Articles Posted in Form 4 – 5320.4 Transfer

Generally we are hearing that it is taking 3-5 months from the time you submit your ATF forms for approval. A local gun store Shooters of Jacksonville told me they have two agents assigned because of the number of transfers they do. They stated that this means that ATF Form 4 applications that they sent in are processed faster than at other locations. While I do not know if this is true, I can state, that a recent Form 4 I submitted through Shooters only took 75 days from the date I signed it, until receiving the approved Form 4.

If you want to check on the status of your Form 4 or Form 1, you will need your serial number and to contact ATF.

National Firearms Act Branch,

Alabama Governor Riley signed a bill into law making Short Barreled Riffles and Shotguns legal to own. The law was signed on 4/14/2010 and becomes effective on 7/5/2010. If you have a NFA Gun Trust, there is nothing you need to do, to be able to purchase these items after 7/5/2010.

This also means if you are going to travel to Alabama, you can use a Form 20 to bring your SBR or SBS to Alabama after the law goes into effect.

NOTE The 5330.20 has been integrated into the Form 4 and Form 1 as of July 12,  2016 so this is no longer necessary.

While ATF has previously stated that a certification of compliance is not necessary for trusts, they have now changed their mind or at lease in some cases. For this reason we are now recommending that you send in the 5330.20 with your Form 4 or Form 1 application to purchase or make a firearm restricted under the NFA.
We will create a sample Form 5330.20 to review. Here is a link to download a Certification of Compliance with 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(5)(B) ATF 5330.20

crime-tape.jpgI was contacted by the firearms dealer offering the Free downloads of the NFA trust and they have removed the links on their website. Since being contacted, by this dealer I have had reports of other dealers in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and South Carolina who are offering Free trusts.  While I have not had a chance to review all of them, there have been several trusts that were not set up correctly and pose substantial risks to the clients, their spouses and families for Constructive possession of NFA firearms.

The question still remains as to what will happen to their clients and others who have downloaded the invalid trusts and submitted them to the ATF. Apparently the ATF has approved them. It should be noted that just because ATF approved a Form 4 or Form 1 Transfer, this does not mean you are legally able to possess the firearms. They are only approving the ability to transfer the NFA firearms to a legal entity described on the Form 4 or Form 1.

To read more on this topic see the original article Free NFA Trust Form for Class 3, Title II purchases.  This article was written by David M. Goldman a Jacksonville Estate Planning and Probate Lawyer at the Law Office of David M. Goldman PLLC  PLLC.

Prior to November, the time to approve a Form 4 was less than 8 weeks. After November 20th, the number of people purchasing NFA items significantly increased and as a result the time to receive an approval on their ATF Form 4 or Form 1 increased to more than 6 months at their peak (26+ weeks).

Today I received a note from a client who obtained his approved Form 4 for his SBS only 59 days after submitting it to the BATFE. Hopefully this will be the norm and not the exception. Please let me know how long your Form 4 or Form 1 is taking for approval.

Prior to November, the time to approve a Form 4 was less than 8 weeks.  After November 20th, the number of people purchasing NFA items significantly increased and as a result the time to receive an approval on their ATF Form 4 or Form 1 increased to more than 6 months at their peak (26+ weeks).

Good news as I have recently heard from several of our clients that the Approval process is beginning to shorten.  Last week I heard from a client who stated that his NFA Firearms Trust approval time was between 4 and 5 months. 

Many People have asked, How to fill out a form 4 when making class 3 purchases.  Because of this, we have added a page on this topic.  Please see

How to Fill out an ATF FORM 4 For NFA Class 3 Purchases

If you need help forming a trust, please Contact to find a Gun Trust Lawyer® in Your State.

It is important to remember that the ATF will not accept your form 4 unless it is two sided.  The two pages need to be photocopied on to a single sheet of paper or the form will be rejected.

A form 4 is the application for tax paid for transfer and registration of a Firearm that is restricted by the National Firearms Act (NFA)

When transferring firearms that are restricted by the NFA, it is important to mail your Form 4 to the proper address.  There are several addresses floating around but at this time all Form 4’s should be mailed to the following address:

National Firearms Act Branch
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
P.O. Box 530298
Atlanta, GA  30353-0298

The same for is used when you are purchasing as an individual, business, or NFA Firearms Trust.

Contact Information