Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73not60
§843 Licenses and User Permits
Title 18 › Part I— CRIMES › Chapter 40— IMPORTATION, MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION AND STORAGE OF EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS › § 843
Summary
You must apply to the Attorney General to get a license, user permit, or limited permit to make, import, or handle explosives. The application must give the names and ID of people who will be allowed to handle explosives, plus fingerprints and a photo for each responsible person. The government can set the exact form and extra information it needs. A limited permit fee cannot be more than $50 and any other license or permit fee cannot be more than $200. Regular licenses and user permits last up to 3 years. Limited permits last up to 1 year. Renewals follow the same rules and the renewal fee can be at most half the original fee. If you file a correct application and pay the fee, the Attorney General must grant the license or permit within 90 days unless certain rules stop it. The law lists conditions for approval, including that the applicant and their responsible employees are not disqualified by law, the applicant has not willfully broken these rules before, the applicant has a business location in a State, storage meets federal safety and security standards (inspected or checked as allowed), the applicant knows relevant state and local laws, and limited permit holders agree to receive explosives on no more than six separate occasions in the permit year. The Attorney General can revoke licenses or permits for violations or if someone becomes ineligible. Denials and revocations must be given in writing with reasons. You can ask for a hearing and, after the hearing decision, you have 60 days to ask the federal appeals court for review. Licensees must keep records, let officials inspect records and stored explosives during business hours, post the license at the business, and give reports required by regulation. Employers can send names of employees for a clearance check; officials will issue either a clearance letter or a written notice explaining a disqualification and how to appeal. Manufacturers and importers must provide samples and chemical information when requested and may be paid fair market value and shipping costs.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §843
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)An application for a user permit or limited permit or a license to import, manufacture, or deal in explosive materials shall be in such form and contain such information as the Attorney General shall by regulation prescribe, including the names of and appropriate identifying information regarding all employees who will be authorized by the applicant to possess explosive materials, as well as fingerprints and a photograph of each responsible person. Each applicant for a license or permit shall pay a fee to be charged as set by the Attorney General, said fee not to exceed $50 for a limited permit and $200 for any other license or permit. Each license or user permit shall be valid for not longer than 3 years from the date of issuance and each limited permit shall be valid for not longer than 1 year from the date of issuance. Each license or permit shall be renewable upon the same conditions and subject to the same restrictions as the original license or permit, and upon payment of a renewal fee not to exceed one-half of the original fee.
(b)Upon the filing of a proper application and payment of the prescribed fee, and subject to the provisions of this chapter and other applicable laws, the Attorney General shall issue to such applicant the appropriate license or permit if—
(1)the applicant (or, if the applicant is a corporation, partnership, or association, each responsible person with respect to the applicant) is not a person described in section 842(i);
(2)the applicant has not willfully violated any of the provisions of this chapter or regulations issued hereunder;
(3)the applicant has in a State premises from which he conducts or intends to conduct business;
(4)(A)the Secretary 11 So in original. Probably should be “Attorney General”. verifies by inspection or, if the application is for an original limited permit or the first or second renewal of such a permit, by such other means as the Secretary 1 determines appropriate, that the applicant has a place of storage for explosive materials which meets such standards of public safety and security against theft as the Attorney General by regulations shall prescribe; and
(B)subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an applicant for the renewal of a limited permit if the Secretary 1 has verified, by inspection within the preceding 3 years, the matters described in subparagraph (A) with respect to the applicant; and
(5)the applicant has demonstrated and certified in writing that he is familiar with all published State laws and local ordinances relating to explosive materials for the location in which he intends to do business;
(6)none of the employees of the applicant who will be authorized by the applicant to possess explosive materials is any person described in section 842(i); and
(7)in the case of a limited permit, the applicant has certified in writing that the applicant will not receive explosive materials on more than 6 separate occasions during the 12-month period for which the limited permit is valid.
(c)The Attorney General shall approve or deny an application within a period of 90 days for licenses and permits, beginning on the date such application is received by the Attorney General.
(d)The Attorney General may revoke any license or permit issued under this section if in the opinion of the Attorney General the holder thereof has violated any provision of this chapter or any rule or regulation prescribed by the Attorney General under this chapter, or has become ineligible to acquire explosive materials under section 842(d). The Secretary’s 22 So in original. Probably should be “Attorney General’s”. action under this subsection may be reviewed only as provided in subsection (e)(2) of this section.
(e)(1)Any person whose application is denied or whose license or permit is revoked shall receive a written notice from the Attorney General stating the specific grounds upon which such denial or revocation is based. Any notice of a revocation of a license or permit shall be given to the holder of such license or permit prior to or concurrently with the effective date of the revocation.
(2)If the Attorney General denies an application for, or revokes a license, or permit, he shall, upon request by the aggrieved party, promptly hold a hearing to review his denial or revocation. In the case of a revocation, the Attorney General may upon a request of the holder stay the effective date of the revocation. A hearing under this section shall be at a location convenient to the aggrieved party. The Attorney General shall give written notice of his decision to the aggrieved party within a reasonable time after the hearing. The aggrieved party may, within sixty days after receipt of the Secretary’s 2 written decision, file a petition with the United States court of appeals for the district in which he resides or has his principal place of business for a judicial review of such denial or revocation, pursuant to section 701–706 of title 5, United States Code.
