{"id":365045,"date":"2026-08-07T06:04:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T06:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/365045\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T06:04:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T06:04:11","slug":"atf-proposes-new-rule-to-ship-guns-directly-to-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/365045\/","title":{"rendered":"ATF proposes new rule to ship guns directly to homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 The ATF<\/a> proposed a new rule that would change gun shopping around the country. The proposal would allow online gun purchases to be shipped directly to people\u2019s homes.<\/p>\n

These \u201cnon-over-the-counter firearm transactions\u201d<\/a> would still include background checks, plus what the ATF calls Remote Identity Proofing. That means a live physical facial comparison, or an automated biometrical facial comparison, like \u201cselfie verification.\u201d<\/p>\n

Law enforcement would also be notified whenever a purchase is made, and the transaction requires a seven-day waiting period.<\/p>\n

Marc Bernstein owns Orlando FFL<\/a> and says the proposal raises a few questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are letting law enforcement know, hey they are getting a firearm delivered to their home,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat we don\u2019t know is what information is going to be shared with law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Florida Statute prohibits state and local governments from having a registry of private gun owners. Bernstein worries that this proposal would provide just that.<\/p>\n

According to the proposal text<\/a>, law enforcement would receive a copy of Form 4473, which includes a buyer\u2019s name, address, citizenship status, and more.<\/p>\n

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods supports the proposal to deliver guns directly to homes, but has the same question as Bernstein about law enforcement receiving information about purchases.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have a right to the gun and it being shipped to me ain\u2019t a big deal,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, we walk a thin line when we talk about gathering information on individuals, a very thin line. I\u2019d have to read the language in totality to make sure it doesn\u2019t cross the Second Amendment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ATF shared a statement on the proposal:<\/p>\n

\u201cATF\u2019s proposed rules aim to reduce burdens on law-abiding citizens and businesses, clarify and modernize guidance, and align regulations to reflect current law, agency practice, or court precedent. The non-over-the-counter (NOTC) sales rule is emblematic of this. ATF\u2019s proposed rule modernizes and strengthens identity-verification requirements used for this purchasing method \u2014 which has been a lawful part of firearms commerce since 1968 \u2014 and reduces burden on consumers by clarifying the regulation to align it with the plain language of 18 USC 922(c). Transfers still require a licensed dealer and a completed NICS [National Instant Background Check System] background check. As with any proposed rule, it is open for public comment, and we will review and consider all input before any final rule is issued.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alerting law enforcement isn\u2019t the only step in the process that gives Bernstein pause. He says delivering guns to doorsteps takes out the human element of the sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing we\u2019re accountable for here to the ATF is straw purchases, which is when someone buys a gun for someone else under false pretenses,\u201d he said. \u201cI think when you have an online background check, you lose the emotional point that goes with that and a lot of the ways we stop straw purchases is through conversation and it\u2019s pretty easy to pick up that they\u2019re not buying this for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bernstein says that discernment is practiced weekly. He\u2019s not alone in that concern.<\/p>\n

Marianna Mitchem spent 20 years with the ATF and was a senior official there before joining Everytown for Gun Safety<\/a>, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing gun violence and advocating for stronger gun safety laws. She\u2019s critical of ongoing reform at the ATF.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, this all just seems to be \u2018let\u2019s energize firearms commerce,\u2019 rather than saying \u2018let\u2019s have a focus on making the country as safe as possible,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

When it comes to this specific proposal, Mitchem also worries about removing the human element from the sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my opinion, these non-over-the-counter sales are going to make it very easy for traffickers, for straw purchasers, for dangerous criminals, for domestic abusers, even kids to get firearms,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Orlando FFL has an online store, and Bernstein says he could take advantage of the proposed policy if approved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have to look at it as a whole: what\u2019s the liability to us, what does it mean for our customers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The ATF has been accepting public comment<\/a>s since May. They will review those comments before making a decision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 The ATF proposed a new rule that would change gun shopping around the country.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":365046,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[3140,2031,2967,274,558,28,2287,115,139,141,140,99,277,275,135,278,14104,835],"class_list":["post-365045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-app-local-state-politics","tag-app-local-business","tag-app-public-safety","tag-app-top-stories","tag-business","tag-florida","tag-local-politics","tag-news","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-politics","tag-public-safety","tag-spectrum-news-staff","tag-tampa","tag-top-stories","tag-topic-latest-local-business-stories","tag-vod"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365045","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365045"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365045\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/365046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}