ATF NEWS: Fact Sheet - Facts and Figures for Fiscal Year 2025
Fact Sheet - Facts and Figures for Fiscal Year 2025
Table of Contents
Personnel | Cases and Defendants | Firearms | Explosives | National Firearms Act | Tracing
National Integrated Ballistic Information Network | Laboratories | Budget
Personnel
Special agents
2,403
Industry operations investigators
722
Administrative/professional/technical
1,659
Total full-time employees
4,784
Cases and Defendants
Case and defendant data present a snapshot in time of matters proceeding through the various phases of the judicial process. The typical ATF case recommended for prosecution remains open over a period of approximately four years.
Cases and defendants indicted, convicted, and sentenced are not subsets of cases and defendants recommended for prosecution in FY 2025. The snapshot presents actual judicial activity in the fiscal year regardless of the year the matter was recommended for prosecution. For example, “percentage indicted” should not be calculated based upon the presented data, as the case indicted may have been presented in a previous fiscal year.
Cases
Firearms cases initiated
22,885
Arson cases initiated
1,933
Explosives cases initiated
1,135
Firearms cases recommended for prosecution
8,052
Indicted cases
5,545
Convicted cases
4,061
Defendants
Recommended for prosecution
11,979
Defendants indicted
7,572
Defendants convicted
5,451
The data show an average of 5.10 prior arrests and 1.36 prior felony convictions per defendant recommended for prosecution.
Firearms Licensees
As of FY 2025, there were 127,739 active federal firearms licensees (FFLs) and 41,931 firearms licenses issued (to include renewals).
Type 01: Dealer
46,072
Type 02: Pawnbroker
5,929
Type 03: Collector
49,984
Type 06: Manufacturer of Ammunition
1,748
Type 07: Manufacturer of Firearms
21,367
Type 08: Importer
1,678
Type 09: Dealer of Destructive Devices
137
Type 10: Manufacturer of Destructive Devices
522
Type 11: Importer of Destructive Devices
302
Firearms Inspections
ATF conducted 8,472 firearm compliance inspections in FY 2025.
Firearms compliance inspections resulted in the following recommendations:
No violations
4,604
Report of violations
1,553
Warning letter
677
Warning conference
547
License surrendered/out of business
881
Revocation
83
Other dispositions
127
Top 10 Firearms Violations
27 CFR 478.125(e)Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely acquisition and disposition record of firearms
40,763
27 CFR 478.21(a)Failure to complete forms as prescribed
31,006
27 CFR 478.124(c)(1)Failure to obtain a completed ATF F 4473
23,415
27 CFR 478.124(c)(3)(iv)Failure to record NICS contact information on an ATF F 4473
14,776
27 CFR 478.124(c)(5)Failure by transferor to sign and/or date an ATF F 4473
10,336
27 CFR 478.124(c)(3)(i)Failure to verify or record Identification document on ATF F 4473
7,134
27 CFR 478.123(b)Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely licensee disposition record
7,028
27 CFR 478.126aFailure to report multiple sales or other dispositions of pistols and revolvers
6,608
27 CFR 478.123(a)Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely manufacture or acquisition record
5,719
27 CFR 478.124(c)(4)Failure to record firearm information on an ATF F 4473
5,637
Firearm Administrative Revocation Assignments
ATF completed 8 firearm administrative revocation assignments. Of those, 6 resulted in license revocation and 2 resulted in other dispositions.
Firearms Application Inspections
ATF conducted 8,562 firearms application inspections. Of those inspections, 6,347 were approved and 14 were denied. The remaining 2,201 application inspections were abandoned or withdrawn.
Firearm Change of Address Inspections
ATF conducted 1,757 firearm change of address inspections. Of those inspections, 1,527 were approved and 230 were abandoned or withdrawn.
Firearm Theft/Loss Inspections
ATF conducted 495 firearm theft/loss inspections.
Explosives Licensees
As of FY 2025, there were 8,955 active federal explosives licenses and permits (FEL/FEPs).
