Question for dealers and the knowledgable alike...

[HKdrummer]

So I'm just curious.....

If a dealer decides to change the premisses where they are a licensed FFL, say from one town to another, what sort of process is involved?

Do they just file for a new license or transfer the existing? Are there any sort of inspections that are required by the local authorities or ATF? Lengthy process or rather quick? If ownership of the premisses changes while you are the renter, are there any changes that need to happen with the license?

Thank you in advance

 

[UNSUB]

Can I ask is this a general interest thing or do you have a real life situation you are wondering about? There feels like a story here.

Sent from my SM-G928P using Tapatalk

 

[mac1911]

You can get a change of address for your FFL from the ATF . Now depending on your state and local laws for operating a FFL dealer/retail gun shop might be a bit of a hurdle.?
I was in the process of trying to get my FFL and operate out of my home with a separate area for business. Was close until the town wanted me to do a traffic impact study

 

[Peicemaker]

I'm pretty sure you just file for a change of address with the ATF, they send back your updated FFL with the same number and you continue, business as usual in your new location. As for MA, aren't the licenses to sell guns, ammo, etc tied to the person running the shop and not the shop itself?

 

[mac1911]

I'm pretty sure you just file for a change of address with the ATF, they send back your updated FFL with the same number and you continue, business as usual in your new location. As for MA, aren't the licenses to sell guns, ammo, etc tied to the person running the shop and not the shop itself?

It's been over 10 years since I applied for my FFL
In mass you need a business front or store, tax ID number and any and all permits needed to open your doors. Ammo permit, commercial Ammo storage permit from the FD chief. Who could completely deny or restrict you.
When talking with the FFL license agent in Boston he was well aware of everything you need in MA before they will send out your license...
So yes on the federal level it's as easy as submitting the changes...your local laws and regs are another thing.

 

[kingson]

If you are an FFL and going to move or change anything on your lic this is the form that you use https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/docs/atf-f-5300-38pdf/download . I have moved my FFL twice and added a DBA name ones and that was the form to use. You need to have everything in a row first before you file the form.

I started out with my FFL in Suffield CT, I bought a house in Claremont NH and wanted to move my FFL to my house in NH. I checked with the town and my house was not zoned correctly for business so I had to go before the zoning board to get a special exception so that I could run a business out of my house. It took 3 months to get that because the zoning board only meet ones a month. The first meeting they said that I had to get the OK of the police chief. So I had to go meet with him. The next months meeting the chief spoke for me at the meeting and said he had no problem. So they had to discus that and would vote on it next meeting. The next meeting they discused it some more and finally voted to give me a special exemption to run a business out of my home. They sent me a letter a few weeks later stating this. There where no other permit or lic that I needed in NH so I sent in the Application and the letter to the ATF and they approved it in about a month if I remember correctly. They sent out an amended FFL with my new address on it. Funny thing is that about 6 months later the ATF contacts me and want to do an audit. Who knows maybe it was just a quintessence.

So anyway a few years goes by and I get married and my wife has a house in Lyme NH, A much better town than Claremont. So I sell my house and move me FFL to her house. So before I sent i my application I went to the town to see what I had to do. They said that there is no real zoning laws in town so there is no problem running a business out of the house. So with nothing to send in with the application I sent it in to the ATF. About a month later I get my amended FFL with my new address on it. I found out from the town that the ATF called the town to see if I was zoned correctly and they told them that there is no zoning laws so I was good to go.

Last use of the form was when I wanted to add a DBA name to my business. The name that I was using (Kingson's Traders) my wife didn't think that people would know that I sold guns. I used that name because when I was in CT they place that I was out of was a building with a bunch of business in it and the owner of the building which was a friend of mind didn't think that the other business would like it if they knew that I was selling guns. So I picked a name that could be anything. Anyway I sent in the application with my DBA name that I wanted to use and that only took a couple of week and they sent back an amended FFL with my new name on it.

So if you want to move your business I would have all the permits and other stuff all done with before you send in the application. I think the ATF manly wants to know if the place you are moving to is zoned correctly for business. The state and local stuff is up to you to be compliant in as they state on the app that you need to be compliant with them before you do any business. If it where me I would get everything done before hand that way you would be ready to go when you get your new lic.

Hope this helps