How to E-File an ATF Form 1 with eForms

By Ferrari Steve on December 27, 2015

Not long after purchasing my Sig Sauer MPX in pistol configuration, it was obvious to me that the
most effective and natural configuration for this weapon is a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR). Converting
a firearm to an SBR can be done in a number of ways, but it usually entails either installing a barrel
shorter than 16 on a rifle, or adding a stock to a pistol so that the overall length of the weapon is under
26. For full legal details, refer to the National Firearms Act (NFA). Different states have different laws
and regulations, so make sure youre informed as to the requirements and legalities in your particular
area.
Converting a pistol or rifle into an SBR (or converting a shotgun into an SBS) is considered creating a
new firearm, which means youre required by law to file form 5320.1 (more commonly referred to as
simply Form 1) with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE, though more
commonly referred to as the ATF). If you prefer to keep things old-skool, you can fill out the paper

version of the form (in duplicate) and pop it in the mail along with a $200 check to cover the tax
required for a conversion. Or you can do what I do and use the ATFs eForms system to file your form
and pay the tax online. This article walks you through the steps necessary to register an SBR using the
eForms system as of June 2015. The steps required to create other types of NFA firearms (such as
SBS or suppressor) are very similar.

Things to Know Before You Get Started

1. For the examples in this article, our friend Joe Schmoe of Schenectady, NY is e-filing ATF
Form 1 to convert his Sig Sauer MPX pistol into an SBR. Hes already set up a gun trust called
Joes Awesome Trust, which will make the process much easier. You can certainly file a Form
1 as an individual, but it has more requirements including fingerprints, ID, and the signature
of your local chief law enforcement officer (or CLEO), which can sometimes be near
impossible to get in some areas. I highly recommend that you follow Joes lead and establish a
gun trust to register your NFA items. Theres lots of great information on gun trusts online, and I
recommend reading up on them at GunTrustLawyer.com (I have no affiliation). There are a
number of services available online that can set up a gun trust for you at very reasonable costs,
or you can find an attorney in your area that specializes in them. Keep the full legal name of
the trust or other legal entity under 50 characters, or you wont be able to file the eForm.
2. Its worth noting that Joe is not doing this on a Wednesday. As of the writing of this article, the
ATF takes the eForms system offline every Wednesday, presumably for maintenance and
upgrades. Of course, the ATF is a government agency, and so while I consider their eForms site
surprisingly effective when compared to other government sites, thats not really saying much.
Set your expectations appropriately; its nowhere near as fast or reliable as most websites
you probably use on a daily basis. Even if its not a Wednesday, the site can be slow and buggy.
The ATF can (and has in the past) simply taken the system offline without warning and declared
eForm submissions indefinitely suspended. But if youre patient and persistent, I still think it
beats filling out paper forms.
3. The help section for the ATFs online tools are pretty much non-existent. But like most
government forms, the instructions for the paper version are quite extensive. If youre ever
unsure about what to put somewhere, check the corresponding field on the paper version of ATF
Form 1, and scroll down to the instructions section.
4. Read through the ATFs January 2015 eForms Bulletin to better familiarize yourself with the
eForms system. Theres lots of useful stuff in there.
5. If you make a mistake on your eForm, and dont catch it before you submit it, you cant edit it.
From the January 2015 eForms Bulletin: We cannot make changes to a submitted NFA eForm.
If you make an error in the name or serial number, you will need to contact the NFA Branch at
(304) 616-4500 and request the withdrawal of the form. You will then need to submit a new
application. Please ensure that the information is correct upon submission.
6. Dont be afraid to Ask the Experts. Theres a tab in the ATFs eForms system that allows you
to send questions on a variety of topics directly to aSubject Matter Expert via email. Their
2015 eForms Bulletin claims that All questions submitted through Ask the Expert will be
responded to within two business days. Ive used it a few times, and have always received a
reply within that time-frame. So if you have any questions about anything related to your form,
give it a try!
7. DISCLAIMER: I repeat this below, but I want to say it right up front. There are
many laws surrounding firearms, and most of them have very serious consequences if
violated. Its 100% YOUR responsibility to understand any and all laws that might apply

to you before making any modifications to any weapons. Im not a lawyer and I dont play
one on TV. Nothing in this post, comments, or anywhere else on this website should be
construed as legal advice. Proceed at your own risk and peril. Always keep things 100%
legal, and seek legal advice if youre not sure what that means in your particular case. Im
trying to be helpful, but Im not going to take any part of the blame if you decide to be an
idiot and violate Federal firearms law.
So if youre ready to file your Form 1, follow these steps along with Joe to increase your chances of
getting your form approved (but there are no guarantees the ATF can sometimes be more indecisive
than a contestant on The Bachelorette).

