Less Gun Dealers, Less Crime

In response to the widespread abuse of FFLs, the Brady Law increased the dealer licensing fee from $10 per year to $200 for the first three years and $90 for each additional three-year period. The Brady Law also requires that applicants certify that they have notified the Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) of their locality of their intent to apply for a license. In 1994, under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, licensees were required to submit photographs and fingerprints with their application, and to certify that their business complied with all state and local laws.⁵

In the three years following these changes, the eligibility of FFL holders was reviewed as licensees applied for renewal of their licenses. FFL holders were required to submit new application packages with photographs and fingerprints, and ATF worked with state and local authorities to verify that licensees were in compliance with local laws and had notified their CLEO of their gun businesses.⁶

Go to Section Four: The Drop in Gun Dealers

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