Home / Agencies / DOJ / 2026-09157
Proposed Rule

Revising Non-Over-the-Counter Firearms Transaction Requirements

Agency
DOJ
Document Number
2026-09157
Published
May 8, 2026
Effective Date
-

Abstract

Federal law permits federal firearms licensees ("FFLs") to transfer firearms to a person residing in the same state but who does not appear in person. These are "non-over-the-counter" ("NOTC") sales. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations on NOTC sales. These proposed changes would remove restrictions limiting this option to background check-exempt transfers. The proposed rule would permit FFLs to conduct NOTC transfers while complying with background check requirements and adds remote identity proofing and electronic notices to chief law enforcement officers. These changes would provide greater flexibility for individuals lawfully purchasing firearms.

Federal Register Source

This document is published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. Access the full regulatory text, preamble, and docket comments below.

View Full Text on FederalRegister.gov →

Opens in new tab · federalregister.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 2026-09157 Federal Register document?
Document 2026-09157 is a Proposed Rule published by the Department of Justice in the Federal Register on May 8, 2026. Federal law permits federal firearms licensees ("FFLs") to transfer firearms to a person residing in the same state but who does not appear in person. These are "non-over-the-counter" ("NOTC") sales. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations on NOTC sales. These proposed changes would remove restrictions limiting this option to background check-exempt transfers. The proposed rule would permit FFLs to conduct NOTC transfers while complying with background check requirements and adds remote identity proofing and electronic notices to chief law enforcement officers. These changes would provide greater flexibility for individuals lawfully purchasing firearms. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/08/2026-09157/revising-non-over-the-counter-firearms-transaction-requirements.
Is document 2026-09157 an economically significant rule?
No. Document 2026-09157 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.

Other Rules from DOJ

Counter-UAS Authority for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Law Enforcement and Correctional Agencies
Final Rule · Jul 2026
Licensee “eZ Check” Verification for Transfers; Withdrawing Direct Final Rule
Final Rule · Jul 2026
Fingerprint and Photograph Requirements for Firearms Applications
Proposed · Jul 2026
Registering NFA Firearms That Fall Out of Government Contract
Proposed · Jul 2026
Schedules of Controlled Substances: Temporary Placement of Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I
Proposed · Jul 2026
Schedules of Controlled Substance: Temporary Placement of 7-Hydroxymitragynine Above a Specified Threshold in Schedule I
Proposed · Jul 2026
View all Department of Justice rules →

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
Data sourced from official state legislatures, IAPP, NCSL, and federal regulatory trackers. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainRegWatch Editorial

Every figure on PlainRegWatch is rendered directly from state source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal and state source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.