Step 1: Register an eForms Account

Go to https://www.atfonline.gov/EForms/, where you have the option to either Log In or Register a
new account.

ATF eForms Home Page

If you already have an account, skip to Step 2. If not, press the Register button and youll see the User
Registration screen:

ATF eForms User Registration

Fill our your personal information. Required fields are marked with asterisks. For Address Line 1 (and
Address Line 2 when needed), do not use a P.O. box. In its January 2015 eForms Bulletin (referenced
above), the ATF said Please do not use a PO Box address as the address for the maker (eForm 1). The
physical address of the legal entity (trust, LLC, etc.) must be used. I interpret this to mean that you
shouldnt use a P.O. Box anywhere on an eForm. If you were filing a paper Form 1, youd be able
to use a P.O. box as your mailing address for item 3b, as long as you also included a physical address in
3c. But since this is an eForm, P.O. boxes are not allowed anywhere on the form.
You wont get to select a User ID (it will automatically create one for you based on your first and last
name). The password requirements are strict: it must be at least 12 characters and contain at least one
number, one special character, one upper case letter, and one lower case letter. Once youve filled
everything out, press Register. Youll get a confirmation screen, and a confirmation email will arrive in
your email inbox within a few minutes. You dont have to click anything in the email to confirm your
registration, but it will contain the username youll need to log in.

ATF eForms registration confirmation screen

Step 2: Log In to eForms

Back on the eForms Login Page, enter your assigned username and 12+ character password to log in.

ATF eForms login page

Once inside, youll receive a warning banner telling you that everything you do on this system is being
monitored (duh):

ATF eForms warning banner

Press the OK button to land on the eForms Home Screen.

Step 3: Select ATF Form 1 from the Home Screen

Your eForms Home Screen lets you see any forms that were previously approved, or in draft status,
or submitted and awaiting review. If this is your first time logging in, your My Forms area will be
blank:

Main ATF eForms screen after login

Slide the selector in the middle of the Home Screen to the right until it selects Form 1:

Form 1 selected
Click the Form 1 image to launch the eForm.

Step 4: Fill Out ATF Form 1

This section will walk you through how to fill out the actual form. There are five sections on the
eForms version of ATF Form 1, and then a final step where you pay the tax:
1. Application: You tell the ATF what type of application youre submitting.
2. Applicant: You tell the ATF about the individual or entity (usually a Trust or Corporation)
submitting the form.
3. Line Item: You tell the ATF about the firearm for which youre submitting the form.
4. Electronic Documents: You provide any documentation required by the form (in the case of a
Trust or Corporation, this would be your Trust Documents or Articles of Incorporation).
5. Certify: You verify the information provided and digitally sign the form.
6. Pay, Sign, and Submit: You pay the $200 tax and submit the form.
Ill address each section below as a separate sub-step (4.1, 4.2, etc.). But before filling out the first

section, you must read the Intended User of Form statement, which explains how ATF Form 1 should
be used:

ATF Form 1 Intended Use of Form

Press Next to move on to the Application section of the form.

Step 4.1: Application Section

The Application Section of ATF Form 1 tells BATFE what type of application youre making, and
whether its being made by an individual, legal entity (such as a Corporation or Trust), or a government
entity:

ATF Form 1 Application Type

Unless youre working on behalf of a tax-exempt government agency (and if you are, this how-to is not
for you), select the Tax Paid ($200) option to indicate that youre filing this form to pay the $200
required tax to register an NFA firearm. If youre planning to own the firearm as an individual, select
that under Application is made by. Our buddy Joe is using his gun trust, so he picked Corporation or
other legal entity.
You can also type in anything you want as the Internal Control Number. This is only for your
reference, so I recommend using something that will quickly remind you which item this Form 1 refers
to, such as Sig Sauer MPX. Keep in mind, however, that the ATF is not known for its sense of
humor so I dont recommend using this box as an outlet for your comedic genius.
When youre done with the Application type, press Next to move on to the Applicant section.

Step 4.2: Applicant Section

Heres where you tell the ATF about the applicant.

