YourVoice.Now Summary
Gun LawsYou'd need a federal license — with a safety class, shooting test, and fingerprints — to buy or own a gun
Gun Laws
It would be illegal to buy, receive, or keep a gun without a license. You could use a state license instead if the Attorney General finds your state's rules are about the same. The bill gives no grace period for people who already own guns.
Before getting a license, you would finish gun safety training. It would include a written test on gun laws and a hands-on test that shows you can shoot safely and accurately.
Each application would include your fingerprints, proof of who you are, and a background check. It would also list the make, model, and serial number of the gun and who is selling it.
Each license would let you buy one gun, and you would have 30 days to buy it. The license would expire after 5 years. Renewing would mean meeting the same rules again.
Today, background checks block people the law already bars, such as people with felony convictions. The Attorney General could also deny anyone judged a serious danger to themselves or others. Arrests, pending charges, threats, drug or alcohol abuse, or unsafe storage could count. You could ask a federal court to review a denial.
The Attorney General would have to revoke a license if the holder is judged dangerous or fails a later check. The government would remove the person's guns. They would come back only if the license is restored. A person revoked as dangerous could get a court hearing within 30 days after the revocation.
Every license holder would be signed up for the Rap Back service. That service sends alerts when a person shows up in new criminal records.
Anyone who sells or gives away a gun would have to report it within 3 business days. The report would name the buyer and the seller and list the gun's make, model, and serial number.
Today, only licensed dealers must run a background check. Under the bill, a private seller would have to give the gun to a licensed dealer first. The dealer would run the check as if selling from its own stock.
Selling or giving a gun to someone without a federal or similar state license would be against the law. So would failing to report the sale to law enforcement.
More about this bill
If you want to buy or keep a gun, you would need a federal license first, unless your state runs a similar license system. To get one, you would take a gun safety class and pass a written test. You would also pass a hands-on shooting test. You would give fingerprints, proof of who you are, and the serial number of the gun you plan to buy. The bill sets no start date and no grace period for people who already own guns. Each license would cover one gun, which you would have to buy within 30 days. The Attorney General (head of the Justice Department) would have 30 days to approve or deny you. Local officials would hear about your request and could share safety concerns. You could be turned down if you are judged a danger to yourself or others. Past arrests, threats, drug or alcohol abuse, or unsafe gun storage could count. Private gun sales would have to go through a licensed dealer, who would run a background check. Every seller would also have to report each sale within 3 business days.
Congressional Summary
Federal Firearm Licensing Act This bill generally requires an individual to obtain a license before purchasing, receiving, or possessing a firearm. The bill also requires background checks for firearms transfers between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals). Specifically, this bill requires individuals who purchase, receive, or possess a firearm to have a valid federal firearm purchasing license (or a state firearm purchasing license with substantially similar requirements). The bill requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to establish a federal system for issuing firearm purchasing licenses and sets forth requirements for the system, including eligibility requirements for a license (e.g., training in firearms safety and background investigation and criminal history check), standards for denying or revoking a license, and requirements for reporting transactions. The bill makes it unlawful to (1) purchase, receive, or possess a firearm without a valid firearm purchaser license; or (2) sell or transfer a firearm to an individual who does not have a valid firearm purchaser license or fail to report such a sale or transfer to law enforcement. Additionally, the bill prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a federal firearms licensee (e.g., gun dealer) first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-12-17
- Date Added
- 2026-10-16
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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