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18 U.S.C. § 923

Licensing

United States · Title 18 — CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE · Status: effective

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18 U.S.C. § 923, Licensing, United States, version 1 as recorded 2026-07-09, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/449017
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Full text

No person shall engage in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms, or importing or manufacturing ammunition, until he has filed an application with and received a license to do so from the Attorney General. The application shall be in such form and contain only that information necessary to determine eligibility for licensing as the Attorney General shall by regulation prescribe and shall include a photograph and fingerprints of the applicant. Each applicant shall pay a fee for obtaining such a license, a separate fee being required for each place in which the applicant is to do business, as follows: If the applicant is a manufacturer— If the applicant is an importer— If the applicant is a dealer— Any application submitted under subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall be approved if— the applicant certifies that— Each licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, and licensed dealer shall maintain such records of importation, production, shipment, receipt, sale, or other disposition of firearms at his place of business for such period, and in such form, as the Attorney General may by regulations prescribe. Such importers, manufacturers, and dealers shall not be required to submit to the Attorney General reports and information with respect to such records and the contents thereof, except as expressly required by this section. The Attorney General, when he has reasonable cause to believe a violation of this chapter has occurred and that evidence thereof may be found on such premises, may, upon demonstrating such cause before a Federal magistrate judge and securing from such magistrate judge a warrant authorizing entry, enter during business hours the premises (including places of storage) of any licensed firearms importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, licensed collector, or any licensed importer or manufacturer of ammunition, for the purpose of inspecting or examining— The Attorney General may inspect or examine the inventory and records of a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer without such reasonable cause or warrant— for ensuring compliance with the record keeping requirements of this chapter— The Attorney General may inspect the inventory and records of a licensed collector without such reasonable cause or warrant—

Legislative history

The public laws that enacted or amended this section. Tallies are for the whole bill as it passed each chamber — often an omnibus covering far more than this provision — not a vote on this section alone. The law that originally enacted this section predates the public laws loaded here, so only later amendments are listed.

  • Amended byPub. L. 99-308(S. 49)1986-05-19
    Firearms Owners' Protection Act
    House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
  • Amended byPub. L. 99-360(S. 2414)1986-07-08
    A bill to amend title 18, United States Code.
    House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
  • Amended byPub. L. 99-408(H.R. 3132)1986-08-28
    Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act of 1985
    House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
  • Amended byPub. L. 100-690(H.R. 5210)1988-11-18
    Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988
    House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
  • Amended byPub. L. 101-647(S. 3266)1990-11-29
    Crime Control Act of 1990
    House: 313–1Senate: no recorded tally
  • Amended byPub. L. 101-650(H.R. 5316)1990-12-01
    Judicial Improvements Act of 1990
    House: 386–18Senate: no recorded tally
  • Amended byPub. L. 103-159(H.R. 1025)1993-11-30
    Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
  • Amended byPub. L. 103-322(H.R. 3355)1994-09-13
    Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
  • Amended byPub. L. 104-208(H.R. 3610)1996-09-30
    Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997
  • Amended byPub. L. 104-294(H.R. 3723)1996-10-11
    Economic Espionage Act of 1996
    House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
  • Amended byPub. L. 105-277(H.R. 4328)1998-10-21
    Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999
  • Amended byPub. L. 107-296(H.R. 5005)2002-11-25
    Homeland Security Act of 2002