§ 921. Definitions
(a) As used in this chapter—
(1) The term ‘‘person’’ and the term ‘‘whoever’’
include any individual, corporation, company,
association, firm, partnership, society, or joint
stock company.
(2) The term ‘‘interstate or foreign commerce’’
includes commerce between any place in a State
and any place outside of that State, or within
any possession of the United States (not includ-
ing the Canal Zone) or the District of Columbia,
but such term does not include commerce be-
tween places within the same State but through
any place outside of that State. The term
‘‘State’’ includes the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the posses-
sions of the United States (not including the
Canal Zone).
(3) The term ‘‘firearm’’ means (A) any weapon
(including a starter gun) which will or is de-
signed to or may readily be converted to expel a
projectile by the action of an explosive; (B) the
frame or receiver of any such weapon; (C) any
firearm muffler or firearm silencer; or (D) any
destructive device. Such term does not include
an antique firearm.
(4) The term ‘‘destructive device’’ means—
(A) any explosive, incendiary, or poison
gas—
(i) bomb,
(ii) grenade,
(iii) rocket having a propellant charge of
more than four ounces,
(iv) missile having an explosive or incen-
diary charge of more than one-quarter
ounce,
(v) mine, or
(vi) device similar to any of the devices de-
scribed in the preceding clauses;
(B) any type of weapon (other than a shot-
gun or a shotgun shell which the Attorney
General finds is generally recognized as par-
ticularly suitable for sporting purposes) by
whatever name known which will, or which
may be readily converted to, expel a projectile
by the action of an explosive or other propel-
lant, a
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Authority boundary: historical or unconfirmed source not current law verified.
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Page 217
TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 921
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
AMENDMENTS
2001—Pub. L. 107–56 substituted ‘‘5 years’’ for ‘‘one
year’’.
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted ‘‘fined under this
title’’ for ‘‘fined not more than $500’’.
CHAPTER 44—FIREARMS
Sec.
921.
Definitions.
922.
Unlawful acts.
923.
Licensing.
924.
Penalties.
925.
Exceptions: Relief from disabilities.
925A.
Remedy for erroneous denial of firearm.
925B.
Reporting of background check denials to
State authorities.
925C.
Annual report to Congress.
925D.
Special assistant U.S. attorneys and cross-
deputized attorneys.
926.
Rules and regulations.
926A.
Interstate transportation of firearms.
926B.
Carrying of concealed firearms by qualified
law enforcement officers.
926C.
Carrying of concealed firearms by qualified
retired law enforcement officers.
927.
Effect on State law.
928.
Separability.
929.
Use of restricted ammunition.
930.
Possession of firearms and dangerous weapons
in Federal facilities.
931.
Prohibition on purchase, ownership, or pos-
session of body armor by violent felons.
932.
Straw purchasing of firearms.
933.
Trafficking in firearms.
934.
Forfeiture and fines.
Editorial Notes
AMENDMENTS
2022—Pub. L. 117–159, div. A, title II, § 12004(a)(6), June
25, 2022, 136 Stat. 1329, added items 932 to 934.
Pub. L. 117–103, div. W, title XI, §§ 1101(d), 1102(b),
1103(b), Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 920, 921, added items 925B
to 925D.
2004—Pub. L. 108–277, §§ 2(b), 3(b), July 22, 2004, 118
Stat. 866, 867, added items 926B and 926C.
2002—Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title I, § 11009(e)(2)(B),
Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1821, added item 931.
1993—Pub. L. 103–159, title I, § 104(b), Nov. 30, 1993, 107
Stat. 1543, added item 925A.
1990—Pub. L. 101–647, title XXXV, § 3523, Nov. 29, 1990,
104 Stat. 4924, struck out ‘‘clause’’ after ‘‘Separability’’
in item 928.
1988—Pub. L. 100–690, title VI, § 6215(b), Nov. 18, 1988,
102 Stat. 4362, added item 930.
1986—Pub. L. 99–308, § 107(b), May 19, 1986, 100 Stat.
460, added item 926A.
1984—Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 1006(b), Oct. 12, 1984, 98
Stat. 2139, added item 929.
1968—Pub. L. 90–618, title I, § 102, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat.
1214, reenacted chapter analysis without change.
Pub. L. 90–351, title IV, § 902, June 19, 1968, 82 Stat.
226, added chapter 44 and items 921 to 928.
Executive Documents
TRACING OF FIREARMS IN CONNECTION WITH CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIONS
Memorandum of President of the United States, Jan.
16, 2013, 78 F.R. 4301, which requires Federal law en-
forcement agencies to ensure that all firearms recov-
ered after Jan. 16, 2013, in the course of criminal inves-
tigations and taken into Federal custody are traced
through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and
Explosives at the earliest time practicable, was edi-
torially reclassified and is set out as a note under sec-
tion 40901 of Title 34, Crime Control and Law Enforce-
ment.
PROMOTING SMART GUN TECHNOLOGY
Memorandum of President of the United States, Jan.
4, 2016, 81 F.R. 719, which requires the Department of
Defense, the Department of Justice, and the Depart-
ment of Homeland Security to conduct or sponsor re-
search into gun safety technology, review such re-
search, and explore potential ways to further its use
and development to more broadly improve gun safety,
was editorially reclassified and is set out as a note
under section 40901 of Title 34, Crime Control and Law
Enforcement.
§ 921. Definitions
(a) As used in this chapter—
(1) The term ‘‘person’’ and the term ‘‘whoever’’
include any individual, corporation, company,
association, firm, partnership, society, or joint
stock company.
(2) The term ‘‘interstate or foreign commerce’’
includes commerce between any place in a State
and any place outside of that State, or within
any possession of the United States (not includ-
ing the Canal Zone) or the District of Columbia,
but such term does not include commerce be-
tween places within the same State but through
any place outside of that State. The term
‘‘State’’ includes the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the posses-
sions of the United States (not including the
Canal Zone).
(3) The term ‘‘firearm’’ means (A) any weapon
(including a starter gun) which will or is de-
signed to or may readily be converted to expel a
projectile by the action of an explosive; (B) the
frame or receiver of any such weapon; (C) any
firearm muffler or firearm silencer; or (D) any
destructive device. Such term does not include
an antique firearm.
(4) The term ‘‘destructive device’’ means—
(A) any explosive, incendiary, or poison
gas—
(i) bomb,
(ii) grenade,
(iii) rocket having a propellant charge of
more than four ounces,
(iv) missile having an explosive or incen-
diary charge of more than one-quarter
ounce,
(v) mine, or
(vi) device similar to any of the devices de-
scribed in the preceding clauses;
(B) any type of weapon (other than a shot-
gun or a shotgun shell which the Attorney
General finds is generally recognized as par-
ticularly suitable for sporting purposes) by
whatever name known which will, or which
may be readily converted to, expel a projectile
by the action of an explosive or other propel-
lant, and which has any barrel with a bore of
more than one-half inch in diameter; and
(C) any combination of parts either designed
or intended for use in converting any device
into any destructive device described in sub-
paragraph (A) or (B) and from which a destruc-
tive device may be readily assembled.
The term ‘‘destructive device’’ shall not include
any device which is neither designed nor rede-
Page 218
TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 921
1 So in original. Probably should be followed by a period.
signed for use as a weapon; any device, although
originally designed for use as a weapon, which is
redesigned for use as a signaling, pyrotechnic,
line throwing, safety, or similar device; surplus
ordnance sold, loaned, or given by the Secretary
of the Army pursuant to the provisions of sec-
tion 7684(2), 7685, or 7686 of title 10; or any other
device which the Attorney General finds is not
likely to be used as a weapon, is an antique, or
is a rifle which the owner intends to use solely
for sporting, recreational or cultural purposes.
(5) The term ‘‘shotgun’’ means a weapon de-
signed or redesigned, made or remade, and in-
tended to be fired from the shoulder and de-
signed or redesigned and made or remade to use
the energy of an explosive to fire through a
smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a
single projectile for each single pull of the trig-
ger.
(6) The term ‘‘short-barreled shotgun’’ means
a shotgun having one or more barrels less than
eighteen inches in length and any weapon made
from a shotgun (whether by alteration, modi-
fication or otherwise) if such a weapon as modi-
fied has an overall length of less than twenty-six
inches.
(7) The term ‘‘rifle’’ means a weapon designed
or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to
be fired from the shoulder and designed or rede-
signed and made or remade to use the energy of
an explosive to fire only a single projectile
through a rifled bore for each single pull of the
trigger.
(8) The term ‘‘short-barreled rifle’’ means a
rifle having one or more barrels less than six-
teen inches in length and any weapon made from
a rifle (whether by alteration, modification, or
otherwise) if such weapon, as modified, has an
overall length of less than twenty-six inches.
(9) The term ‘‘importer’’ means any person en-
gaged in the business of importing or bringing
firearms or ammunition into the United States
for purposes of sale or distribution; and the term
‘‘licensed importer’’ means any such person li-
censed under the provisions of this chapter.
(10) The term ‘‘manufacturer’’ means any per-
son engaged in the business of manufacturing
firearms or ammunition for purposes of sale or
distribution; and the term ‘‘licensed manufac-
turer’’ means any such person licensed under the
provisions of this chapter.
(11) The term ‘‘dealer’’ means (A) any person
engaged in the business of selling firearms at
wholesale or retail, (B) any person engaged in
the business of repairing firearms or of making
or fitting special barrels, stocks, or trigger
mechanisms to firearms, or (C) any person who
is a pawnbroker. The term ‘‘licensed dealer’’
means any dealer who is licensed under the pro-
visions of this chapter.
(12) The term ‘‘pawnbroker’’ means any person
whose business or occupation includes the tak-
ing or receiving, by way of pledge or pawn, of
any firearm as security for the payment or re-
payment of money.
(13) The term ‘‘collector’’ means any person
who acquires, holds, or disposes of firearms as
curios or relics, as the Attorney General shall
by regulation define, and the term ‘‘licensed col-
lector’’ means any such person licensed under
the provisions of this chapter.
(14) The term ‘‘indictment’’ includes an indict-
ment or information in any court under which a
crime punishable by imprisonment for a term
exceeding one year may be prosecuted.
(15) The term ‘‘fugitive from justice’’ means
any person who has fled from any State to avoid
prosecution for a crime or to avoid giving testi-
mony in any criminal proceeding.
(16) The term ‘‘antique firearm’’ means—
(A) any firearm (including any firearm with
a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or
similar type of ignition system) manufactured
in or before 1898; or
(B) any replica of any firearm described in
subparagraph (A) if such replica—
(i) is not designed or redesigned for using
rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed am-
munition, or
(ii) uses rimfire or conventional centerfire
fixed ammunition which is no longer manu-
factured in the United States and which is
not readily available in the ordinary chan-
nels of commercial trade; or
(C) any muzzle loading rifle, muzzle loading
shotgun, or muzzle loading pistol, which is de-
signed to use black powder, or a black powder
substitute, and which cannot use fixed ammu-
nition. For purposes of this subparagraph, the
term ‘‘antique firearm’’ shall not include any
weapon which incorporates a firearm frame or
receiver, any firearm which is converted into
a muzzle loading weapon, or any muzzle load-
ing weapon which can be readily converted to
fire fixed ammunition by replacing the barrel,
bolt, breechblock, or any combination thereof.
(17)(A) The term ‘‘ammunition’’ means ammu-
nition or cartridge cases, primers, bullets, or
propellent powder designed for use in any fire-
arm.
(B) The term ‘‘armor piercing ammunition’’
means—
(i) a projectile or projectile core which may
be used in a handgun and which is constructed
entirely (excluding the presence of traces of
other substances) from one or a combination
of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze,
beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or
(ii) a full jacketed projectile larger than .22
caliber designed and intended for use in a
handgun and whose jacket has a weight of
more than 25 percent of the total weight of the
projectile.
