On April 29, 2026, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and newly confirmed ATF Director Robert Cekada announced 34 firearms regulatory changes at a single press conference, the largest single regulatory release in the history of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They called it the “New Era of Reform.”
The package was issued under Executive Order 14206, “Protecting Second Amendment Rights,” signed by President Trump in February 2025. DOJ described it as the first in a planned series of regulatory updates, meaning more changes are expected.
Not all 34 rules are in effect yet. Seven are Final Rules that took effect immediately. Twenty-seven are Proposed Rules currently open for public comment, meaning they must go through the formal rulemaking process before becoming final. The distinction matters. Proposed rules can be modified based on public comment, and future administrations could reverse them.
What Is Already in Effect
Bump stock language removed from machine gun definition
The Supreme Court ruled in Garland v. Cargill on June 14, 2024 that the ATF’s bump stock ban, which had reclassified bump stocks as machine guns under federal law, exceeded the agency’s statutory authority. The first Trump administration’s bump stock rule was already struck down by the courts. This final rule formally removes the bump stock language from the federal machine gun definition, aligning ATF’s regulations with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Engaged-in-the-Business rule rescinded
The Biden administration’s 2024 Engaged-in-the-Business rule dramatically expanded the definition of who qualifies as a firearms dealer required to hold a Federal Firearms License and conduct background checks. The rule targeted private sellers at gun shows and online who were not historically considered dealers, which critics argued would effectively eliminate private firearm sales. That rule has been rescinded as an Interim Final Rule.
CLEO notification requirement eliminated
Previously, anyone applying to register an NFA item was required to send a copy of their application to the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in their jurisdiction. This requirement has been removed. NFA applicants no longer need to notify local law enforcement as part of the registration process.
Form 4473 retention period defined
Federal Firearms Licensees were previously required to retain Form 4473 records indefinitely. The new rule establishes a defined retention period of 20 to 30 years, replacing the open-ended requirement.
FFL eZ Check System authorized
A Direct Final Rule authorizes the FFL eZ Check System for license verification, streamlining how dealers confirm licensee status.
What Is Proposed and in Public Comment
These changes are not yet final. They are open for public comment for 90 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.
Pistol brace rule rescinded
The Biden administration’s 2023 rule reclassified virtually all pistols equipped with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles, subjecting them to NFA registration requirements. By some estimates, the rule implicated between 10 and 40 million privately owned firearms overnight. Compliance fell far short of that, and gun rights organizations won multiple legal challenges against the rule. The ATF is now proposing to repeal the pistol brace rule outright. Once finalized, pistols equipped with stabilizing braces will no longer be classified as SBRs under federal law.
NFA interstate transport simplified
Under current rules, transporting an NFA item across state lines requires submitting Form 5320.20 to the ATF for advance approval before departure. The proposed rule would eliminate that requirement for trips of 365 days or fewer. NFA owners would still need to comply with the laws of every state they enter, but the ATF advance approval process would go away for short-term travel.
Forced-reset trigger reclassification reversed
The ATF had classified forced-reset triggers as machine guns. That classification is being reversed. Gun control organizations including Everytown have specifically opposed this change and are expected to challenge it through the courts.
Form 4473 modernized
The ATF is proposing to modernize Form 4473, the standard firearm transfer record completed at the point of sale, and to authorize electronic recordkeeping for FFLs. The current paper-based system would be replaced with digital options, reducing administrative burden on dealers.
Youth Handgun Safety Act notification requirement removed
The ATF is proposing to eliminate a notification requirement tied to the Youth Handgun Safety Act. This is a procedural change with limited practical impact for most gun owners.
Married couples and NFA items
The package includes a proposed change allowing married couples to register NFA firearms jointly, addressing a longstanding gap in the rules around shared household access to registered items.
What Was Left Out
The frames and receivers rule, which significantly expanded the definition of what constitutes a firearm under federal law and was the subject of major litigation, was deliberately not included in this package. That omission was intentional, according to multiple sources covering the release. We can expect it to be addressed in a future regulatory package.
Ghost gun regulations more broadly are also not addressed in this package.
The Bigger Picture
The 34 rules fall into five categories the ATF used to organize the package: Repeal, Modernize, Reduce Burden, Clarify, and Align.
Repeal addresses Biden-era rules that the Trump administration considers overreach. Modernize updates outdated paperwork and record-keeping. Reduce Burden eliminates requirements that the agency considers unnecessary compliance costs on licensees and gun owners. Clarify addresses longstanding regulatory ambiguities. Align brings regulations into conformity with recent court decisions, most notably the Supreme Court’s ruling in Garland v. Cargill.
Acting AG Blanche described the package at the press conference as “the most comprehensive regulatory reform package in the history” of the ATF.
One important caveat: these are agency rules, not federal statutes passed by Congress. Agency rules can be changed by future administrations without congressional action. What the current administration put in place, a future administration could reverse. The permanence of these changes depends on whether they survive legal challenges and whether future administrations choose to maintain them.
What to Do If You Have Questions
The 27 proposed rules are in public comment. Gun owners, FFLs, and other stakeholders can submit comments directly to the ATF through regulations.gov. The comment record becomes part of the legal foundation that defends final rules against future court challenges.
For the most current status of each rule, the ATF’s official rulemaking page tracks where each proposal stands in the process.
We will follow this as additional rules in the series are released.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. ATF regulations change frequently and some rules in this package are still in the proposed stage. Verify current regulations at atf.gov before making decisions based on this information.