ATF eForm Blackout! What You Need to Know

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is rolling out major updates to its eForms system, and if you’re planning any NFA filings, the clock matters.

ATF says the updates are designed to modernize eForms and reduce processing time for commonly used submissions, including Forms 1 and 4. But the transition comes with a temporary shutdown and some hard deadlines users need to understand.

Key Dates to Know

December 26:

The eForms system will go offline temporarily while ATF upgrades the platform to implement new tax rules tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

• No new eForm 1 or eForm 4 submissions will be accepted after this date.
• Any Form 1 or Form 4 saved in DRAFT status will be permanently deleted.
• Forms submitted and completed before December 26 will continue to be processed.

January 1:

Updated eForms go live with new forms and functionality, including the ability for additional types of transferors (not just traditional FFLs) to submit Form 4 applications electronically.

Why Drafts Are Being Deleted

ATF says all draft Form 1 and Form 4 submissions must be wiped because the new system requires field and formatting changes to reflect statutory updates. Most notably, the bill reduced the making and transfer tax to $0 for certain NFA firearms, and the forms themselves have to be rebuilt to accommodate that change.

If you’ve started a Form 1 or Form 4 and haven’t submitted it yet, finish it before December 26 or expect to start over in January.

What’s Not Changing

Even with the tax reduction and system overhaul, several requirements remain in place:

• Photographs
• Fingerprints
• CLEO notification

Those will still be required when the new forms launch on January 1.

Expect Slower Logins

ATF also warns users that their first login after the update may take up to 30 seconds as system enhancements finalize. That delay is expected and temporary.

A new FAQ category labeled “2026 updates” has been added inside eForms to walk users through the upcoming changes.

Submission Validation Codes Explained

Some users may see a prompt for a Submission Validation Code. This isn’t part of registration and isn’t required for most filings. ATF says it’s tied to CAPTCHA verification when the system has trouble confirming the user is human. Usually due to missed prompts or slow responses.

FFL Note

ATF is also revoking Super User access tied to expired or inactive licenses. Current FFLs should not be affected, but anyone running into issues can contact [email protected].