(C) The term ‘‘armor piercing ammunition’’
does not include shotgun shot required by Fed-
eral or State environmental or game regulations
for hunting purposes, a frangible projectile de-
signed for target shooting, a projectile which
the Attorney General finds is primarily intended
to be used for sporting purposes, or any other
projectile or projectile core which the Attorney
General finds is intended to be used for indus-
trial purposes, including a charge used in an oil
and gas well perforating device.
(18) The term ‘‘Attorney General’’ means the
Attorney General of the United States 1
(19) The term ‘‘published ordinance’’ means a
published law of any political subdivision of a
State which the Attorney General determines to
Page 219
TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 921
be relevant to the enforcement of this chapter
and which is contained on a list compiled by the
Attorney General, which list shall be published
in the Federal Register, revised annually, and
furnished to each licensee under this chapter.
(20) The term ‘‘crime punishable by imprison-
ment for a term exceeding one year’’ does not
include—
(A) any Federal or State offenses pertaining
to antitrust violations, unfair trade practices,
restraints of trade, or other similar offenses
relating to the regulation of business prac-
tices, or
(B) any State offense classified by the laws
of the State as a misdemeanor and punishable
by a term of imprisonment of two years or
less.
What constitutes a conviction of such a crime
shall be determined in accordance with the law
of the jurisdiction in which the proceedings were
held. Any conviction which has been expunged,
or set aside or for which a person has been par-
doned or has had civil rights restored shall not
be considered a conviction for purposes of this
chapter, unless such pardon, expungement, or
restoration of civil rights expressly provides
that the person may not ship, transport, possess,
or receive firearms.
(21) The term ‘‘engaged in the business’’
means—
(A) as applied to a manufacturer of firearms,
a person who devotes time, attention, and
labor to manufacturing firearms as a regular
course of trade or business with the principal
objective of livelihood and profit through the
sale or distribution of the firearms manufac-
tured;
(B) as applied to a manufacturer of ammuni-
tion, a person who devotes time, attention,
and labor to manufacturing ammunition as a
regular course of trade or business with the
principal objective of livelihood and profit
through the sale or distribution of the ammu-
nition manufactured;
(C) as applied to a dealer in firearms, as de-
fined in section 921(a)(11)(A), a person who de-
votes time, attention, and labor to dealing in
firearms as a regular course of trade or busi-
ness to predominantly earn a profit through
the repetitive purchase and resale of firearms,
but such term shall not include a person who
makes occasional sales, exchanges, or pur-
chases of firearms for the enhancement of a
personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells
all or part of his personal collection of fire-
arms;
(D) as applied to a dealer in firearms, as de-
fined in section 921(a)(11)(B), a person who de-
votes time, attention, and labor to engaging in
such activity as a regular course of trade or
business with the principal objective of liveli-
hood and profit, but such term shall not in-
clude a person who makes occasional repairs
of firearms, or who occasionally fits special
barrels, stocks, or trigger mechanisms to fire-
arms;
(E) as applied to an importer of firearms, a
person who devotes time, attention, and labor
to importing firearms as a regular course of
trade or business with the principal objective
of livelihood and profit through the sale or
distribution of the firearms imported; and
(F) as applied to an importer of ammunition,
a person who devotes time, attention, and
labor to importing ammunition as a regular
course of trade or business with the principal
objective of livelihood and profit through the
sale or distribution of the ammunition im-
ported.
(22) The term ‘‘to predominantly earn a prof-
it’’ means that the intent underlying the sale or
disposition of firearms is predominantly one of
obtaining pecuniary gain, as opposed to other
intents, such as improving or liquidating a per-
sonal firearms collection: Provided, That proof of
profit shall not be required as to a person who
engages in the regular and repetitive purchase
and disposition of firearms for criminal purposes
or terrorism. For purposes of this paragraph, the
term
‘‘terrorism’’
means
activity,
directed
against United States persons, which—
(A) is committed by an individual who is not
a national or permanent resident alien of the
United States;
(B) involves violent acts or acts dangerous
to human life which would be a criminal viola-
tion if committed within the jurisdiction of
the United States; and
(C) is intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian popu-
lation;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government
by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government
by assassination or kidnapping.
(23) The term ‘‘with the principal objective of
livelihood and profit’’ means that the intent un-
derlying the sale or disposition of firearms is
predominantly one of obtaining livelihood and
pecuniary gain, as opposed to other intents,
such as improving or liquidating a personal fire-
arms collection: Provided, That proof of profit
shall not be required as to a person who engages
in the regular and repetitive purchase and dis-
position of firearms for criminal purposes or ter-
rorism. For purposes of this paragraph, the term
‘‘terrorism’’ means activity, directed against
United States persons, which—
(A) is committed by an individual who is not
a national or permanent resident alien of the
United States;
(B) involves violent acts or acts dangerous
to human life which would be a criminal viola-
tion if committed within the jurisdiction of
the United States; and
(C) is intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian popu-
lation;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government
by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government
by assassination or kidnapping.
(24) The term ‘‘machinegun’’ has the meaning
given such term in section 5845(b) of the Na-
tional Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. 5845(b)).
(25) The terms ‘‘firearm silencer’’ and ‘‘firearm
muffler’’ mean any device for silencing, muf-
fling, or diminishing the report of a portable
firearm, including any combination of parts, de-
signed or redesigned, and intended for use in as-
sembling or fabricating a firearm silencer or
firearm muffler, and any part intended only for
use in such assembly or fabrication.
Page 220
TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 921
(26) The term ‘‘school zone’’ means—
(A) in, or on the grounds of, a public, paro-
chial or private school; or
(B) within a distance of 1,000 feet from the
grounds of a public, parochial or private
school.
(27) The term ‘‘school’’ means a school which
provides elementary or secondary education, as
determined under State law.
(28) The term ‘‘motor vehicle’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 13102 of title 49,
United States Code.
(29) The term ‘‘semiautomatic rifle’’ means
any repeating rifle which utilizes a portion of
the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the
fired cartridge case and chamber the next round,
and which requires a separate pull of the trigger
to fire each cartridge.
(30) The term ‘‘handgun’’ means—
(A) a firearm which has a short stock and is
designed to be held and fired by the use of a
single hand; and
(B) any combination of parts from which a
firearm described in subparagraph (A) can be
assembled.
[(31) Repealed. Pub. L. 103–322, title XI,
§ 110105(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2000.]
(32) The term ‘‘intimate partner’’ means, with
respect to a person, the spouse of the person, a
former spouse of the person, an individual who
is a parent of a child of the person, and an indi-
vidual who cohabitates or has cohabited with
the person.
(33)(A) Except as provided in subparagraphs
(B) and (C), the term ‘‘misdemeanor crime of do-
mestic violence’’ means an offense that—
(i) is a misdemeanor under Federal, State,
Tribal, or local law; and
(ii) has, as an element, the use or attempted
use of physical force, or the threatened use of
a deadly weapon, committed by a current or
former spouse, parent, or guardian of the vic-
tim, by a person with whom the victim shares
a child in common, by a person who is cohab-
iting with or has cohabited with the victim as
a spouse, parent, or guardian, by a person
similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or
guardian of the victim, or by a person who has
a current or recent former dating relationship
with the victim.
(B)(i) A person shall not be considered to have
been convicted of such an offense for purposes of
this chapter, unless—
(I) the person was represented by counsel in
the case, or knowingly and intelligently
waived the right to counsel in the case; and
(II) in the case of a prosecution for an of-
fense described in this paragraph for which a
person was entitled to a jury trial in the juris-
diction in which the case was tried, either
(aa) the case was tried by a jury, or
(bb) the person knowingly and intel-
ligently waived the right to have the case
tried by a jury, by guilty plea or otherwise.
(ii) A person shall not be considered to have
been convicted of such an offense for purposes of
this chapter if the conviction has been expunged
or set aside, or is an offense for which the person
has been pardoned or has had civil rights re-
stored (if the law of the applicable jurisdiction
provides for the loss of civil rights under such an
offense) unless the pardon, expungement, or res-
toration of civil rights expressly provides that
the person may not ship, transport, possess, or
receive firearms.
(C) A person shall not be considered to have
been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of do-
mestic violence against an individual in a dating
relationship for purposes of this chapter if the
conviction has been expunged or set aside, or is
an offense for which the person has been par-
doned or has had firearm rights restored unless
the expungement, pardon, or restoration of
rights expressly provides that the person may
not ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms:
Provided, That, in the case of a person who has
not more than 1 conviction of a misdemeanor
crime of domestic violence against an individual
in a dating relationship, and is not otherwise
prohibited under this chapter, the person shall
not be disqualified from shipping, transport,
possession, receipt, or purchase of a firearm
under this chapter if 5 years have elapsed from
the later of the judgment of conviction or the
completion of the person’s custodial or super-
visory sentence, if any, and the person has not
subsequently been convicted of another such of-
fense, a misdemeanor under Federal, State,
Tribal, or local law which has, as an element,
the use or attempted use of physical force, or
the threatened use of a deadly weapon, or any
other offense that would disqualify the person
under section 922(g). The national instant crimi-
nal background check system established under
section 103 of the Brady Handgun Violence Pre-
vention Act (34 U.S.C. 40901) shall be updated to
reflect the status of the person. Restoration
under this subparagraph is not available for a
current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of
the victim, a person with whom the victim
shares a child in common, a person who is co-
habiting with or has cohabited with the victim
as a spouse, parent, or guardian, or a person
similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or guard-
ian of the victim.
(34) The term ‘‘secure gun storage or safety de-
vice’’ means—
(A) a device that, when installed on a fire-
arm, is designed to prevent the firearm from
being operated without first deactivating the
device;
(B) a device incorporated into the design of
the firearm that is designed to prevent the op-
eration of the firearm by anyone not having
access to the device; or
(C) a safe, gun safe, gun case, lock box, or
other device that is designed to be or can be
used to store a firearm and that is designed to
be unlocked only by means of a key, a com-
bination, or other similar means.
(35) The term ‘‘body armor’’ means any prod-
uct sold or offered for sale, in interstate or for-
eign commerce, as personal protective body cov-
ering intended to protect against gunfire, re-
gardless of whether the product is to be worn
alone or is sold as a complement to another
product or garment.
(36) The term ‘‘local law enforcement author-
ity’’ means a bureau, office, department or other
authority of a State or local government or
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TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 921
Tribe that has jurisdiction to investigate a vio-
lation or potential violation of, or enforce, a
State, local, or Tribal law.
(37)(A) The term ‘‘dating relationship’’ means
a relationship between individuals who have or
have recently had a continuing serious relation-
ship of a romantic or intimate nature.
(B) Whether a relationship constitutes a dat-
ing relationship under subparagraph (A) shall be
determined based on consideration of—
(i) the length of the relationship;
(ii) the nature of the relationship; and
(iii) the frequency and type of interaction
between the individuals involved in the rela-
tionship.
(C) A casual acquaintanceship or ordinary
fraternization in a business or social context
does not constitute a dating relationship under
subparagraph (A).
(38) The term ‘‘verified electronic notifica-
tion’’, with respect to a communication to a
chief law enforcement officer required under
section 922(c)(2), means a digital communica-
tion—
(A) sent to the electronic communication
address that the chief law enforcement officer
voluntarily designates for the purpose of re-
ceiving those communications; and
(B) that includes a method for verifying—
(i) the receipt of the communication; and
(ii) the electronic communication address
to which the communication is sent.
(b) For the purposes of this chapter, a member
of the Armed Forces on active duty is a resident
of the State in which his permanent duty sta-
tion is located.
(Added Pub. L. 90–351, title IV, § 902, June 19,
1968, 82 Stat. 226; amended Pub. L. 90–618, title I,
§ 102, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1214; Pub. L. 93–639,
§ 102, Jan. 4, 1975, 88 Stat. 2217; Pub. L. 99–308,
§ 101, May 19, 1986, 100 Stat. 449; Pub. L. 99–360,
§ 1(b), July 8, 1986, 100 Stat. 766; Pub. L. 99–408,
§ 1, Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 920; Pub. L. 101–647,
title XVII, § 1702(b)(2), title XXII, § 2204(a), Nov.
