How hard is it to get a FFL?

[apakesha]

I've been toying with the idea of getting a FFL since there is a void in my area. I want to know how hard is it to get one?
We had a guy who had a FFL. He got into financial trouble and started selling Barretts for $1000 below dealer cost. He would sell the gun on Gunbroker.com, collect his money and use it to pay bills, and wouldn't deliver the goods. Most of his transactions were around $6000.00. He would give so many creative excuses why he did not ship the guns to buy time. When push came to shove he would finally give his customers their money back. They never got the gun. It was like a ponzi scheme. He swindled many people and when added up it amounted to around $80,000 - $90,000.
The ATF did nothing. The US Postal inspector gave him a cease and desist order. They did nothing. Our county States Attorney when informed of what he was doing did nothing. Our Illinois Attorney General sent him threats and did nothing. Finally, authorities from Colorado went after him. When he showed up in court the Colorado authorities gave him two choices....
1. He could plead guilty to a misdemeanour with jail time. The amount of jail time depended on how much money he was prepared to give back to this individual immediately.
2. He would plead guilty to a felony with no jail time. He would make monthly payments and had 2 years to pay back this individual. He would lose his FFL and could not have any guns in his house or property. His wife also could not have any guns either. After two years, if he did not get into any trouble and paid back all the money, he would have the felony erased.
He chose 2.
Anyway back to my first question . What does one have to go through to get a FFL?
Thanks
Mike

 

[fullersson]

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/how-to/become-an-ffl.html

This will get you started. The applications are in the links on the right hand side of the page. It took me 6-8 weeks to get mine. Brian Brown.

 

[nfhjr62]

Not that hard OR easy to get your FFL BUT you do have to check with your local city or town or may be the County you do live in as i can get a FFL here in Philadelphia Pa. BUT to get your Business License i also MUST have a STORE FRONT not a KITCHEN TABLE.

 

[Taildrag15X]

Within 45 miles of you are over 100 listed FFL Dealers in the Transfer Data Base on GunBroker, I'm sure you'll be able to find another Dealer that will fill your needs.

 

[fdshuster]

I know several in my area who had FFL's for many years and used the license to do favors for friends & clubmembers. Transferring handgun ownership, ordering & re-selling firearms at little or no profit, etc. They have recently been "pursueded" to surrender their licenses. So, once a FFL is granted, the holder must be an active dealer, not just using it for hobby purposes.

 

[apakesha]

I apply gun coatings to some of my customers (House of Powder) firearms. I recently found out that you have to have a FFL to do this. What are the ramifications if caught doing this without a FFL?

 

[Taildrag15X]

I apply gun coatings to some of my customers (House of Powder) firearms. I recently found out that you have to have a FFL to do this. What are the ramifications if caught doing this without a FFL?

$10,000 fine and at least 1 year of confinment.

 

[tenring]

I know several in my area who had FFL's for many years and used the license to do favors for friends & clubmembers. Transferring handgun ownership, ordering & re-selling firearms at little or no profit, etc. They have recently been "pursueded" to surrender their licenses. So, once a FFL is granted, the holder must be an active dealer, not just using it for hobby purposes.

Exactly my situation: I had an FFL for ten years, went to renew it about 5 years ago, completed the questionnaire, had the State Police do my fingerprints, submitted my $50 renewal fee, sent it in to BATF. No reaponse for 3 months. Called them and got an Inspector on the phone. Here are some of the questions she asked me: What are your business hours? Do you have a store? Is there a store front sign? Are you a registered business in your local municipality? What is your business mercantile number? What is your Sales Tax exemption number? There were several others as well. Few weeks later, the license arrived. After thinking about this for a while, I decided I did not want to wind up in a Federal pen, and turned it in. Ain't worth it!!!

 

[fdshuster]

apakesha: The problem arises if the firearm is in the gunsmith's possession overnight, then it must be entered in the bound records book. If the job can be completed in one business day, then no entry is required. Even my local gunsmith's who are FFL's will do minor work ( like triggers, for example) without an entry in the book. And, yes they operate out of store fronts, regular posted business hours, roll up steel security doors, etc. Makes you wonder why anyone would want to get involved, when a minor mistake in records keeping could wipe you out completely.

 

[glo]

It can be very easy or very hard. The BATFE relies heavily on the local jurisdiction. If your local Sharif signs off FFL applications readily, your-in-like-Flint. If you live in Los Angeles like me, forget it.

L.A. won't even sign off applications for new gunsmiths. I know, I tried. The Detective in charge of processing applications was very frank with me. L.A. does not want anymore gun/supply/service type business within its city limits that are not already here.

For the most part you must have an established brick and mortar type business to now get an FFL.