Firearms License Applications

Processing Improvements Made But Applicant Qualification Checks Limited Gao ID: GGD-93-20BR November 2, 1992

This briefing report reviews how efficiently the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) processes firearms license applications. GAO found that 10 percent of the applications submitted during its survey week in November 1991 were not approved by ATF within the statutorily mandated 45-day period, instead taking up to 71 days to be processed. In addition, ATF's method of tracking and reporting late applications was inaccurate. GAO believes that the licensing process could be made more efficient and that most license issuances could be accelerated. Finally, because of (1) weaknesses in the completeness and the currency of state and federal criminal history record systems and (2) difficulty in verifying other applicant qualifiers, ATF could not guarantee that firearms applicants met all qualifications.

GAO found that: (1) ATF did not approve 10 percent of the firearms license applications submitted within the statutorily mandated period; (2) the ATF method of tracking and reporting late applications was inaccurate; (3) applications the area offices asked examiners to hold were not being counted as late; (4) license applications that ATF area offices decided not to inspect sat in suspense files, and ATF did not act upon them until pre-established target approval dates were reached; (5) application examiners used target approval dates that varied and resulted in some applications being approval late; and (6) ATF was unable to ensure that firearms applicants met all qualifications because of weaknesses in the completeness and currency of state and federal criminal history record systems and difficulty in verifying other applicant qualifiers.



The Justia Government Accountability Office site republishes public reports retrieved from the U.S. GAO These reports should not be considered official, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Justia.