29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4845, 4857; Pub. L. 103–159, title
I, § 102(a)(2), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1539; Pub. L.
103–322, title XI, §§ 110102(b), 110103(b), 110105(2),
110401(a), 110519, title XXXIII, § 330021(1), Sept.
13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1997, 1999, 2000, 2014, 2020, 2150;
Pub. L. 104–88, title III, § 303(1), Dec. 29, 1995, 109
Stat. 943; Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(f)
[title VI, § 658(a)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat.
3009–314, 3009–371; Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(b)
[title I, § 119(a)], (h) [title I, § 115], Oct. 21, 1998,
112 Stat. 2681–50, 2681–69, 2681–480, 2681–490; Pub.
L. 107–273, div. C, title I, § 11009(e)(1), Nov. 2, 2002,
116
Stat.
1821;
Pub.
L.
107–296,
title
XI,
§ 1112(f)(1)–(3), (6), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2276;
Pub. L. 109–162, title IX, § 908(a), Jan. 5, 2006, 119
Stat. 3083; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII,
§ 809(e)(2), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1842; Pub. L.
117–103, div. W, title XI, §§ 1101(b), 1104(a), Mar.
15, 2022, 136 Stat. 919, 921; Pub. L. 117–159, div. A,
title II, §§ 12002, 12005(a), (c), June 25, 2022, 136
Stat. 1324, 1332; Pub. L. 118–159, div. E, title LII,
§ 5211(a), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2444.)
Editorial Notes
REFERENCES IN TEXT
For definition of Canal Zone, referred to in subsec.
(a)(2), see section 3602(b) of Title 22, Foreign Relations
and Intercourse.
AMENDMENTS
2024—Subsec. (a)(38). Pub. L. 118–159 added par. (38).
2022—Subsec. (a)(21)(C). Pub. L. 117–159, § 12002(1), sub-
stituted ‘‘to predominantly earn a profit’’ for ‘‘with the
principal objective of livelihood and profit’’.
Subsec. (a)(22) to (30). Pub. L. 117–159, § 12002(2), (3),
added par. (22) and redesignated former pars. (22) to (29)
as (23) to (30), respectively.
Subsec. (a)(33)(A). Pub. L. 117–159, § 12005(c)(1)(A), sub-
stituted ‘‘subparagraphs (B) and (C)’’ for ‘‘subparagraph
(C)’’ in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (a)(33)(A)(i). Pub. L. 117–159, § 12005(c)(1)(B),
which directed substitution of ‘‘State,’’ for ‘‘State,,’’ in
cl. (ii) of par. (33)(A), was executed in cl. (i) of par.
(33)(A) to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
Pub. L. 117–103, § 1104(a), substituted ‘‘, Tribal, or
local law’’ for ‘‘or Tribal law’’.
Subsec. (a)(33)(A)(ii). Pub. L. 117–159, § 12005(a)(1), sub-
stituted ‘‘by a person similarly’’ for ‘‘or by a person
similarly’’ and inserted ‘‘, or by a person who has a
current or recent former dating relationship with the
victim’’ before period at end.
Subsec. (a)(33)(C). Pub. L. 117–159, § 12005(c)(2), added
subpar. (C).
Subsec. (a)(36). Pub. L. 117–103, § 1101(b), added par.
(36).
Subsec. (a)(37). Pub. L. 117–159, § 12005(a)(2), added par.
(37).
2018—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted ‘‘sec-
tion 7684(2), 7685, or 7686 of title 10’’ for ‘‘section 4684(2),
4685, or 4686 of title 10’’ in concluding provisions.
2006—Subsec. (a)(33)(A)(i). Pub. L. 109–162, which di-
rected the general amendment of ‘‘section 921(33)(A)(i)
of title 18’’, was executed to par. (33)(A)(i) of subsec. (a),
to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Prior to
amendment, cl. (i) read as follows: ‘‘is a misdemeanor
under Federal or State law; and’’.
2002—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(f)(2), sub-
stituted ‘‘Attorney General’’ for ‘‘Secretary of the
Treasury’’ in concluding provisions.
Subsec. (a)(4)(B). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(f)(1), sub-
stituted ‘‘Attorney General’’ for ‘‘Secretary’’.
Subsec. (a)(13), (17)(C). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(f)(6), sub-
stituted ‘‘Attorney General’’ for ‘‘Secretary’’ wherever
appearing.
Subsec. (a)(18). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(f)(3), added par.
(18) and struck out former par. (18) which read as fol-
lows: ‘‘The term ‘Secretary’ or ‘Secretary of the Treas-
ury’ means the Secretary of the Treasury or his dele-
gate.’’
Subsec. (a)(19). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(f)(6), substituted
‘‘Attorney General’’ for ‘‘Secretary’’ in two places.
Subsec. (a)(35). Pub. L. 107–273 added par. (35).
1998—Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(h) [title I,
§ 115(1)], substituted ‘‘an explosive’’ for ‘‘the explosive
in a fixed shotgun shell’’.
Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(h) [title I, § 115(2)],
substituted ‘‘an explosive’’ for ‘‘the explosive in a fixed
metallic cartridge’’.
Subsec. (a)(16). Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(h) [title I,
§ 115(3)], added par. (16) and struck out former par. (16)
which read as follows: ‘‘The term ‘antique firearm’
means—
‘‘(A) any firearm (including any firearm with a
matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type
of ignition system) manufactured in or before 1898;
and
‘‘(B) any replica of any firearm described in sub-
paragraph (A) if such replica—
‘‘(i) is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire
or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition, or
‘‘(ii) uses rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed
ammunition which is no longer manufactured in
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TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 921
the United States and which is not readily avail-
able in the ordinary channels of commercial trade.’’
Subsec. (a)(34). Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(b) [title I,
§ 119(a)], added par. (34).
1996—Subsec. (a)(33). Pub. L. 104–208 added par. (33).
1995—Subsec. (a)(27). Pub. L. 104–88 substituted ‘‘sec-
tion 13102’’ for ‘‘section 10102’’.
1994—Subsec. (a)(17)(B). Pub. L. 103–322, § 110519,
amended subpar. (B) generally. Prior to amendment,
subpar. (B) read as follows: ‘‘The term ‘armor piercing
ammunition’ means a projectile or projectile core
which may be used in a handgun and which is con-
structed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of
other substances) from one or a combination of tung-
sten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper,
or depleted uranium. Such term does not include shot-
gun shot required by Federal or State environmental or
game regulations for hunting purposes, a frangible pro-
jectile designed for target shooting, a projectile which
the Secretary finds is primarily intended to be used for
sporting purposes, or any other projectile or projectile
core which the Secretary finds is intended to be used
for industrial purposes, including a charge used in an
oil and gas well perforating device.’’
Subsec. (a)(17)(C). Pub. L. 103–322, § 110519, added sub-
par. (C).
Subsec. (a)(22)(C)(iii). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330021(1), sub-
stituted ‘‘kidnapping’’ for ‘‘kidnaping’’.
Subsec. (a)(30). Pub. L. 103–322, § 110102(b), which
added par. (30) defining ‘‘semiautomatic assault weap-
on’’, was repealed by Pub. L. 103–322, § 110105(2). See Ef-
fective and Termination Dates of 1994 Amendment note
below.
Subsec. (a)(31). Pub. L. 103–322, § 110103(b), which
added par. (31) defining ‘‘large capacity ammunition
feeding device’’, was repealed by Pub. L. 103–322,
§ 110105(2). See Effective and Termination Dates of 1994
Amendment note below.
Subsec. (a)(32). Pub. L. 103–322, § 110401(a), added par.
(32).
1993—Subsec. (a)(29). Pub. L. 103–159 added par. (29).
1990—Subsec.
(a)(25)
to
(27).
Pub.
L.
101–647,
§ 1702(b)(2), added pars. (25) to (27).
Subsec. (a)(28). Pub. L. 101–647, § 2204(a), added par.
(28).
1986—Subsec. (a)(10). Pub. L. 99–308, § 101(1), sub-
stituted ‘‘business of manufacturing’’ for ‘‘manufacture
of’’.
Subsec. (a)(11)(A). Pub. L. 99–308, § 101(2), struck out
‘‘or ammunition’’ after ‘‘firearms’’.
Subsec. (a)(12). Pub. L. 99–308, § 101(3), struck out ‘‘or
ammunition’’ after ‘‘firearm’’.
Subsec. (a)(13). Pub. L. 99–308, § 101(4), struck out ‘‘or
ammunition’’ after ‘‘firearms’’.
Subsec. (a)(17). Pub. L. 99–408 designated existing pro-
visions as subpar. (A) and added subpar. (B).
Subsec. (a)(20). Pub. L. 99–308, § 101(5), amended par.
(20) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (20) read as
follows: ‘‘The term ‘crime punishable by imprisonment
for a term exceeding one year’ shall not include (A) any
Federal or State offenses pertaining to antitrust viola-
tions, unfair trade practices, restraints of trade, or
other similar offenses relating to the regulation of
business practices as the Secretary may by regulation
designate, or (B) any State offense (other than one in-
volving a firearm or explosive) classified by the laws of
the State as a misdemeanor and punishable by a term
of imprisonment of two years or less.’’
Subsec. (a)(21). Pub. L. 99–308, § 101(6), added par. (21).
Subsec. (a)(22). Pub. L. 99–360 inserted provision that
proof of profit not be required as to a person who en-
gages in the regular and repetitive purchase and dis-
position of firearms for criminal purposes or terrorism
and defined terrorism.
Pub. L. 99–308, § 101(6), added par. (22).
Subsec. (a)(23), (24). Pub. L. 99–308, § 101(6), added pars.
(23) and (24).
1975—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 93–639 substituted ‘‘to use
solely for sporting, recreational or cultural purposes’’
for ‘‘to use solely for sporting purposes’’.
1968—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 90–618 inserted definitions of
‘‘collector’’, ‘‘licensed collector’’, and ‘‘crime punish-
able by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year’’,
amended definitions of ‘‘person’’, ‘‘whoever’’, ‘‘inter-
state or foreign commerce’’, ‘‘State’’, ‘‘firearm’’, ‘‘de-
structive device’’, ‘‘dealer’’, ‘‘indictment’’, ‘‘fugitive
from justice’’, ‘‘antique firearm’’, ‘‘ammunition’’, and
‘‘published ordinance’’, and reenacted without change
definitions of ‘‘shotgun’’, ‘‘short-barreled shotgun’’,
‘‘rifle’’, ‘‘short-barreled rifle’’, ‘‘importer’’, ‘‘licensed
importer’’, ‘‘manufacturer’’, ‘‘licensed manufacturer’’,
‘‘licensed dealer’’, ‘‘pawnbroker’’, and ‘‘Secretary’’ or
‘‘Secretary of the Treasury’’.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 90–618 substituted provisions de-
termining that a member of the armed forces on active
duty is a resident of the State in which his permanent
duty station is located for provisions defining ‘‘fire-
arm’’, ‘‘destructive device’’, and ‘‘crime punishable by
imprisonment for a term exceeding one year’’.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2022 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 117–159, div. A, title II, § 12005(b), June 25, 2022,
136 Stat. 1332, provided that: ‘‘The amendments made
by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall not
apply to any conviction of a misdemeanor crime of do-
mestic violence entered before the date of enactment of
this Act [June 25, 2022].’’
Amendment by Pub. L. 117–103 not effective until Oct.
