, is you use FFL Ez Check, you will see the live and actual information straight from the ATF so you’ll know if the license is still valid and the official address and name of the FFL.