The Wire · CalGunHub

ATF Proposes Loosening Photo and Fingerprint Rules for Firearms Applications

Published July 6, 2026 · Updated October 12, 2026

The bureau's July 6 proposal would accept a copy of a government photo ID in place of passport photos and narrow when fingerprints are required.

Written by the CalGunHub desk from public reporting

Who this affects: If finalized, the proposal would reduce paperwork burdens for Californians applying for federal firearms licenses and for any NFA applications they file. Its practical reach in the state is limited, because California law separately bans the NFA items most commonly sought, such as suppressors and short-barreled rifles, and those state prohibitions would remain regardless of federal application procedures. This is general information, not legal advice.

ATF is proposing to trim the paperwork demands attached to federal firearms applications. In a notice of proposed rulemaking published July 6, 2026 (91 FR 40924, RIN 1140-AA63, Docket ATF-2026-0397), the bureau laid out two changes to the identification requirements that accompany applications under the Gun Control Act and the National Firearms Act.

Under the proposal, individuals and responsible persons submitting applications could provide a copy of a valid government-issued photo identification in place of the passport-style photograph current forms demand. According to the Federal Register notice, the change is aimed at reducing friction for applicants who today must obtain compliant photos as a separate step.

The second change concerns fingerprints. The draft rule would require fingerprint submissions for NFA applications only where a statute mandates them or where the ATF Director determines they are necessary in a particular context. That would narrow a requirement that currently applies broadly across NFA application types.

The proposal covers both individual applicants and the responsible persons of trusts and legal entities applying under either statute. Comments were due October 5, 2026, and that period has now closed; no final rule had been published as of October 12, 2026. ATF lists the measure in the Reduce Burden group of its 2026 reform package, the same deregulatory initiative that produced more than 30 final and proposed rules this spring and summer. As with the other July 6 proposals, no independent news coverage of this item was found, so reporting here rests on the Federal Register document and ATF's own summary page.

Informational only, not legal advice. Facts are attributed to the sources listed above.