Manufacturers
2,006
Importers
582
Dealers licenses (includes black powder)
771
Dealers in black powder
252
Limited permits
20
User permits
5,576
Explosives Inspections
ATF conducted 920 explosives application inspections. Of those inspections, 723 were approved and 2 were denied. The remaining 195 applications were abandoned or withdrawn.
ATF conducted 3,304 explosive compliance inspections resulting in the following recommendations:
No violations
2,736
Report of violations
54
Warning letter
122
Warning conference
44
License surrendered/out of business
331
Revocation
6
Other dispositions
11
Most Frequently Cited Explosives Violations
27 CFR 555.127Failure to timely/accurately enter all required explosive inventory identification and quantity information in a daily summary of magazine transaction
703
27 CFR 555.29Unlawful storage of explosive materials
90
27 CFR 555.57(b)Failure to timely report change of responsible person/employee possessor (within 30 days of change)
46
27 CFR 555.206(a)Failure of high explosive outdoor magazines to meet minimum separation distances from specified areas identified within the table set forth under 555.218
38
27 CFR 555.121(c)Making false entry or omitting entry on permanent explosive records
31
27 CFR 555.123(b)Failure to timely record the acquisition/manufacture of explosive material(s) in a permanent record
30
27 CFR 555.215Failure to keep area surrounding explosive storage magazines clear of rubbish, brush, dry grass or trees (smaller than 10 feet tall) for not less than 25 feet
23
27 CFR 555.125(b)(3)Failure to timely record the acquisition of explosive material(s) in a permanent record (User)
20
27 CFR 555.210(a)(4)Failure to meet minimum locking requirements of an outdoor type IV magazine
20
27 CFR 555.125(b)(3)(vi)Failure to record the name, address and license/permit number of the person from whom explosive material(s) are received in the permanent record (User)
19
27 CFR 555.214(a)Failure to prevent stored explosive materials from being placed directly against interior walls and/or arranged to promote ventilation
18
Explosives Change of Address Inspections
ATF conducted 114 change of address inspections. Of those inspections, 101 were approved and 13 were abandoned or withdrawn.
Explosive Theft/Loss Inspections
ATF conducted 37 explosive theft/loss inspections.
Other Industry-Related Assignments
ATF conducted 193 other industry-related assignments.
National Firearms Act (NFA)
NFA registration applications (and transfer applications) received
1,445,407
NFA registrations processed count of forms
1,507,443
NFA registrations processed (total weapons)/count of weapons
5,817,780
NFA making and transfer tax collected
$177,114,166
NFA special occupation tax collected
$10,797,263
Note: All taxes collected for NFA go to the general fund of the U.S. Treasury Department.
Tracing
ATF’s National Tracing Center (NTC) is the only organization authorized to trace U.S. and foreign manufactured firearms for local, state, federal and international law enforcement agencies. NTC provides critical information that helps domestic and international law enforcement agencies solve firearms crimes, detect firearms trafficking, and track the intrastate, interstate, and international movement of crime guns.
NTC received 654,879 trace requests in FY 2025.
National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)
NIBIN provides local, state and federal law enforcement, forensic science, and prosecutors with an automated ballistic imaging system that will aid their investigations by using digital images of shell casings to link violent crimes involving firearms and subsequently identify firearm users in violent crimes.
NIBIN acquisitions
623,142
NIBIN leads
193,269
NIBIN hits
3,849
NIBIN locations
418
Laboratories
In FY 2025, ATF’s laboratories accomplished the following:
ATF laboratory requests for analysis and testing
1,522
ATF laboratory completed analysis requests
1,065
DNA submissions from fired cartridge cases
75 cases (926 FCCs)
Fire Research Laboratory engineering cases
163
Fire Research Laboratory research experiments
158
Fire Research Laboratory case test experiments
400
Fire Research Laboratory forensic cases analyzed
163
Fire Research Laboratory fire research activities
20
Budget
The agency’s FY 2025 enacted budget was approximately $1.6 billion.