(f)Licensees and holders of user permits shall make available for inspection at all reasonable times their records kept pursuant to this chapter or the regulations issued hereunder, and licensees and permittees shall submit to the Attorney General such reports and information with respect to such records and the contents thereof as he shall by regulations prescribe. The Attorney General may enter during business hours the premises (including places of storage) of any licensee or holder of a user permit, for the purpose of inspecting or examining (1) any records or documents required to be kept by such licensee or permittee, under the provisions of this chapter or regulations issued hereunder, and (2) any explosive materials kept or stored by such licensee or permittee at such premises. Upon the request of any State or any political subdivision thereof, the Attorney General may make available to such State or any political subdivision thereof, any information which he may obtain by reason of the provisions of this chapter with respect to the identification of persons within such State or political subdivision thereof, who have purchased or received explosive materials, together with a description of such explosive materials. The Secretary 1 may inspect the places of storage for explosive materials of an applicant for a limited permit or, at the time of renewal of such permit, a holder of a limited permit, only as provided in subsection (b)(4).
(g)Licenses and user permits issued under the provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall be kept posted and kept available for inspection on the premises covered by the license and permit.
(h)(1)If the Secretary 1 receives, from an employer, the name and other identifying information of a responsible person or an employee who will be authorized by the employer to possess explosive materials in the course of employment with the employer, the Secretary 1 shall determine whether the responsible person or employee is one of the persons described in any paragraph of section 842(i). In making the determination, the Secretary 1 may take into account a letter or document issued under paragraph (2).
(2)(A)If the Secretary 1 determines that the responsible person or the employee is not one of the persons described in any paragraph of section 842(i), the Secretary 1 shall notify the employer in writing or electronically of the determination and issue, to the responsible person or employee, a letter of clearance, which confirms the determination.
(B)If the Secretary 1 determines that the responsible person or employee is one of the persons described in any paragraph of section 842(i), the Secretary 1 shall notify the employer in writing or electronically of the determination and issue to the responsible person or the employee, as the case may be, a document that—
(i)confirms the determination;
(ii)explains the grounds for the determination;
(iii)provides information on how the disability may be relieved; and
(iv)explains how the determination may be appealed.
(i)(1)Licensed manufacturers and licensed importers and persons who manufacture or import explosive materials or ammonium nitrate shall, when required by letter issued by the Secretary,1 furnish—
(A)samples of such explosive materials or ammonium nitrate;
(B)information on chemical composition of those products; and
(C)any other information that the Secretary 1 determines is relevant to the identification of the explosive materials or to identification of the ammonium nitrate.
(2)The Secretary 1 shall, by regulation, authorize reimbursement of the fair market value of samples furnished pursuant to this subsection, as well as the reasonable costs of shipment.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1122(c), in first sentence, inserted “or limited permit” after “user permit” and inserted before period at end “, including the names of and appropriate identifying information regarding all employees who will be authorized by the applicant to possess explosive materials, as well as fingerprints and a photograph of each responsible person”, in second sentence, substituted “$50 for a limited permit and $200 for any other” for “$200 for each”, inserted third and fourth sentences, and struck out former third sentence which read as follows: “Each license or permit shall be valid for no longer than three years from date of issuance and shall be renewable upon the same conditions and subject to the same restrictions as the original license or permit and upon payment of a renewal fee not to exceed one-half of the original fee.” Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(e)(3), substituted “Attorney General” for “Secretary” in two places. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(e)(3), substituted “Attorney General” for “Secretary” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1122(d)(1), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “the applicant (including in the case of a corporation, partnership, or association, any individual possessing, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the corporation, partnership, or association) is not a person to whom the distribution of explosive materials would be unlawful under section 842(d) of this chapter;”. Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1122(d)(2), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), inserted “the Secretary verifies by inspection or, if the application is for an original limited permit or the first or second renewal of such a permit, by such other means as the Secretary determines appropriate, that” before “the applicant”, and added subpar. (B). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(e)(3), substituted “the Attorney General by
Regulations
” for “the Secretary by
Regulations
”. Subsec. (b)(6), (7). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1122(d)(3), (4), added pars. (6) and (7). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1122(e), substituted “90 days for licenses and permits,” for “forty-five days”. Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(e)(3), substituted “Attorney General” for “Secretary” in two places. Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(e)(3), substituted “Attorney General” for “Secretary” wherever appearing. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1122(f), in first sentence, substituted “Licensees and holders of user permits” for “Licensees and permittees” and inserted “licensees and permittees” before “shall submit”, in second sentence, substituted “holder of a user permit” for “permittee”, and inserted at end “The Secretary may inspect the places of storage for explosive materials of an applicant for a limited permit or, at the time of renewal of such permit, a holder of a limited permit, only as provided in subsection (b)(4).” Pub. L. 107–296, § 1112(e)(3), substituted “Attorney General” for “Secretary” wherever appearing. Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1122(g), inserted “user” before “permits”. Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1122(h), added subsec. (h). Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1124, added subsec. (i).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2002 AmendmentAmendment by section 1112(e)(3) and 1124 of Pub. L. 107–296 effective 60 days after Nov. 25, 2002, see section 4 of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 101 of Title 6, Domestic Security. Pub. L. 107–296, title XI, § 1122(i), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2283, provided that: “(1) In general.—The
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section and section 841 and 842 of this title] shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 25, 2002]. “(2) Exception.—Notwithstanding any provision of this Act [see Tables for classification], a license or permit issued under section 843 of title 18, United States Code, before the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 25, 2002], shall remain valid until that license or permit is revoked under section 843(d) or expires, or until a timely application for renewal is acted upon.” Continuation in Business or Operation of Any Person Engaged in Business or Operation on October 15, 1970Filing of application for a license or permit prior to the
Effective Date
of this section as authorizing any person engaged in a business or operation requiring a license or a permit on Oct. 15, 1970 to continue such business or operation pending final action on such application, see section 1105(c) of Pub. L. 91–452, set out as a note under section 841 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 843
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60