1 of the first fiscal year beginning after Mar. 15, 2022,
see section 4(a) of div. W of Pub. L. 117–103, set out as
an Effective Date note under section 6851 of Title 15,
Commerce and Trade.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2018 AMENDMENT
Amendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019,
with provision for the coordination of amendments and
special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800
of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section
3001 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2002 AMENDMENT
Amendment by Pub. L. 107–296 effective 60 days after
Nov. 25, 2002, see section 4 of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as
an Effective Date note under section 101 of Title 6, Do-
mestic Security.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1998 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(b) [title I, § 119(e)], Oct. 21,
1998, 112 Stat. 2681–50, 2681–70, provided that: ‘‘The
amendments made by this section [amending this sec-
tion and section 923 of this title] shall take effect 180
days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 21,
1998].’’
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1995 AMENDMENT
Amendment by Pub. L. 104–88 effective Jan. 1, 1996,
see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as an Effective
Date note under section 1301 of Title 49, Transpor-
tation.
EFFECTIVE AND TERMINATION DATES OF 1994
AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 103–322, title XI, § 110105, Sept. 13, 1994, 108
Stat. 2000, provided that subtitle A (§§ 110101–110106) of
title XI of Pub. L. 103–322 (amending this section and
sections 922 to 924 of this title and enacting provisions
set out as notes under this section) and the amend-
ments made by that subtitle were effective Sept. 13,
1994, and were repealed effective as of the date that is
10 years after that date.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1990 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 101–647, title XVII, § 1702(b)(4), Nov. 29, 1990,
104 Stat. 4845, provided that: ‘‘The amendments made
by this section [amending this section and sections 922
and 924 of this title] shall apply to conduct engaged in
Page 223
TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 921
after the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 29, 1990].’’
EFFECTIVE
DATE
OF
1986 AMENDMENTS; PUBLICATION
AND AVAILABILITY
OF COMPILATION
OF STATE LAWS
AND PUBLISHED ORDINANCES
Pub. L. 99–408, § 9, Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 921, provided
that: ‘‘The amendments made by this Act [amending
this section and sections 922, 923, and 929 of this title
and enacting provisions set out as notes under this sec-
tion] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this
Act [Aug. 28, 1986], except that sections 3, 4, and 5
[amending section 923 of this title] shall take effect on
the first day of the first calendar month which begins
more than ninety days after the date of the enactment
of this Act.’’
Pub. L. 99–360, § 2, July 8, 1986, 100 Stat. 767, provided
that: ‘‘This Act and the amendments made by this Act
[enacting section 926A of this title, amending this sec-
tion and section 923 of this title, and repealing former
section 926A of this title], intended to amend the Fire-
arms Owners’ Protection Act [Pub. L. 99–308, see Short
Title of 1986 Amendment note below], shall become ef-
fective on the date on which the section they are in-
tended to amend in such Firearms Owners’ Protection
Act becomes effective [see section 110 of Pub. L. 99–308
set out below] and shall apply to the amendments to
title 18, United States Code, made by such Act.’’
Pub. L. 99–308, § 110, May 19, 1986, 100 Stat. 460, pro-
vided that:
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this Act
[enacting section 926A of this title, amending this sec-
tion, sections 922 to 926 and 929 of this title, and section
5845 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code, repealing title
VII of Pub. L. 90–351, set out in the Appendix to this
title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under
this section] shall become effective one hundred and
eighty days after the date of the enactment of this Act
[May 19, 1986]. Upon their becoming effective, the Sec-
retary shall publish and provide to all licensees a com-
pilation of the State laws and published ordinances of
which licensees are presumed to have knowledge pursu-
ant to chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, as
amended by this Act. All amendments to such State
laws and published ordinances as contained in the
aforementioned compilation shall be published in the
Federal Register, revised annually, and furnished to
each person licensed under chapter 44 of title 18, United
States Code, as amended by this Act.
‘‘(b) PENDING
ACTIONS, PETITIONS, AND
APPELLATE
PROCEEDINGS.—The amendments made by sections
103(6)(B), 105, and 107 of this Act [enacting section 926A
of this title and amending sections 923 and 925 of this
title] shall be applicable to any action, petition, or ap-
pellate proceeding pending on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act [May 19, 1986].
‘‘(c)
MACHINEGUN
PROHIBITION.—Section
102(9)
[amending section 922 of this title] shall take effect on
the date of the enactment of this Act [May 19, 1986].’’
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1968 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 90–618, title I, § 105, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1226,
provided that:
‘‘(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the provi-
sions of chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, as
amended by section 102 of this title [amending this
chapter], shall take effect on December 16, 1968.
‘‘(b) The following sections of chapter 44 of title 18,
United States Code, as amended by section 102 of this
title shall take effect on the date of the enactment of
this title [Oct. 22, 1968]: Sections 921, 922(l), 925(a)(1),
and 925(d).’’
EFFECTIVE DATE
Pub. L. 90–351, title IV, § 907, June 19, 1968, 82 Stat.
235, provided that: ‘‘The amendments made by this title
[enacting this chapter and provisions set out as notes
under this section and repealing sections 901 to 910 of
Title 15, Commerce and Trade] shall become effective
one hundred and eighty days after the date of its enact-
ment [June 19, 1968]; except that repeal of the Federal
Firearms Act [sections 901 to 910 of Title 15] shall not
in itself terminate any valid license issued pursuant to
that Act and any such license shall be deemed valid
until it shall expire according to its terms unless it be
sooner revoked or terminated pursuant to applicable
provisions of law.’’
SHORT TITLE OF 2005 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 109–92, § 5(a), Oct. 26, 2005, 119 Stat. 2099, pro-
vided that: ‘‘This section [amending sections 922 and
924 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes
under section 922 of this title] may be cited as the
‘Child Safety Lock Act of 2005’.’’
SHORT TITLE OF 2004 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 108–277, § 1, July 22, 2004, 118 Stat. 865, pro-
vided that: ‘‘This Act [enacting sections 926B and 926C
of this title] may be cited as the ‘Law Enforcement Of-
ficers Safety Act of 2004’.’’
SHORT TITLE OF 1994 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 103–322, title XI, § 110101, Sept. 13, 1994, 108
Stat. 1996, provided that subtitle A (§§ 110101–110106) of
title XI of Pub. L. 103–322 (amending this section and
sections 922 to 924 of this title and enacting provisions
set out as notes under this section) could be cited as
the ‘‘Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Pro-
tection Act’’, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–322, title XI,
§ 110105(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2000, effective 10 years
after Sept. 13, 1994.
SHORT TITLE OF 1993 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 103–159, title I, § 101, Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat.
1536, provided that: ‘‘This title [enacting section 925A
of this title, amending this section, sections 922 and 924
of this title, and section 3759 of Title 42, The Public
Health and Welfare, and enacting provisions set out as
notes under this section and section 922 of this title]
may be cited as the ‘Brady Handgun Violence Preven-
tion Act’.’’
Pub. L. 103–159, title III, § 301, Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat.
1545, provided that: ‘‘This title [amending sections 922
to 924 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Federal Fire-
arms License Reform Act of 1993’.’’
SHORT TITLE OF 1990 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 101–647, title XVII, § 1702(a), Nov. 29, 1990, 104
Stat. 4844, provided that: ‘‘This section [amending this
section and sections 922 and 924 of this title and enact-
ing provisions set out as notes under this section and
section 922 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Gun-Free
School Zones Act of 1990’.’’
SHORT TITLE OF 1988 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 100–649, § 1, Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3816, pro-
vided that: ‘‘This Act [amending sections 922, 924, and
925 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes
under section 922 of this title and section 1356 of former
Title
49,
Transportation]
may
be
cited
as
the
‘Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988’.’’
SHORT TITLE OF 1986 AMENDMENTS
Pub. L. 99–570, title I, subtitle I, § 1401, Oct. 27, 1986,
100 Stat. 3207–39, provided that: ‘‘This subtitle [amend-
ing section 924 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Career
Criminals Amendment Act of 1986’.’’
Pub. L. 99–308, § 1(a), May 19, 1986, 100 Stat. 449, pro-
vided that: ‘‘This Act [enacting section 926A of this
title, amending this section, sections 922 to 926 and 929
of this title, and section 5845 of Title 26, Internal Rev-
enue Code, repealing title VII of Pub. L. 90–351, set out
in the Appendix to this title, and enacting provisions
set out as notes under this section] may be cited as the
‘Firearms Owners’ Protection Act’.’’
SHORT TITLE
Pub. L. 90–618, § 1, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1213, provided:
‘‘That this Act [enacting sections 5822, 5871 and 5872 of
Page 224
TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 921
Title 26, Internal Revenue Code, amending this section,
sections 922 to 928 of this title, and Appendix to this
title, and sections 5801, 5802, 5811, 5812, 5821, 5841 to 5849,
5851 to 5854, 5861, 6806, and 7273 of Title 26, repealing sec-
tions 5692 and 6107 of Title 26, omitting sections 5803,
5813, 5814, 5831, 5855, and 5862 of Title 26, and enacting
material set out as notes under this section and Appen-
dix to this title, and section 5801 of Title 26] may be
cited as the ‘Gun Control Act of 1968’.’’
RESTRICTIONS ON AMENDMENT OF REGULATIONS AS TO
CURIOS OR RELICS
Pub. L. 113–6, div. B, title II, Mar. 26, 2013, 127 Stat.
248, provided in part: ‘‘That, in the current fiscal year
and any fiscal year thereafter, no funds appropriated
under this or any other Act shall be used to pay admin-
istrative expenses or the compensation of any officer or
employee of the United States to implement an amend-
ment or amendments to section 478.118 of title 27, Code
of Federal Regulations, or to change the definition of
‘Curios or relics’ in section 478.11 of title 27, Code of
Federal Regulations, or remove any item from ATF
Publication 5300.11 as it existed on January 1, 1994’’.
CONSTRUCTION OF PUB. L. 103–159 WITH
SECTION 552a OF TITLE 5
Pub. L. 103–159, title I, § 105, Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat.
1543, provided that: ‘‘This Act [enacting section 925A of
this title, amending this section, sections 922 to 924 of
this title, and section 3759 of Title 42, The Public
Health and Welfare, and enacting provisions set out as
notes under this section and section 922 of this title]
and the amendments made by this Act shall not be con-
strued to alter or impair any right or remedy under
section 552a of title 5, United States Code.’’
STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION; EVIDENCE
For provisions relating to statutory construction of,
and admissibility of evidence regarding compliance or
noncompliance with, the amendment by section 101(b)
[title I, § 119(a)] of Pub. L. 105–277, see section 101(b)
[title I, § 119(d)] of Pub. L. 105–277, set out as a note
under section 923 of this title.
STUDY BY ATTORNEY GENERAL
Pub. L. 103–322, title XI, § 110104, Sept. 13, 1994, 108
Stat. 2000, which provided that the Attorney General
was to study the effect of subtitle A (§§ 110101–110106) of
title XI of Pub. L. 103–322 and to report the results of
the study to Congress not later than 30 months after
Sept. 13, 1994, was repealed by Pub. L. 103–322, title XI,
§ 110105(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2000, effective 10 years
after Sept. 13, 1994.
CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATION
Pub. L. 99–308, § 1(b), May 19, 1986, 100 Stat. 449, pro-
vided that: ‘‘The Congress finds that—
‘‘(1) the rights of citizens—
‘‘(A) to keep and bear arms under the second
amendment to the United States Constitution;
‘‘(B) to security against illegal and unreasonable
searches and seizures under the fourth amendment;
‘‘(C) against uncompensated taking of property,
double jeopardy, and assurance of due process of
law under the fifth amendment; and
‘‘(D) against unconstitutional exercise of author-
ity under the ninth and tenth amendments;
require additional legislation to correct existing fire-
arms statutes and enforcement policies; and
‘‘(2) additional legislation is required to reaffirm
the intent of the Congress, as expressed in section 101
of the Gun Control Act of 1968 [section 101 of Pub. L.
90–618, set out below], that ‘it is not the purpose of
this title to place any undue or unnecessary Federal
restrictions or burdens on law-abiding citizens with
respect to the acquisition, possession, or use of fire-
arms appropriate to the purpose of hunting, trap-
shooting, target shooting, personal protection, or any
other lawful activity, and that this title is not in-
tended to discourage or eliminate the private owner-
ship or use of firearms by law-abiding citizens for
lawful purposes.’.’’
