Last week, Senate Democrats reintroduced one of the most sweeping federal gun control proposals in years.
U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim brought back the Federal Firearm Licensing Act, a bill that would require Americans to obtain a federal firearm license before purchasing, receiving, or even possessing a firearm.
We must reject division and hate. The ties that bind us are so much stronger than the lines that divide us. pic.twitter.com/93zzcmdIOa
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 19, 2025
Supporters are calling it “commonsense.” Gun owners will recognize it for what it is: a national permission slip system enforced by the Department of Justice.
According to the bill text, it would be unlawful for any individual to purchase, receive, or possess a firearm without a valid federal firearm purchasing license issued by the Attorney General.
That license would not be a one-time deal. It would require:
- Mandatory firearms training, including a written test and live-fire testing
- Fingerprints, proof of identity, and a full background investigation
- Disclosure of the specific firearm being purchased, including make, model, and serial number
- Approval or denial within 30 days
- License expiration after five years
- A license valid for one firearm only
In other words, every gun would require its own federal license, issued before the transfer can occur.
The bill goes even further. It allows the Attorney General to deny or revoke a license if the applicant is deemed a “significant danger” to themselves or others, based on a long list of subjective criteria. Those include prior arrests without conviction, alleged drug or alcohol abuse, past restraining orders, or even recent firearm purchases.
Once revoked, the government must ensure firearms are removed from the individual. And they can only be returned if the license is reinstated.
The legislation also mandates ongoing FBI “Rap Back” monitoring, meaning license holders would be continuously checked for new records or contacts. Private firearm transfers would have to go through a federally licensed dealer, and all sales would need to be reported to the Attorney General within three business days.
Booker compared firearm ownership to driving a car, arguing that licensing saves lives. The bill is endorsed by Giffords and the Community Justice Action Fund. It is co-sponsored by several high-profile Senate Democrats.
What supporters don’t mention is how this framework collides head-on with the Supreme Court’s Bruen standard, which rejects discretionary licensing schemes and demands historical analogues for modern gun regulations.
There is no Founding-era tradition of requiring Americans to seek federal permission, let alone repeated permission, to exercise a constitutional right.
Whether the bill advances or stalls, its introduction matters. It signals where gun control efforts are heading next. Not just regulating sales, but conditioning possession itself on federal approval.
This is one to watch closely.
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