National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR)

The National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) is the registry for all firearms in the United States that are not owned by the government. The NFRTR was established by the National Firearms Act (NFA) and is regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Firearms Act Division. The NFRTR contains the identification of the firearm, the date of registration, and the identifying information of the person permitted to possess that firearm. More specifically, the NFRTR records the federal firearm license, the serial number, the information of the possessor, and the transactional status. According to the NFRTR code, 26 U.S.C. § 5841, manufacturers, importers, or makers of firearms must register each firearm they produce as well as any that are transferred. NFA items, or Title II firearms, must be registered by the NFRTR. Such firearms include short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, machine guns, silencers, destructive devices, and any other weapons, or firearms that don't fall into standard categories. For more details of the NFRTR, see the ATF’s Registration of NFA Firearms.

[Last reviewed in May of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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