Pub. L. 90–618, title I, § 101, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1213,
provided that: ‘‘The Congress hereby declares that the
purposes of this title [amending this chapter] is to pro-
vide support to Federal, State, and local law enforce-
ment officials in their fight against crime and violence,
and it is not the purpose of this title to place any
undue or unnecessary Federal restrictions or burdens
on law-abiding citizens with respect to the acquisition,
possession, or use of firearms appropriate to the pur-
pose of hunting, trapshooting, target shooting, per-
sonal protection, or any other lawful activity, and that
this title is not intended to discourage or eliminate the
private ownership or use of firearms by law-abiding
citizens for lawful purposes, or provide for the imposi-
tion by Federal regulations of any procedures or re-
quirements other than those reasonably necessary to
implement and effectuate the provisions of this title.’’
Pub. L. 90–351, title IV, § 901, June 19, 1968, 82 Stat.
225, provided that:
‘‘(a) The Congress hereby finds and declares—
‘‘(1) that there is a widespread traffic in firearms
moving in or otherwise affecting interstate or foreign
commerce, and that the existing Federal controls
over such traffic do not adequately enable the States
to control this traffic within their own borders
through the exercise of their police power;
‘‘(2) that the ease with which any person can ac-
quire firearms other than a rifle or shotgun (includ-
ing criminals, juveniles without the knowledge or
consent of their parents or guardians, narcotics ad-
dicts, mental defectives, armed groups who would
supplant the functions of duly constituted public au-
thorities, and others whose possession of such weapon
is similarly contrary to the public interest) is a sig-
nificant factor in the prevalence of lawlessness and
violent crime in the United States;
‘‘(3) that only through adequate Federal control
over interstate and foreign commerce in these weap-
ons, and over all persons engaging in the businesses
of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in them, can
this grave problem be properly dealt with, and effec-
tive State and local regulation of this traffic be made
possible;
‘‘(4) that the acquisition on a mail-order basis of
firearms other than a rifle or shotgun by nonlicensed
individuals, from a place other than their State of
residence, has materially tended to thwart the effec-
tiveness of State laws and regulations, and local ordi-
nances;
‘‘(5) that the sale or other disposition of conceal-
able weapons by importers, manufacturers, and deal-
ers holding Federal licenses, to nonresidents of the
State in which the licensees’ places of business are
located, has tended to make ineffective the laws, reg-
ulations, and ordinances in the several States and
local jurisdictions regarding such firearms;
‘‘(6) that there is a casual relationship between the
easy availability of firearms other than a rifle or
shotgun and juvenile and youthful criminal behavior,
and that such firearms have been widely sold by fed-
erally licensed importers and dealers to emotionally
immature, or thrill-bent juveniles and minors prone
to criminal behavior;
‘‘(7) that the United States has become the dump-
ing ground of the castoff surplus military weapons of
other nations, and that such weapons, and the large
volume of relatively inexpensive pistols and revolvers
(largely worthless for sporting purposes), imported
into the United States in recent years, has contrib-
uted greatly to lawlessness and to the Nation’s law
enforcement problems;
‘‘(8) that the lack of adequate Federal control over
interstate and foreign commerce in highly destruc-
tive weapons (such as bazookas, mortars, antitank
guns, and so forth, and destructive devices such as ex-
plosive or incendiary grenades, bombs, missiles, and
so forth) has allowed such weapons and devices to fall
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into the hands of lawless persons, including armed
groups who would supplant lawful authority, thus
creating a problem of national concern;
‘‘(9) that the existing licensing system under the
Federal Firearms Act [former sections 901 to 910 of
Title 15, Commerce and Trade] does not provide ade-
quate license fees or proper standards for the grant-
ing or denial of licenses, and that this has led to li-
censes being issued to persons not reasonably entitled
thereto, thus distorting the purposes of the licensing
system.
‘‘(b) The Congress further hereby declares that the
purpose of this title [enacting this chapter and repeal-
ing sections 901 to 910 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade]
is to cope with the conditions referred to in the fore-
going subsection, and that it is not the purpose of this
title [enacting this chapter and repealing sections 901
to 910 of Title 15] to place any undue or unnecessary
Federal restrictions or burdens on law-abiding citizens
with respect to the acquisition, possession, or use of
firearms appropriate to the purpose of hunting, trap
shooting, target shooting, personal protection, or any
other lawful activity, and that this title [enacting this
chapter and repealing sections 901 to 910 of Title 15] is
not intended to discourage or eliminate the private
ownership or use of firearms by law-abiding citizens for
lawful purposes, or provide for the imposition by Fed-
eral regulations of any procedures or requirements
other than those reasonably necessary to implement
and effectuate the provisions of this title [enacting this
chapter and repealing sections 901 to 910 of Title 15].’’
ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT
Pub. L. 90–618, title I, § 103, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1226,
as amended by Pub. L. 107–296, title XI, § 1112(s), Nov.
25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2279, provided that: ‘‘The administra-
tion and enforcement of the amendment made by this
title [amending this chapter] shall be vested in the At-
torney General.’’
Pub. L. 90–351, title IV, § 903, June 19, 1968, 82 Stat.
234, provided that: ‘‘The administration and enforce-
ment of the amendment made by this title [enacting
this chapter and provisions set out as notes under this
section] shall be vested in the Secretary of the Treas-
ury [now Attorney General].’’
MODIFICATION OF OTHER LAWS
Pub. L. 90–618, title I, § 104, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1226,
as amended by Pub. L. 99–514, § 2, Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat.
2095, provided that: ‘‘Nothing in this title or the
amendment made thereby [amending this chapter]
shall be construed as modifying or affecting any provi-
sion of—
‘‘(a) the National Firearms Act (chapter 53 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986) [section 5801 et seq. of
Title 26, Internal Revenue Code];
‘‘(b) section 414 of the Mutual Security Act of 1954
(22 U.S.C. 1934), as amended, relating to munitions
control; or
‘‘(c) section 1715 of title 18, United States Code, re-
lating to nonmailable firearms.’’
Pub. L. 90–351, title IV, § 904, June 19, 1968, 82 Stat.
234, as amended by Pub. L. 99–514, § 2, Oct. 22, 1986, 100
Stat. 2095, provided that: ‘‘Nothing in this title or
amendment made thereby [enacting this chapter and
provisions set out as notes under this section] shall be
construed as modifying or affecting any provision of—
‘‘(a) the National Firearms Act (chapter 53 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986) [section 5801 et seq. of
Title 26, Internal Revenue Code]; or
‘‘(b) section 414 of the Mutual Security Act of 1954
(22 U.S.C. 1934), as amended, relating to munitions
control; or
‘‘(c) section 1715 of title 18, United States Code, re-
lating to nonmailable firearms.’’
DEFINITION OF ‘‘HANDGUN’’
Pub. L. 99–408, § 10, Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 922, pro-
vided that: ‘‘For purposes of section 921(a)(17)(B) of
title 18, United States Code, as added by the first sec-
tion of this Act, ‘handgun’ means any firearm including
a pistol or revolver designed to be fired by the use of
a single hand. The term also includes any combination
of parts from which a handgun can be assembled.’’
Executive Documents
EX. ORD. NO. 14092. REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE AND
MAKING OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER
Ex. Ord. No. 14092, Mar. 14, 2023, 88 F.R. 16527, pro-
vided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, I hereby order as follows:
SECTION
1. Policy. Every few days in the United
States, we mourn a new mass shooting. Daily acts of
gun violence—including community violence, domestic
violence, suicide, and accidental shootings—may not
always make the evening news, but they too cut lives
short and leave survivors and their communities with
long-lasting physical and mental wounds. We cannot
accept these facts as the enduring reality of life in
America. Instead, we must together insist that we have
had enough, and that we will no longer allow the inter-
ests of the gun manufacturers to win out over the safe-
ty of our children and Nation.
It is the policy of my Administration that executive
departments and agencies (agencies) will pursue every
legally available and appropriate action to reduce gun
violence. Through this whole-of-government approach,
my Administration has made historic progress to save
lives. My Administration has taken action to keep guns
out of dangerous hands and especially dangerous weap-
ons off of our streets; hold gun traffickers and rogue
gun dealers accountable; fund accountable, effective
community policing; and invest in community violence
interventions and prevention strategies.
Last year, I signed into law the Bipartisan Safer
Communities Act [Pub. L. 117–159, see Tables for classi-
fication] (the ‘‘Act’’), the most significant bipartisan
gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years. The Act pro-
vides communities with new tools to combat gun vio-
lence, including enhanced gun background checks for
individuals under age 21, funding for extreme risk pro-
tection orders and other crisis interventions, and in-
creased mental health resources to help children im-
pacted by gun violence heal from the resulting grief
and trauma.
I continue to call on the Congress to take additional
action to reduce gun violence, including by banning as-
sault weapons and high-capacity magazines, requiring
background checks for all gun sales, requiring safe
storage of firearms, funding my comprehensive Safer
America Plan, and expanding community violence
intervention and prevention strategies. In the mean-
time, my Administration will continue to do all that
we can, within existing authority, to make our commu-
nities safer.
SEC. 2. Implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Commu-
nities Act. The Attorney General, the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Edu-
cation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall
each submit a report to the President within 60 days of
the date of this order [Mar. 14, 2023] describing what ac-
tions their respective agencies have taken to imple-
ment the Act, data and analysis regarding the use and
early effects of the Act, and additional steps their re-
spective agencies will take to maximize the benefits of
the Act. These reports shall include a plan for increas-
ing public awareness and use of resources made avail-
able by the Act.
SEC. 3. Additional Agency Actions to Reduce Gun Vio-
lence. (a) The Attorney General shall develop and im-
plement a plan to:
(i) clarify the definition of who is engaged in the busi-
ness of dealing in firearms, and thus required to be-
come Federal firearms licensees (FFLs), in order to in-
crease compliance with the Federal background check
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requirement for firearm sales, including by considering
a rulemaking, as appropriate and consistent with appli-
cable law;
(ii) prevent former FFLs whose licenses have been re-
voked or surrendered from continuing to engage in the
business of dealing in firearms;
(iii) publicly release, to the fullest extent permissible
by law, inspection reports of FFL dealers cited for vio-
lations of the law; and
(iv) support efforts to modernize and make perma-
nent the Undetectable Firearms Act [of 1988] ([enact-
ing] 18 U.S.C. 922(p)).
(b) The Secretary of Defense; the Attorney General;
the Secretary of Homeland Security; the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, including through the Sur-
geon General of the United States; the Secretary of
Education; and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
expand existing Federal campaigns and other efforts to
promote safe storage of firearms.
(c) The Secretary of Defense; the Attorney General;
the Secretary of Homeland Security; the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, including through the Sur-
geon General of the United States; and the Secretary of
Education shall undertake efforts to encourage effec-
tive use of extreme risk protection orders (‘‘red flag’’
laws), partnering with law enforcement, health care
providers, educators, and other community leaders.
(d) The Attorney General; the Secretary of Health
and Human Services, including through the Surgeon
General of the United States; the Secretary of Edu-
cation; the Secretary of Homeland Security; the Direc-
tor of the Office of Management and Budget; and the
heads of other agencies, as appropriate, shall develop a
proposal for the President, and submit it no later than
September 15, 2023, on how the Federal Government can
better support the recovery, mental health, and other
needs of survivors of gun violence, families of victims
and survivors of gun violence, first responders to inci-
dents of gun violence, and communities affected by gun
violence. The proposal should draw on existing evi-
dence, where available, and take into account how to
address needs in both the immediate aftermath of mass
shootings and in the years following such events. The
proposal should recommend any additional executive
branch coordination and additional resources or au-
thorities from the Congress needed to implement the
proposal, as well as how agencies will assess the out-
comes for the activities implemented.
