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Fact Sheet - Facts and Figures for Fiscal Year 2023
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Personnel
Special Agents | 2,597 |
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Industry Operations Investigators | 862 |
Administrative/professional/technical | 1,822 |
Total full-time employees | 5,281 |
Cases and Defendants
Case and defendant data presents a snapshot in time of matters proceeding through the various phases of the judicial process. The typical ATF case recommended for prosecution remains open over a period of approximately 4 years.
Cases and defendants indicted, convicted, and sentenced are not subsets of cases and defendants recommended for prosecution in FY 2023. The snapshot presents actual judicial activity in the fiscal year regardless of the year the matter was recommended for prosecution. For example, “percentage indicted” should not be calculated based upon the presented data, as the case indicted may have been presented in a previous fiscal year.
Cases
Firearms cases initiated | 31,089 |
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Arson cases initiated | 2,291 |
Explosives cases initiated | 1,012 |
Firearms cases recommended for prosecution | 9,964 |
Indicted cases | 6,592 |
Convicted cases | 5,881 |
Defendants
Recommended for prosecution | 15,646 |
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Defendants indicted | 9,717 |
Defendants convicted | 7,917 |
The data show an average of 7.32 prior arrests and 2.16 prior convictions per defendant recommended for prosecution.
Firearms Licensees
As of FY 2023, there were 132,383 active federal firearms licensees (FFLs) and 42,819 firearms licenses issued (to include renewals).
Type 01: Dealer | 50,309 |
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Type 02: Pawnbroker | 6,417 |
Type 03: Collector | 50,805 |
Type 06: Manufacturer of Ammunition | 2,086 |
Type 07: Manufacturer of Firearms | 20,003 |
Type 08: Importer | 1,851 |
Type 09: Dealer of Destructive Devices | 147 |
Type 10: Manufacturer of Destructive Devices | 476 |
Type 11: Importer of Destructive Devices | 289 |
Inspections
ATF conducted 8,689 firearm compliance inspections in FY 2023.
Firearms compliance inspections resulted in the following recommendations:
No violations | 4,644 |
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Report of violations | 1,531 |
Warning letter | 667 |
Warning conference | 166 |
License surrendered/out of business | 1,343 |
Revocation | 170 |
Other dispositions | 168 |
Most Frequently Cited Violations
27 CFR 478.125(e) | Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely acquisition and disposition record of firearms | 39,877 |
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27 CFR 478.21(a) | Failure to complete forms as prescribed | 28,588 |
27 CFR 478.124(c)(1) | Failure to obtain a completed ATF F 4473 | 20,738 |
27 CFR 478.123(b) | Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely licensee disposition record | 14,290 |
27 CFR 478.124(c)(3)(iv) | Failure to record NICS contact information on an ATF F 4473 | 12,074 |
27 CFR 478.124(c)(5) | Failure by transferor to sign and/or date an ATF F 4473 | 10,594 |
27 CFR 478.123(a) | Failure to maintain an accurate/complete/timely manufacture or acquisition record | 8,210 |
27 CFR 478.124(c)(3)(i) | Failure to verify or record Identification document on ATF F 4473 | 6,864 |
27 CFR 478.124(c)(4) | Failure to record firearm information on an ATF F 4473 | 5,631 |
27 CFR 478.126a | Failure to report multiple sales or other dispositions of pistols and revolvers | 5,408 |
Firearms Application Inspections
ATF conducted 9,328 firearms application inspections. Of those inspections, 6,769 were approved and 25 were denied. The remaining 2,534 application inspections were abandoned or withdrawn.
Explosives Licensees
As of FY 2023, there were 9,248 active federal explosives licenses and permits (FEL/FEPs).
Manufacturers | 2,038 |
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Importers | 569 |
Dealers licenses (includes black powder) | 827 |
Limited permits | 41 |
User permits | 5,773 |
Explosives Inspections
ATF conducted 823 explosives application inspections. Of those inspections, 651 were approved and 2 were denied. The remaining 170 application inspections were abandoned or withdrawn.
