ATF Wants Tobacco Sellers to Keep Even More Paperwork
Published Date: 5/18/2026
Notice
Summary
The Department of Justice’s ATF wants to start collecting new info from businesses that handle cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. They’re asking for your thoughts on the paperwork and how much time it might take before finalizing the rules. If you’re involved in this industry, get ready to keep and report more records, with comments open until July 17, 2026.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Recordkeeping for Large Tobacco Shipments
If you run a business that ships, sells, or distributes cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, you must keep copies of invoices, bills of lading, or other suitable commercial records for any disposition of more than 10,000 cigarettes or smokeless tobacco in excess of 500 single-unit consumer-sized cans or packages. You must retain those records for five years and report the purchaser or recipient's name, destination street address, and the quantity distributed.
ATF Estimates Zero Time and Cost
ATF estimates 14,311 private-sector for-profit respondents will retain the required records once annually. ATF reports the total annual public burden is 0 hours and the total annual other cost burden is $0 because respondents will ‘‘simply retain their regular commercial business records for five years.’'
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