(e) The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the
Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity, shall develop and implement principles to further
firearm and public safety practices through the Depart-
ment of Defense’s acquisition of firearms, consistent
with applicable law.
(f) The heads of Federal law enforcement agencies
shall, as soon as practicable, but no later than 180 days
from the date of this order, ensure that their respective
law enforcement components issue National Integrated
Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) submission and
utilization policies with requirements that are equiva-
lent to, or exceed, the requirements of the policy issued
by the Department of Justice on December 12, 2022, to
ensure the prompt entry of ballistics data recovered in
connection with criminal investigations into NIBIN. In
consultation with the Department of Justice, the De-
partment of Defense policies may be tailored to address
specific operational considerations.
(g) The Secretary of Transportation, in consultation
with the Department of Justice, shall work to reduce
the loss or theft of firearms during shipment between
FFLs and to improve reporting of such losses or thefts,
including by engaging with carriers and shippers.
(h) The Federal Trade Commission is encouraged to
issue a public report analyzing how gun manufacturers
market firearms to minors and how such manufactur-
ers market firearms to civilians, including through the
use of military imagery.
SEC. 4. Definitions. For purposes of this order, the
term ‘‘Federal law enforcement agency’’ means an or-
ganizational unit or subunit of the executive branch
that employs officers who are authorized to make ar-
rests and carry firearms, and that is responsible for the
prevention, detection, and investigation of crime or the
apprehension of alleged offenders. The term ‘‘heads of
Federal law enforcement agencies’’ means the heads of
those units or subunits.
SEC. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive de-
partment or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Man-
agement and Budget relating to budgetary, administra-
tive, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of appro-
priations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create
any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforce-
able at law or in equity by any party against the
United States, its departments, agencies, or entities,
its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
J.R. BIDEN, JR.
EX. ORD. NO. 14127. COMBATING EMERGING FIREARMS
THREATS
AND
IMPROVING
SCHOOL-BASED
ACTIVE-
SHOOTER DRILLS
Ex. Ord. No. 14127, Sept. 26, 2024, 89 F.R. 80345, pro-
vided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
SECTION 1. Policy. During 2020, the last year of the
prior administration, homicides in the Nation in-
creased nearly 30 percent over the previous year—the
largest 1-year increase in murders ever recorded. After
that, the Vice President and I took action to reduce
gun crime and other forms of violent crime. By the
middle of 2022, we had already taken more executive ac-
tion to reduce gun violence than any other administra-
tion at that point in time. On June 25, 2022, I signed
into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (Public
Law 117–159)—the most significant new gun violence
prevention law in nearly 30 years. Rates of homicide in
the United States are falling at one of the fastest rates
ever recorded. Year-over-year comparison shows that
2023 had one of the largest declines in the homicide rate
in recent history. This life-saving progress has contin-
ued in 2024. While we have made great progress, much
more work remains to be done to reduce gun violence
and save lives.
It is the policy of my Administration to coordinate
across executive departments and agencies (agencies)
to reduce gun violence and save lives. This order di-
rects enhanced coordination for two key challenges:
combating emerging firearms threats and under-
standing and improving school-based active-shooter
drills.
One way to continue the progress on reducing gun vi-
olence is to stay ahead of emerging violent crime
threats involving firearms. My Administration has al-
ways taken these threats seriously. In April 2021, one of
my Administration’s first executive actions to reduce
gun violence was directed at stopping the proliferation
of firearms without serial numbers, often referred to as
‘‘ghost guns.’’ To expand these efforts, the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) of
the Department of Justice established an Emerging
Threats Center, which focuses ATF’s resources on iden-
tifying developments in illicit firearm marketplaces,
including the use of new technologies to make and un-
lawfully distribute undetectable firearms and devices
that convert semiautomatic firearms into illegal ma-
chineguns. The Vice President and I strongly disagreed
with the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down an
important gun safety regulation on bump stocks—the
device used in the shooting at a crowded music festival
in Las Vegas—and called on the Congress to clarify
that this dangerous accessory is a machinegun.
The Court’s decision addressing bump stocks did not
alter the statutory prohibition on machinegun conver-
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sion devices, which are prohibited for non-govern-
mental possession even when not installed on a fire-
arm. The threat posed by the continued proliferation of
these devices is particularly acute. These devices en-
able semiautomatic firearms, including easily conceal-
able handguns, to match or exceed the rate of fire of
many military machineguns with a single engagement
of the trigger—up to 20 bullets in one second and 1,200
rounds in one minute. From 2017 through 2021, ATF re-
covered 5,454 of these devices—a 570 percent increase
over the previous 5-year period. These devices are often
illegally imported or illegally made on a 3D printer.
Unserialized, 3D printed firearms—which can be used
for illicit purposes such as gun trafficking, possession
by people convicted of felonies or subject to domestic
violence restraining orders, or unlawful engagement in
the business of manufacturing or selling firearms—are
another emerging threat. These firearms can be 3D
printed from computer code downloaded from the inter-
net and produced without serial numbers, which law
enforcement uses to trace firearms recovered in crimi-
nal investigations. Some 3D printed firearms can be
rendered undetectable by magnetometers used to se-
cure airports, courthouses, and certain events. 3D
printing technology is developing quickly, which can
cause the safety threat of 3D printed firearms to sud-
denly increase.
In addition to the threat of domestic crime, these
emerging firearms threats pose a significant risk to the
national security and foreign policy interests of the
United States. Many foreign countries have heavily
regulated automatic weapons and 3D printed and
undetectable firearms. The wide availability of these
emerging firearms threats would undermine other na-
tions’ gun laws and the safety and security of our al-
lies. Technical data and software for 3D printed fire-
arms and machinegun conversion devices can be used
by international gangs, criminals, and terrorists in a
manner contrary to United States national security
and foreign policy interests.
Multiple agencies have the authority to help stop the
proliferation of these emerging threats, and it is the
policy of the United States to work collectively across
agencies to identify threats, engage in information
sharing, and work together to develop and implement
effective strategies to combat these threats. Authori-
ties that can address emerging firearms threats extend
beyond the Gun Control Act [of 1968] (Public Law
90–618) and the National Firearms Act (Public Law
73–474) [see 26 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.]. Focused and en-
hanced coordination is needed to ensure a unified and
robust strategy for enforcing existing legal authorities
and using every available tool and resource. This inter-
agency effort will build on the life-saving work that
has occurred to date to stop the proliferation of ma-
chinegun conversion devices, including the ongoing ef-
forts at the Department of Justice and ATF.
My Administration also has invested significant re-
sources in school safety and has taken steps to keeps
[sic] firearms out of schools. These steps have focused
on preventing unauthorized access to firearms for
youth and individuals in crisis; supporting schools that
are implementing evidence-based safety and gun-vio-
lence prevention and intervention solutions; and ad-
dressing the mental health needs of students, particu-
larly those impacted by gun violence.
Keeping students and educators, including teachers
and other school personnel, safe from gun violence in
their schools is a top priority for my Administration,
but there is more to do to make our schools safer.
Since the mass shooting at Columbine High School in
Colorado in 1999, according to one analysis, there have
been more than 400 school shootings that exposed more
than 375,000 students to gun violence. Exposure to
school shootings takes a terrible toll on students and
educators. A nationally representative study found
that 51 percent of 14- to 17-year-olds in the United
States worry about school shootings.
The majority of States require schools to conduct ac-
tive-shooter drills for students and educators. About 95
percent of K–12 public schools in the United States con-
duct lockdown drills, which include drills to prepare for
an active-shooter situation. These drills vary widely in
their approach, and many parents, students, and edu-
cators have expressed concerns over the effectiveness of
and trauma caused by some approaches to these drills.
Despite their ubiquity, there is very limited research
on how to design and deploy these drills to maximize
their effectiveness and minimize any collateral harms
they might cause. While additional research is ongoing,
it is difficult to conclusively determine which specific
practices are most effective in preparing schools for ac-
tive-shooter incidents, preventing injuries and fatali-
ties, and minimizing any associated psychological im-
pacts or traumas. The Department of Justice, the De-
partment of Health and Human Services, the Depart-
ment of Education, and the Department of Homeland
Security continue to work together on a range of
school safety issues, including the beginnings of re-
search into these important questions. It is time for
these agencies to extend their efforts to help schools
better design and conduct effective and age- and devel-
opmentally appropriate active-shooter drills.
SEC. 2. Definitions. For purposes of this order:
(a) The term ‘‘machinegun’’ has the meaning given by
18 U.S.C. 921(a)(24) and 26 U.S.C. 5845(b), and includes a
‘‘machinegun conversion device,’’ which is any part de-
signed and intended solely and exclusively, or combina-
tion of parts designed and intended, for use in con-
verting a weapon into a machinegun.
(b) The term ‘‘undetectable firearm’’ means a firearm
as proscribed by 18 U.S.C. 922(p).
(c) The term ‘‘3D printing’’ refers to the additive
manufacturing process, during which producers trans-
mit digital designs to 3D printers. The computerized
design guides the fabrication of products, building
them up layer by layer rather than cutting away from
a large block of existing material as in most tradi-
tional manufacturing. This term includes additive
manufacturing technology used to produce a firearm,
firearm frame or receiver, or machinegun conversion
device.
SEC. 3. Combating Emerging Firearms Threats. (a) There
is hereby established an interagency Emerging Fire-
arms Threats Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force
shall be chaired by the Director of the Office of Gun Vi-
olence Prevention. In addition to the Chair, the Task
Force shall consist of the following members:
(i) the Secretary of State;
(ii) the Attorney General;
(iii) the Secretary of Commerce;
(iv) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
(v) the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget;
(vi) the Director of the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy;
(vii) the Assistant to the President and Homeland Se-
curity Advisor;
(viii) the Counsel to the President;
(ix) the Assistant to the President and Director of the
Domestic Policy Council;
(x) the Deputy Assistant to the President and Domes-
tic Policy Advisor to the Vice President; and
(xi) the heads of such other agencies and offices as
the Chair may from time to time invite to participate.
(b) Within 90 days of the date of this order [Sept. 26,
2024], the Task Force shall submit to the President,
through the Director of the Office of Gun Violence Pre-
vention, a report containing a risk assessment and
strategy to stop the proliferation of machinegun con-
version devices, with a particular emphasis on the de-
vices used to convert a standard, semiautomatic fire-
arm to a machinegun. The risk assessment and strat-
egy shall include:
(i) information regarding the use, recovery, origins,
and distribution channels of machinegun conversion
devices, including:
(A) the software or technology used for 3D printing
machinegun conversion devices; and
(B) the origins of machinegun conversion devices
that are seized at ports of entry, illegally imported
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TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 921
into the United States, or otherwise recovered by law
enforcement agencies in the United States;
(ii) an assessment of existing applicable legal au-
thorities of the agencies represented on the Task Force
and other agencies identified at the direction of the
Chair to regulate software or technology used to make
machinegun conversion devices, which shall include a
review of export and import laws;
(iii) an assessment of the technological and legal fea-
sibility of 3D printing companies designing 3D printers
that block the functional capacities of software that
can 3D print machinegun conversion devices;
(iv) an assessment of the operational capabilities and
legal authorities of agencies to detect, intercept, and
seize machinegun conversion devices that are illegally
imported or illegally produced domestically, including
through 3D printing;
(v) an interagency plan for expanding U.S. Customs
and Border Protection initiatives with Federal, State,
Tribal, and local law enforcement to stop the flow into
the United States of machinegun conversion devices;
(vi) an interagency plan for seizing as criminal in-
strumentalities 3D printers that are acquired for the
purpose of illegally making machinegun conversion de-
vices and recommendations for additional administra-
tive actions necessary to facilitate such seizure;
(vii) an interagency plan for expanding partnerships
with State, Tribal, and local law enforcement for Fed-
eral training on identifying machinegun conversion de-
vices, tracing the firearms to which they were at-
tached, and submitting seizure data to ATF;
(viii) an interagency plan—with input from 3D data
providers, technology companies, and civil society—for
voluntary, regulatory, and international mechanisms
to limit the availability on the internet of files used for
the purpose of unlawfully producing machinegun con-
version devices;
(ix) an interagency plan for effective coordination to
limit the illegal export and import of software or tech-
nology on the internet that can be readily used to 3D
print machinegun conversion devices; and
(x) recommendations for any additional authorities
or funding agencies need from the Congress to more ef-
fectively address the proliferation of machinegun con-
version devices.