ATF conducted 2,957 explosive compliance inspections resulting in the following recommendations:
No violations | 2,369 |
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Report of violations | 58 |
Warning letter | 133 |
Warning conference | 32 |
License surrendered/out of business | 344 |
Revocation sought | 7 |
Other dispositions | 14 |
Top 10 Violations
27 CFR 555.127 | Failure to timely/accurately enter all required explosive inventory identification and quantity information in a daily summary of magazine transaction (per magazine) | 1,212 |
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27 CFR 555.210(a)(2) | Failure to meet minimum construction requirements of an outdoor type IV magazine | 90 |
27 CFR 555.210(b)(2) | Failure to meet minimum construction requirements of an indoor type IV magazine | 88 |
27 CFR 555.125(b)(3)(vi) | Failure to record the name, address and license/permit number of the person from whom explosive material(s) are received in the permanent record (User) | 83 |
27 CFR 555.57(b) | Failure to timely report change of responsible person/employee possessor (within 30 days of change) | 79 |
27 CFR 555.29 | Unlawful storage of explosive materials | 77 |
27 CFR 555.121(a)(1) | Failure to keep records pertaining to explosive materials in permanent form | 69 |
27 CFR 555.63(d) | Failure to report change(s) in explosive magazine storage (after license/permit issuance) | 61 |
27 CFR 555.205 | Failure to keep explosives in locked magazines | 52 |
27 CFR 555.214(b) | Failure to store explosive containers so that marks are visible for inspection | 50 |
National Firearms Act (NFA)
NFA registration applications (and transfer applications) | 1,061,195 |
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NFA registrations processed (total weapons/count of forms) | 1,069,787 |
NFA registrations processed (total weapons/count of weapons) | 3,571,895 |
NFA making and transfer tax collected | $96,018,784.61 |
NFA special occupation tax collected | $10,131,788.76 |
Note: All taxes collected for NFA go to the general fund of the U.S. Treasury Department.
Tracing
ATF’s National Tracing Center (NTC) is the only organization authorized to trace U.S. and foreign manufactured firearms for local, state, federal and international law enforcement agencies. NTC provides critical information that helps domestic and international law enforcement agencies solve firearms crimes, detect firearms trafficking, and track the intrastate, interstate, and international movement of crime guns.
NTC processed more than 645,771 trace requests in FY 2023.
Certified Fire Investigators
ATF’s Certified Fire Investigators (CFIs) are subject matter experts specializing in investigating violent crimes of arson and origin and cause determinations. As such, they provide support for fire and arson investigations throughout the entire United States, its territories, and other countries. During FY 2023, CFIs conducted over 2,500 fire scene exams and provided field training to over 6,000 state and local investigators.
National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)
NIBIN provides local, state and federal law enforcement, forensic science, and prosecutors with an automated ballistic imaging system that will aid their investigations by using digital images of shell casings to link violent crimes involving firearms and subsequently identify firearm users in violent crimes.
NIBIN acquisitions | 661,681 |
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NIBIN leads | 221,360 |
NIBIN hits | 4,755 |
NIBIN locations | 315 |
Laboratories
In FY 2023, ATF’s laboratories accomplished the following:
ATF laboratory requests for analysis and testing | 1,660 |
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ATF laboratory completed analysis requests | 1,438 |
DNA submissions from fired cartridge cases | 269 |
DNA submissions from fired cartridge cases yielding results | 157 |
Fire Research Laboratory engineering cases | 204 |
Fire Research Laboratory research experiments | 462 |
Fire Research Laboratory case test experiments | 354 |
Fire Research Laboratory forensic cases analyzed | 18 |
Fire Research Laboratory fire research activities | 186 |
Budget
The agency’s FY 2023 enacted budget was approximately $1.6 billion.