Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
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Common name	Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
Abbreviation	ATF
Agency overview
Formed	July 1, 1972; 51 years ago (1972-07-01)[1]
Preceding agency	IRS Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Division
Employees	5,285 (2021)[2]
Annual budget	Approx. US$1.5 billion (2021)[2]
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agency	United States
Operations jurisdiction	United States
General nature	Federal law enforcement
Operational structure
Headquarters	Ariel Rios Federal Building, Washington, D.C.
Agency executive	Steve Dettelbach, Director
Parent agency	Department of the Treasury (1972–present) Department of Justice (2003–present)
Website
www.atf.gov

Firearm legal topics of the
United States
Amendment II Assault weapon Assault weapons legislation Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Bump stocks Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act Campus carry in the U.S. Concealed carry in the U.S. Connecticut Children's Safety Act Constitutional carry Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban Federal Assault Weapons Ban Federal Firearms Act of 1938 Federal Firearms License Firearm case law Firearm Owners Protection Act Gun Control Act of 1968 Gun-Free School Zones Act (GFSZA) Gun law in the U.S. Gun laws in the U.S. by state Gun politics in the U.S. High-capacity magazine ban History of concealed carry in the U.S. International treaties for arms control National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) National Firearms Act (NFA) NY SAFE Act Open carry in the U.S. Right to keep and bear arms in the U.S. Second Amendment sanctuary Sullivan Act (New York) Suppressor Tiahrt Amendment Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as the ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention of federal offenses involving the unlawful use, manufacture, and possession of firearms and explosives; acts of arson and bombings; and illegal trafficking and tax evasion of alcohol and tobacco products. The ATF also regulates via licensing the sale, possession, and transportation of firearms, ammunition, and explosives in interstate commerce. Many of the ATF's activities are carried out in conjunction with task forces made up of state and local law enforcement officers, such as Project Safe Neighborhoods. The ATF operates a unique fire research laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, where full-scale mock-ups of criminal arson can be reconstructed. The ATF had 5,285 employees and an annual budget of almost $1.5 billion in 2021.^[2] The ATF has received criticism over its handling of the Ruby Ridge siege,^[3] the Waco siege^[4] and other incidents.