(c) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Task
Force shall submit to the President, through the Direc-
tor of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, a report
containing a risk assessment and strategy to address
the emerging threat related to 3D printed firearms, in-
cluding unserialized or undetectable 3D printed fire-
arms. The risk assessment and strategy shall include:
(i) information regarding the usage, recovery, ori-
gins,
and
distribution
channels
of
3D
printed
unserialized firearms and 3D printed undetectable fire-
arms, including the software or technology used for 3D
printing unserialized firearms or undetectable fire-
arms;
(ii) an assessment of how 3D printing of firearms can
facilitate violation of the Undetectable Firearms Act
[of 1988, Pub. L. 100–649] (18 U.S.C. 922(p));
(iii) an assessment of existing authorities, including
export and import laws, that regulate software or tech-
nology used for 3D printing firearms, including
undetectable firearms;
(iv) an assessment of the technological feasibility of
3D printers proactively blocking the functional capac-
ities of software used to 3D print undetectable fire-
arms;
(v) an interagency plan for seizing as criminal instru-
mentalities 3D printers acquired for the purpose of ille-
gally producing or dealing in firearms, including
unserialized or undetectable firearms, or for the pur-
pose of producing firearms for criminal purposes, and
recommendations for additional administrative actions
that may be necessary to facilitate such seizures;
(vi) an interagency plan for effective coordination be-
tween the Department of Justice and the Department
of Commerce to limit the illegal export or import of
software or technology on the internet that can be
readily used to illegally 3D print firearms, including
unserialized or undetectable firearms;
(vii) an interagency plan for expanding partnerships
with Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement
to
train
them
on
identifying
undetectable
or
unserialized firearms made with 3D printing software
or technology and reporting recoveries of such firearms
to ATF; and
(viii) recommendations for any additional authorities
or funding the agencies need from the Congress to more
effectively address the problem of 3D printed firearms,
including unserialized or undetectable firearms.
(d) The Task Force shall be responsible for inter-
agency coordination necessary to facilitate agencies’
implementation of the recommendations and strategies
in the reports described in subsections (b) and (c) of
this section.
(e) At the direction of the Chair, the Task Force may
coordinate interagency efforts to address additional
emerging firearms threats.
SEC. 4. Understanding and Improving School-Based Ac-
tive-Shooter Drills. (a) Within 110 days of the date of this
order, the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of
Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney
General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
and the Surgeon General, shall develop and publish in-
formation about school-based active-shooter drills for
schools, including institutions of higher education, and
for State, Tribal, and local educational agencies. Such
information shall include:
(i) a summary of existing research and recommenda-
tions on active-shooter drills, including information
on:
(A) how educators can collaborate within schools—
as well as with families; communities; State, Tribal,
and local law enforcement; and other emergency re-
sponse officials—to implement drills that effectively
prepare a response to school-based active-shooter sit-
uations, including by accounting for the particular
needs of educators and students with disabilities;
sharing evidence-informed age- and developmentally
appropriate practices, such as those that prevent or
limit trauma and psychological harm to those par-
ticipating in drills; and facilitating effective and
timely communication with students, educators, first
responders, family members, and other relevant
stakeholders; and
(B) how schools must comply with Federal civil
rights laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of
race, color, national origin, sex, and disability when
creating, implementing, and evaluating active-shoot-
er drills, including by effectively serving educators
and students with disabilities as well as ensuring
that communications with educators and students
consider their language-related needs (e.g., commu-
nicating in a manner and language that educators
and students are able to understand); and
(ii) resources on school-based active-shooter drills,
including information on:
(A) the types of drills that may be appropriate to
prepare students and educators for school-based ac-
tive-shooter situations; and
(B) how to create, implement, and evaluate evi-
dence-informed, effective, and age- and develop-
mentally appropriate school-based drills, including:
(1) how best to engage with students, family
members, educators, law enforcement, and other
relevant stakeholders on the process for creating,
implementing, and evaluating these drills;
(2) how best to communicate with students, fam-
ily members, educators, and other relevant stake-
holders before, during, and after the drill, including
through the use of notification plans for students,
educators, parents, and other parties;
(3) how to prevent or limit trauma or psycho-
logical distress associated with active-shooter
drills and support students and educators who may
experience such trauma or psychological distress;
and
(4) how best to serve people with disabilities and
those with unique language-related needs.
Page 229
TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 922
(b) Within 110 days of the date of this order, the Sec-
retary of Education and the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity, in coordination with the Attorney General, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Sur-
geon General, shall develop and publish information on
recommended areas for future research that can help
inform policymakers, educators, students, parents, and
other relevant stakeholders about different types of
school-based active-shooter drills, the appropriate fre-
quency of such drills, and the effects of such drills on
students and educators. This information shall include
potential funding sources that could help advance re-
search on, and inform improvements to, active-shooter
drills.
SEC. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive de-
partment or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Man-
agement and Budget relating to budgetary, administra-
tive, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of appro-
priations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create
any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforce-
able at law or in equity by any party against the
United States, its departments, agencies, or entities,
its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
J.R. BIDEN, JR.
§ 922. Unlawful acts
(a) It shall be unlawful—
(1) for any person—
(A) except a licensed importer, licensed
manufacturer, or licensed dealer, to engage
in the business of importing, manufacturing,
or dealing in firearms, or in the course of
such business to ship, transport, or receive
any firearm in interstate or foreign com-
merce; or
(B) except a licensed importer or licensed
manufacturer, to engage in the business of
importing or manufacturing ammunition, or
in the course of such business, to ship, trans-
port, or receive any ammunition in inter-
state or foreign commerce;
(2) for any importer, manufacturer, dealer,
or collector licensed under the provisions of
this chapter to ship or transport in interstate
or foreign commerce any firearm to any per-
son other than a licensed importer, licensed
manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed col-
lector, except that—
(A) this paragraph and subsection (b)(3)
shall not be held to preclude a licensed im-
porter, licensed manufacturer, licensed deal-
er, or licensed collector from returning a
firearm or replacement firearm of the same
kind and type to a person from whom it was
received; and this paragraph shall not be
held to preclude an individual from mailing
a firearm owned in compliance with Federal,
State, and local law to a licensed importer,
licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or li-
censed collector;
(B) this paragraph shall not be held to pre-
clude a licensed importer, licensed manufac-
turer, or licensed dealer from depositing a
firearm for conveyance in the mails to any
officer, employee, agent, or watchman who,
pursuant to the provisions of section 1715 of
this title, is eligible to receive through the
mails pistols, revolvers, and other firearms
capable of being concealed on the person, for
use in connection with his official duty; and
(C) nothing in this paragraph shall be con-
strued as applying in any manner in the Dis-
trict of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, or any possession of the United
States differently than it would apply if the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, or the possession were in fact a
State of the United States;
(3) for any person, other than a licensed im-
porter, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer,
or licensed collector to transport into or re-
ceive in the State where he resides (or if the
person is a corporation or other business enti-
ty, the State where it maintains a place of
business) any firearm purchased or otherwise
obtained by such person outside that State,
except that this paragraph (A) shall not pre-
clude any person who lawfully acquires a fire-
arm by bequest or intestate succession in a
State other than his State of residence from
transporting the firearm into or receiving it in
that State, if it is lawful for such person to
purchase or possess such firearm in that State,
(B) shall not apply to the transportation or re-
ceipt of a firearm obtained in conformity with
subsection (b)(3) of this section, and (C) shall
not apply to the transportation of any firearm
acquired in any State prior to the effective
date of this chapter;
(4) for any person, other than a licensed im-
porter, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer,
or licensed collector, to transport in inter-
state or foreign commerce any destructive de-
vice, machinegun (as defined in section 5845 of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), short-bar-
reled shotgun, or short-barreled rifle, except
as specifically authorized by the Attorney
General consistent with public safety and ne-
cessity;
(5) for any person (other than a licensed im-
porter, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer,
or licensed collector) to transfer, sell, trade,
give, transport, or deliver any firearm to any
person (other than a licensed importer, li-
censed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or li-
censed collector) who the transferor knows or
has reasonable cause to believe does not reside
in (or if the person is a corporation or other
business entity, does not maintain a place of
business in) the State in which the transferor
resides; except that this paragraph shall not
apply to (A) the transfer, transportation, or
delivery of a firearm made to carry out a be-
quest of a firearm to, or an acquisition by in-
testate succession of a firearm by, a person
who is permitted to acquire or possess a fire-
arm under the laws of the State of his resi-
dence, and (B) the loan or rental of a firearm
to any person for temporary use for lawful
sporting purposes;
(6) for any person in connection with the ac-
quisition or attempted acquisition of any fire-
arm or ammunition from a licensed importer,
licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or li-
censed collector, knowingly to make any false
or fictitious oral or written statement or to
furnish or exhibit any false, fictitious, or mis-
represented identification, intended or likely
Cross-references
Connections may be documented source relationships, shared citations or nearby passages. Each explains its basis; a connection alone does not establish applicability to your situation.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** As used in this chapter—
(1) The term “person” and the term “whoever” include any individual, corporation, company, association, firm, partnership, society, or joint stock company.
(2) The term “interstate or foreign commerce” includes commerce between any place in a State and any place outside of that State, or within any possession of the United States (not including the Canal Zone) or the District of Columbia, but such term does not include commerce between places within the same State but through any place outside of that State. The term “State” includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the possessions of the United States (not including the Canal Zone).
(3) The term “firearm” means (A) any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive; (B) the frame or receiver of any such weapon; (C) any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; or (D) any destructive device. Such term does not include an antique firearm.
