Trump DOJ, ATF Unleash Massive Second Amendment Overhaul — 34 New Reforms Slash Red Tape for Gun Owners, Dealers and Small Businesses

Officials at a press conference at the Department of Justice, discussing important legal matters, with a seal in the foreground and several attendees in the background.

In a HUGE victory for the Second Amendment and law-abiding Americans everywhere, the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives announced this week they are unleashing 34 notices of final and proposed rulemaking to slash the mountain of Biden-era red tape strangling gun owners and Federal Firearms Licensees.

The move follows a top-to-bottom review of ATF regulations ordered by President Trump’s Executive Order 14206, “Protecting Second Amendment Rights.”

After years of the Biden ATF acting as an unaccountable attack dog against honest gun shops and citizens, the agency is finally being forced to listen to industry experts, FFLs, and everyday Americans who just want to exercise their God-given constitutional rights without the federal government breathing down their necks.

This is the first wave of reforms. More are coming. The Trump administration is keeping its promise to dismantle the deep-state gun-control apparatus piece by piece.

“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Department of Justice is ending the weaponization of federal authority against law-abiding gun owners. We will continue to vigorously defend their rights as the Constitution demands.”

Below are the summary of the 34 proposed and final regulatory changes affecting firearms, explosives, importation, federal firearms licensees (FFLs), and ATF procedures.

Modernize
Updating recordkeeping and business practices, such as:

Electronic records for gun dealers
Changes to Form 4473
Defined retention periods for records
License verification updates

Reduce Burden
Removing or simplifying requirements seen as costly or unnecessary for lawful gun owners and businesses, such as:

Interstate transport procedures
Spousal registration for NFA firearms
Removing some notification requirements

Clarify
Providing clearer definitions and standards, including:

Straw purchase language
Mental health-related prohibitions
Biological sex designation on ATF forms
Business premises definitions

Align
Updating regulations to match court rulings, statutes, and partner agencies.
Repeal
Rescinding prior controversial rules, including:

2023 Stabilizing Brace Rule
2024 Engaged-in-the-Business Rule
Revising machine gun definitions after Garland v. Cargill

ATF Landmark Regulatory Reform Package outlining updates to compliance, recordkeeping, and regulatory clarity for firearms and explosives regulations.