Federal Firearms Act of 1938
{{Infobox U.S. legislation
| shorttitle = Federal Firearms Act of 1938
| othershorttitles =
| longtitle = An Act to regulate commerce in firearms.
| colloquialacronym = FFA
| nickname = Federal Firearms Act
| enacted by = 75th
| effective date = June 30, 1938
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| cite public law = {{USPL|75|785}}
| cite statutes at large = {{USStat|52|1250}}
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| introducedin = Senate
| introducedbill = {{USBill|75|S.|3}}
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| signedpresident = Franklin D. Roosevelt
| signeddate = June 30, 1938
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The Federal Firearms Act of 1938 (FFA) imposed a federal license requirement on gun manufacturers, importers, and persons in the business of selling firearms. The term federal firearms licensee (FFL) is used to refer to those on whom the license requirement is imposed.{{cite web |url=http://smartgunlaws.org/key-federal-acts-regulating-guns/ |title=Key Congressional Acts Related to Firearms |author= |date=May 21, 2012 |website=smartgunlaws.org |publisher=Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence |accessdate=July 6, 2014 }} The "FFL" abbreviation is also used to refer to the license itself.{{cite web |url=https://www.atf.gov/firearms/how-to/become-an-ffl.html |title=ATF:How to Become a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) |author= |year=2014 |website=atf.gov |publisher=U.S. Department of Justice |accessdate=July 6, 2014 }}
In addition to the licensing component of the FFA, the law required licensees to maintain customer records, and it made illegal the transfer of firearms to certain classes of persons, such as convicted felons. These classes of persons are commonly referred to as "prohibited persons". The circumstances resulting in the prohibition (such as a felony conviction) are often referred to as "disabilities". The FFA was repealed by the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), though many of its provisions were reenacted as part of the GCA, which revised the FFA and its predecessor, the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA).
The FFA was enforced by the Alcohol Tax Unit, one of the precursors of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.{{cite web |url=http://www.atf.gov/content/1934-1952 |title=ATF:1934-1952 |author= |year=2014 |website=atf.gov |publisher=U.S. Department of Justice |accessdate=July 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417222422/http://www.atf.gov/content/1934-1952 |archive-date=April 17, 2015 |url-status=dead }}
See also
- Firearm Owners Protection Act, a 1986 law that significantly amended the GCA and eased many of the restrictions on firearms sellers
- Gun law in the United States
References
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External links
- [https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/901 15 U.S. Code § 901 to 910 - Repealed]
Category:75th United States Congress
Category:United States federal criminal legislation
Category:United States federal firearms legislation