(4) The term “destructive device” means—
(A) any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas—
(i) bomb,
(ii) grenade,
(iii) rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces,
(iv) missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce,
(v) mine, or
(vi) device similar to any of the devices described in the preceding clauses;
(B) any type of weapon (other than a shotgun or a shotgun shell which the Attorney General finds is generally recognized as particularly suitable for sporting purposes) by whatever name known which will, or which may be readily converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an explosive or other propellant, and which has any barrel with a bore of
**(a)** It shall be unlawful—
(1) for any person—
(A) except a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer, to engage in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms, or in the course of such business to ship, transport, or receive any firearm in interstate or foreign commerce; or
(B) except a licensed importer or licensed manufacturer, to engage in the business of importing or manufacturing ammunition, or in the course of such business, to ship, transport, or receive any ammunition in interstate or foreign commerce;
(2) for any importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector licensed under the provisions of this chapter to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce any firearm to any person other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector, except that—
(A) this paragraph and subsection (b)(3) shall not be held to preclude a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector from returning a firearm or replacement firearm of the same kind and type to a person from whom it was received; and this paragraph shall not be held to preclude an individual from mailing a firearm owned in compliance with Federal, State, and local law to a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector;
(B) this paragraph shall not be held to preclude a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer from depositing a firearm for conveyance in the mails to any officer, employee, agent, or watchman who, pursuant to the provisions of [section 1715 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section1715&num=0&edition=prelim), is eligible to receive through the mails pistols, revolvers,
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. The source passage cites 18 U.S.C. § 922. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
§ 922. Unlawful acts
(a) It shall be unlawful—
(1) for any person—
(A) except a licensed importer, licensed
manufacturer, or licensed dealer, to engage
in the business of importing, manufacturing,
or dealing in firearms, or in the course of
such business to ship, transport, or receive
any firearm in interstate or foreign com-
merce; or
(B) except a licensed importer or licensed
manufacturer, to engage in the business of
importing or manufacturing ammunition, or
in the course of such business, to ship, trans-
port, or receive any ammunition in inter-
state or foreign commerce;
(2) for any importer, manufacturer, dealer,
or collector licensed under the provisions of
this chapter to ship or transport in interstate
or foreign commerce any firearm to any per-
son other than a licensed importer, licensed
manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed col-
lector, except that—
(A) this paragraph and subsection (b)(3)
shall not be held to preclude a licensed im-
porter, licensed manufacturer, licensed deal-
er, or licensed collector from returning a
firearm or replacement firearm of the same
kind and type to a person from whom it was
received; and this paragraph shall not be
held to preclude an individual from mailing
a firearm owned in compliance with Federal,
State, and local law to a licensed importer,
licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or li-
censed collector;
(B) this paragraph shall not be held to pre-
clude a licensed importer, licensed manufac-
turer, or licensed dealer from depositing a
firearm for conveyance in the mails to any
officer, employee, agent, or watchman who,
pursuant to the provisions of section 1715 of
this title, is eligible to receive through the
mails pistols, revolvers, and other firearms
capable of being concealed on th
Stored review status: historical_2024_not_currentness_verified. The source passage cites 18 U.S.C. § 922. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
### Statutory Notes
Section, acts Aug. 26, 1954, ch. 937, ch. II, § 414, 68 Stat. 848; June 30, 1958, Pub. L. 85–477, ch. II, § 205(k), 72 Stat. 267; Oct. 18, 1962, Pub. L. 87–845, § 5, 76A Stat. 698; Nov. 14, 1967, Pub. L. 90–137, pt. IV, § 403, 81 Stat. 463; Dec. 17, 1973, Pub. L. 93–189, § 27, 87 Stat. 732; Nov. 29, 1975, Pub. L. 94–141, title I, § 150(a), 89 Stat. 760, related to authority of President to control export and import of arms, ammunition, and implements of war.
#### Reference to Former Section 1934 of This Title Deemed Reference to Section 2778
Pub. L. 94–329, title II, § 212(b)(1), June 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 745, provided in part that: “Any reference to such section [this section] shall be deemed to be a reference to section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act [[section 2778 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title22-section2778&num=0&edition=prelim)] and any reference to licenses issued under section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act shall be deemed to include a reference to licenses issued under section 414 of the Mutual Security Act of 1954.”
#### Savings Provision
Pub. L. 94–329, title II, § 212(b)(2), June 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 745, provided that: “All determinations, authorizations, regulations, orders, contracts, agreements, and other actions issued, undertaken, or entered into under section 414 of the Mutual Security Act of 1954 [this section] shall continue in full force and effect until modified, revoked, or superseded by appropriate authority.”
#### Executive Order No. 11432
Ex. Ord. No. 11432, Oct. 22, 1968, 33 F.R. 15701, which amended section 301 of Ex. Ord. No. 10973, Nov. 6, 1961, 26 F.R. 10469, in regard to delegation of certain functions concerning arms control to the Department of the Treasury, wa
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. The source passage cites 22 U.S.C. § 1934. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
§ 1934.
Repealed.
Pub.
L.
94–329,
title
II,
§ 212(b)(1), June 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 745
Section, acts Aug. 26, 1954, ch. 937, ch. II, § 414, 68 Stat.
848; June 30, 1958, Pub. L. 85–477, ch. II, § 205(k), 72 Stat.
267; Oct. 18, 1962, Pub. L. 87–845, § 5, 76A Stat. 698; Nov.
14, 1967, Pub. L. 90–137, pt. IV, § 403, 81 Stat. 463; Dec. 17,
1973, Pub. L. 93–189, § 27, 87 Stat. 732; Nov. 29, 1975, Pub.
L. 94–141, title I, § 150(a), 89 Stat. 760, related to author-
ity of President to control export and import of arms,
ammunition, and implements of war.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
REFERENCE TO FORMER SECTION 1934 OF THIS TITLE
DEEMED REFERENCE TO SECTION 2778
Pub. L. 94–329, title II, § 212(b)(1), June 30, 1976, 90
Stat. 745, provided in part that: ‘‘Any reference to such
section [this section] shall be deemed to be a reference
to section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act [section
2778 of this title] and any reference to licenses issued
under section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act shall
be deemed to include a reference to licenses issued
under section 414 of the Mutual Security Act of 1954.’’
SAVINGS PROVISION
Pub. L. 94–329, title II, § 212(b)(2), June 30, 1976, 90
Stat. 745, provided that: ‘‘All determinations, author-
izations, regulations, orders, contracts, agreements,
and other actions issued, undertaken, or entered into
under section 414 of the Mutual Security Act of 1954
[this section] shall continue in full force and effect
until modified, revoked, or superseded by appropriate
authority.’’
Executive Documents
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 11432
Ex. Ord. No. 11432, Oct. 22, 1968, 33 F.R. 15701, which
amended section 301 of Ex. Ord. No. 10973, Nov. 6, 1961,
26 F.R. 10469, in regard to delegation of certain func-
tions concerning arms
Stored review status: historical_2024_not_currentness_verified. The source passage cites 22 U.S.C. § 1934. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) General rule** On 1st engaging in business and thereafter on or before July 1 of each year, every importer, manufacturer, and dealer in firearms shall pay a special (occupational) tax for each place of business at the following rates:
(1) Importers and manufacturers: $1,000 a year or fraction thereof.
(2) Dealers: $500 a year or fraction thereof.
**(b) Reduced rates of tax for small importers and manufacturers**
(1) **In general** — Paragraph (1) of subsection (a) shall be applied by substituting “$500” for “$1,000” with respect to any taxpayer the gross receipts of which (for the most recent taxable year ending before the 1st day of the taxable period to which the tax imposed by subsection (a) relates) are less than $500,000.
(2) **Controlled group rules** — All persons treated as 1 taxpayer under section 5061(e)(3) shall be treated as 1 taxpayer for purposes of paragraph (1).
(3) **Certain rules to apply** — For purposes of paragraph (1), rules similar to the rules of subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 448(c)(3) shall apply.
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. The source passage cites 26 U.S.C. § 5801. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
§ 5801. Imposition of tax
(a) General rule
On 1st engaging in business and thereafter on
or before July 1 of each year, every importer,
manufacturer, and dealer in firearms shall pay a
special (occupational) tax for each place of busi-
ness at the following rates:
(1) Importers and manufacturers: $1,000 a
year or fraction thereof.
(2) Dealers: $500 a year or fraction thereof.
(b) Reduced rates of tax for small importers and
manufacturers
(1) In general
Paragraph (1) of subsection (a) shall be ap-
plied by substituting ‘‘$500’’ for ‘‘$1,000’’ with
respect to any taxpayer the gross receipts of
which (for the most recent taxable year ending
before the 1st day of the taxable period to
which the tax imposed by subsection (a) re-
lates) are less than $500,000.
(2) Controlled group rules
All persons treated as 1 taxpayer under sec-
tion 5061(e)(3) shall be treated as 1 taxpayer
for purposes of paragraph (1).
(3) Certain rules to apply
For purposes of paragraph (1), rules similar
to the rules of subparagraphs (B) and (C) of
section 448(c)(3) shall apply.
(Added Pub. L. 90–618, title II, § 201, Oct. 22, 1968,
82 Stat. 1227; amended Pub. L. 100–203, title X,
§ 10512(g)(1), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–449.)
Editorial Notes
PRIOR PROVISIONS
A prior section 5801, acts Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A
Stat. 721; Sept. 2, 1958, Pub. L. 85–859, title II, § 203(a),
72 Stat. 1427; June 1, 1960, Pub. L. 86–478, § 1, 74 Stat. 149,
consisted of provisions similar to those comprising this
section, prior to the general revision of this chapter by
Pub. L. 90–618.
AMENDMENTS
1987—Pub. L. 100–203 substituted ‘‘Imposition of tax’’
for ‘‘Tax’’ in section catchline and amended text gen-
erally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘On
first engaging in busin
Stored review status: historical_2024_not_currentness_verified. The source passage cites 26 U.S.C. § 5801. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
For the purpose of this chapter—
**(a) Firearm** The term “firearm” means (1) a shotgun having a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length; (2) a weapon made from a shotgun if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length; (3) a rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length; (4) a weapon made from a rifle if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length; (5) any other weapon, as defined in subsection (e); (6) a machinegun; (7) any silencer (as defined in [section 921 of title 18](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section921&num=0&edition=prelim), United States Code); and (8) a destructive device. The term “firearm” shall not include an antique firearm or any device (other than a machinegun or destructive device) which, although designed as a weapon, the Secretary finds by reason of the date of its manufacture, value, design, and other characteristics is primarily a collector’s item and is not likely to be used as a weapon.
**(b) Machinegun** The term “machinegun” means any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The term shall also include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun, and any combination of parts from which a machinegun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.
**(c) Rifle** The term “rifle” means a weapon de
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. The source passage cites 26 U.S.C. § 5845. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
§ 5845. Definitions
For the purpose of this chapter—
(a) Firearm
The term ‘‘firearm’’ means (1) a shotgun hav-
ing a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in
length; (2) a weapon made from a shotgun if such
weapon as modified has an overall length of less
than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than
18 inches in length; (3) a rifle having a barrel or
barrels of less than 16 inches in length; (4) a
weapon made from a rifle if such weapon as
modified has an overall length of less than 26
inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 16
inches in length; (5) any other weapon, as de-
fined in subsection (e); (6) a machinegun; (7) any
silencer (as defined in section 921 of title 18,
United States Code); and (8) a destructive de-
vice. The term ‘‘firearm’’ shall not include an
antique firearm or any device (other than a ma-
chinegun or destructive device) which, although
designed as a weapon, the Secretary finds by
reason of the date of its manufacture, value, de-
sign, and other characteristics is primarily a
collector’s item and is not likely to be used as
a weapon.
(b) Machinegun
The term ‘‘machinegun’’ means any weapon
which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be
readily restored to shoot, automatically more
than one shot, without manual reloading, by a
single function of the trigger. The term shall
also include the frame or receiver of any such
weapon, any part designed and intended solely
and exclusively, or combination of parts de-
signed and intended, for use in converting a
weapon into a machinegun, and any combina-
tion of parts from which a machinegun can be
assembled if such parts are in the possession or
under the control of a person.
(c) Rifle
The term ‘‘rifle’’ means a weapon designed or
redesigned, made or remade, and i
Stored review status: historical_2024_not_currentness_verified. The source passage cites 26 U.S.C. § 5845. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In general** Not later than 1 year after March 23, 2018, the Attorney General, in coordination with the States and Indian tribal governments, shall establish, for each State or Indian tribal government, a plan to ensure maximum coordination and automation of the reporting or making available of appropriate records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System established under [section 40901 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title34-section40901&num=0&edition=prelim) and the verification of the accuracy of those records during a 4-year period specified in the plan. The records shall be limited to those of an individual described in subsection (g) or (n) of [section 922 of title 18](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section922&num=0&edition=prelim) 11 So in original. Probably should be followed by a period.
**(b) Benchmark requirements** Each plan established under this section shall include annual benchmarks to enable the Attorney General to assess the implementation of the plan, including—
(1) qualitative goals and quantitative measures; and
(2) a needs assessment, including estimated compliance costs.
**(c) Compliance determination** Not later than the end of each fiscal year beginning after the date of the establishment of an implementation plan under this section, the Attorney General shall determine whether each State or Indian tribal government has achieved substantial compliance with the benchmarks included in the plan.
**(d) Accountability** The Attorney General—
(1) shall disclose and publish, including on the website of the Department of Justice—
(A) the name of each State or Indian tribal government that received a determination of failure to achieve substan
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. The source passage cites 34 U.S.C. § 40901. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.