It is the goal of the Firearms and Explosives Industry Division (FEID) to respond to requests from firearms and explosives industry members within 90 days of receipt. Requests may include variances, determinations, classifications, and exemptions. Please note that although we generally exceed this goal, our ability to respond to industry-related inquiries is impacted by a number of factors, such as available staffing resources, the sufficiency of information received from the requestor, existing precedence for granting the request, necessary technical research and/or testing, and any applicable legal review process. Additionally, it is Firearms and Explosives Industry Division’s priority to serve the needs of the law enforcement community first, to include ATF, other federal agencies, and state and local enforcement entities. We attempt to balance and address exigent circumstances – which the requestor shall articulate in writing and include with the original request – with the routine needs of all firearms and explosives industry members.

This customer service goal applies to all the branches of Firearms and Explosives Industry Division:

• Firearms Industry Programs Branch
• Explosives Industry Programs Branch

Current Processing Times for ATF Applications