The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced a proposed rule change on July 7, 2026, aiming to end the indefinite retention of firearms sales records. The proposal suggests aligning retention periods closer to pre-2022 standards, specifically the 20-year retention rule established after 1985.

According to the ATF’s Federal Register notice, returning to a 20-year retention period would restore familiarity and ease compliance for the firearms industry. The agency also mentioned an alternative 30-year retention period to reduce storage burdens compared to the current indefinite retention, while providing additional years for law enforcement tracing.

The Gun Owners of America (GOA), a pro-Second Amendment group, strongly opposed the proposal. GOA highlighted that under the ATF’s rule, paperwork for a gun purchased today would not be destroyed until July 5, 2086, effectively allowing gun stores to keep purchase records for nearly 30 years and beyond their business operations. GOA Director of Federal Affairs Aidan Johnston acknowledged the Trump administration’s efforts to reverse the Biden-era rule requiring record retention until a Federal Firearms Licensee ceases business but called the prospect of retaining records for up to 60 years “outrageous.”

The Biden administration’s 2022 regulation had mandated retention of firearms sales records until the licensee discontinued business, a policy the Trump administration’s ATF is now seeking to modify.

The ATF’s announcement was made via a post on X, where GOA also expressed its objections publicly.

Sources