Federal Firearms Laws

Federal laws regulating firearms traffic into, from and within the United States are the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44, the National Firearms Act (NFA), 26 U.S.C. Chapter 53, and the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), 22 U.S.C. 2778. Authority to administer and enforce these laws rests with the Secretary of the Treasury. The Secretary has delegated responsibility to enforce the GCA, the NFA, and the importation provisions of the AECA to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). The authority to enforce the exportation provisions of the AECA is delegated to the United States Customs Service (USCS). Read more