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Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-110

§926 Rules and Regulations

Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 44 — FIREARMS › § 926

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Attorney General may only make rules needed to carry out this law. The rules can require people licensed under this law to show a certified copy of their license when dealing with another licensed person, allow issuance of certified license copies at a reasonable cost, and set rules for taking in and safely storing firearms given up or seized from the people described in 922(d)(8) or 922(g)(8). No rule made after the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act was passed can force required records to be stored at or sent to any federal, state, or local government facility, or create any registry of firearms, firearm owners, or firearm transactions. This does not change the Secretary’s power to ask about what happened to a firearm during a criminal investigation. The Attorney General must give at least 90 days’ public notice and offer chances for hearings before making such rules. The Attorney General may not require buyers of black powder who are covered by the exemption in 845(a)(5) to fill out affidavits or forms to prove that exemption.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §926

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Attorney General may prescribe only such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, including—
(1)regulations providing that a person licensed under this chapter, when dealing with another person so licensed, shall provide such other licensed person a certified copy of this license;
(2)regulations providing for the issuance, at a reasonable cost, to a person licensed under this chapter, of certified copies of his license for use as provided under regulations issued under paragraph (1) of this subsection; and
(3)regulations providing for effective receipt and secure storage of firearms relinquished by or seized from persons described in subsection (d)(8) or (g)(8) of section 922.
No such rule or regulation prescribed after the date of the enactment of the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act may require that records required to be maintained under this chapter or any portion of the contents of such records, be recorded at or transferred to a facility owned, managed, or controlled by the United States or any State or any political subdivision thereof, nor that any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or dispositions be established. Nothing in this section expands or restricts the Secretary’s authority to inquire into the disposition of any firearm in the course of a criminal investigation.
(b)The Attorney General shall give not less than ninety days public notice, and shall afford interested parties opportunity for hearing, before prescribing such rules and regulations.
(c)The Attorney General shall not prescribe rules or regulations that require purchasers of black powder under the exemption provided in section 845(a)(5) of this title to complete affidavits or forms attesting to that exemption.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of the enactment of the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 99–308, which was approved May 19, 1986.

Amendments

2002—Subsecs. (a) to (c). Pub. L. 107–296 substituted “Attorney General” for “Secretary”. 1994—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 103–322 added par. (3). 1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–308, § 106(1)–(4), designated existing provision as subsec. (a), and in subsec. (a) as so designated, in provision preceding par. (1) substituted “may prescribe only” for “may prescribe” and “as are” for “as he deems reasonably”, and in closing provision substituted provision that no rule or regulation prescribed after May 19, 1986, require that records required under this chapter be recorded at or transferred to a facility owned, managed, or controlled by the United States or any State or political subdivision thereof, nor any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or dispositions be established and that nothing in this section expand or restrict the authority of the Secretary to inquire into the disposition of any firearm in the course of a criminal investigation for provision that the Secretary give reasonable public notice, and afford an opportunity for a hearing, prior to prescribing

Rules and Regulations

. Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 99–308, § 106(5), added subsecs. (b) and (c). 1968—Pub. L. 90–618 inserted provisions authorizing the Secretary to prescribe

Regulations

requiring a licensee, when dealing with another licensee, to provide such other licensee a certified copy of the license, and

Regulations

authorizing the issuance of certified copies of the license required under this chapter.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2002 AmendmentAmendment by 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.

Effective Date

of 1986 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–308 effective 180 days after May 19, 1986, see section 110(a) of Pub. L. 99–308, set out as a note under section 921 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1968 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 90–618 effective Dec. 16, 1968, see section 105 of Pub. L. 90–618, set out as a note under section 921 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective 180 days after June 19, 1968, see section 907 of Pub. L. 90–351, set out as a note under section 921 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 926

Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110