President Trump’s ATF reversed a Biden-era policy Friday by announcing an end to automatic revocation of Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs) during gun store inspections.
On April 7, 2025, Breitbart News noted Trump’s ATF ended the “zero tolerance” policy that was weaponized during the Biden administration to shut down gun dealers over clerical errors.
One aspect of the “zero tolerance” policy was automatic revocation of FFLs due to paperwork mistakes. In an update published at the beginning of Memorial Weekend, Trump’s ATF announced that automatic revocation is being replaced with one that considers “intent, compliance history and public-safety risks.”
Trump’s ATF stressed, “No automatic revocations.”
Other aspects of the announcement make clear that ATF personnel involved in gun store/FFL inspections will be focused on “content-driven enforcement” and “support for lawful industry engagement.”
Perhaps the ATF’s new posture is best summed up these two sentences, found near the end of the new policy announcement:
ATF conducts compliance inspections as part of its mission to ensure firearms are sold, transferred and documented in accordance with federal law. The revised policy ensures inspections are fair, consistent and focused on reducing violent crime while protecting the rights of responsible gun owners.
These changes represent a seismic shift in how the ATF plans to interact with FFLs during Trump’s time in office.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio, a member of Gun Owners of America, and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and has a Ph.D. in Military History. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at [email protected].
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