Smaller FFL businesses located within a residence are often referred to as “kitchen table FFLs” or “tabletop FFLs,” and they got that name for a reason. Now, you may well do your actual business transactions at a small table in the kitchen – and that’s fine – but it’s important to actually define where your business will be conducted when applying for your license.
The ATF (and the government as a whole, for that matter) tend to be very literal and very black-and-white. There is no grey area when it comes to their interpretation of things. This means that you have to spell things out very specifically for them in order to protect your privacy and ensure that some common sense is actually being used. While it may be obvious to you that your FFL business isn’t being conducted in the entirety of your house, don’t leave it up to chance for the ATF to see it that way.
Based on our experience with helping thousands of people through the FFL application process, we have come to the conclusion that it is wise to specifically define the perimeters of where your federal firearms license business is actually located. When you put down your home address as the licensed premises, it is presumed by the ATF that the entire property is the licensed location. You most likely didn’t intend it to be that way, but that is most likely how they will see it.
As part of the application process, an agent will come inspect your future new business location. As a result of being vaguely defined with just an address, the ATF could potentially want to look through your entire house when in reality, your new FFL business may be conducted solely in a small spare bedroom. Furthermore, should an inspection need to be conducted at a future date, your entire house could once again be inspected for inventory, bookkeeping records, etc.
However, this certainly does not need to be the case. You can protect your privacy and keep the ATF contained by outlining exactly where your business will be taking place on your property. That could be a spare bedroom, an office, or in your kitchen; the location is up to you and doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that you’re specific about it. There’s no need for agents to go through your kid’s bedroom or the attached mother-in-law suite when your business is in a dedicated home office. Basically, what you do in every other part of your home other than the specific business location is none of the ATF’s business, so don’t give them the chance of seeing it any other way.
Along the same lines of having your specific FFL location on your own property, the ATF amended a ruling of the Gun Control Act to allow a gun show in your state of licensure to be an extension of your license. That means you can do anything at a gun show that you could do at your licensed location, such as buy, sell, or transfer guns. Furthermore, you can attend gun shows outside of your home state and set up a display and take orders for firearms. You aren’t allowed to make any actual transfers at those gun shows, but once you return to your licensed location, you can ship the ordered firearm to a licensed dealer in the state of the purchaser.
One of the things that we do here at FFL123 is show you how to outline your business space in the best legal way possible. This will give you the confidence that you will not be left open to a “fishing expedition” by the ATF through your entire home. Don’t leave your FFL open for interpretation by the ATF. Be sure that you’re in charge of your FFL license process and approval. Join FFL123 today and enjoy the peace of mind that we offer with our 150% money-back guarantee.