ATF Form 1 Applicant Section

Check the No FFL box, unless youre a firearms dealer with a current Federal Firearms License (in
which case, again, this tutorial is not for you). Then enter the Licensee Name. If you selected
Individual in the previous section, use your legal name here. If you selected Corporation or other
legal entity, use the entitys legal name. Joes using his gun trust, so he used the trusts legal name,
which is Joes Awesome Trust.
Choose the country in which the individual resides or entity exists, then fill out the address (again, do
not use a P.O. box), phone, and email information. You privacy nuts may choose not to include any or
all of this info, and Ive heard of forms being approved without it. However, I recommend including it.
If there are any problems, mistakes, or questions concerning your form, they can often resolve the issue
with a quick phone call or email. Ive interacted with the ATF on a few occasions, both on the phone
and in-person, and without exception found them helpful, accommodating, and downright friendly. Of
course, it probably helped that on each of those occasions, I was on the right side of the law.
When youre done entering the applicants info, press Next to move on to the Line Item section.

Step 4.3: Line Item Section

The Line Item section of ATF Form 1 lets you tell the ATF about the product youre registering.

Press the Add Firearm button and a dialog box will pop up that walks you through three steps.

Step 4.3-1: Manufacturer Info

Step 1 of the Add Firearm box asks you to prove information about the manufacturer. Start type the
firearm manufacturers name in the Manufacturer Name box, and the system will attempt to autocomplete it. Since Joe is using this form to legally convert a Sig Sauer MPX into an SBR, he typed
SIG, then selected SIG ARMS (SIG SAUER) from the drop down box.

ATF Form 1 Add Firearm box

After typing in the name, click the Verify Manufacturer button to make sure that manufacturer you
entered matches one thats known to the ATF. If it is, youll get a success response that looks like this:

This means the ATF knows about your manufacturer.

If you dont get a match, maybe you misspelled the manufacturer. Check the drop-down list again. If
your manufacturer truly isnt in the list, or youre making your own gun and designating yourself as the
manufacturer, you wont be able to use the eForm version of Form 1. Youll have to fill out the written
form, and probably jump through a few more hoops that arent covered in this tutorial.
Once youve matched your manufacturer, choose the Manufacturer Country. This will normally be
stamped or engraved on the side of your firearm. Keep in mind that a good number of foreign firearms
manufacturers have manufacturing facilities in the US, so use United States if a US state is engraved
on your firearm (a Sig might say Exeter, NH or a CZ might say Kansas City, KS) then
consider that firearm made by a US manufacturer. Theres no problem with choosing a foreign
country here, however, so dont be afraid to do so if thats the actual case. Joes Sig MPX has New
Hampshire stamped on it, so he chose UNITED STATES.

Select the correct Manufacturer Country

Press Next to move on to Step 2 of the Add Firearm box.

Step 4.3-2: Firearm Detail

In Step 2 of the box, you need to provide accurate details about the firearm, in the configuration as you
want it to be registered. For example, if youre like Joe and have an MPX in pistol configuration and
you want to convert it to an SBR by doing nothing other than adding a stock, youd want to provide the
length of the existing barrel, but include the overall length of the weapon with the new stock. Or,
maybe you want to put a shorter barrel on an AR-15 to shrink it down to SBR size, in which case you
should include the length of the new shorter barrel, as well as the new overall length of the weapon in
SBR configuration. Again, youre telling the ATF details about the weapon as you intend it to exist
after they approve it. As I said at the beginning of this post, there are many laws surrounding firearms,
and most of them have very serious consequences if violated. Its 100% YOUR responsibility to
understand any and all laws that might apply to you before making any modifications to any weapons.
Im not a lawyer and I dont play one on TV. Nothing in this post, comments, or anywhere else on this
website should be construed as legal advice. Proceed at your own risk and peril. Always keep things
100% legal, and seek legal advice if youre not sure what that means in your particular case. Im trying
to be helpful, but Im not going to take any part of the blame if you decide to be an idiot and violate
Federal firearms law.

Add firearm details as you want it registered, and not necessarily as it is currently.
Joe is registering an SBR, so he selected SHORT BARRELED RIFLE from the Product Type dropdown box.
The Model drop-down is pre-populated with known firearms from the manufacturer (which you
verified in the previous step). If your firearm doesnt appear, dont panic. If its an extremely new
product, its possible that youre the first person to attempt to register. Thats unlikely, but Ive seen it,
and it is possible. Its more likely that you maybe chose the wrong manufacturer, so it might be worth
going back and double-checking. If youre certain everythings right but your models not there, you
can ignore the Model drop-down (for now) and select My item description is not in the list, create
new one. Youll have some extra hoops to jump through at the end of the form. But for the vast
majority, your weapon will be there.
Assuming your item is there, select the correct Caliber (in Joes case 9) and the Unit of Measure for
that caliber (such as MM). If your weapon is a 5.56, you should also select MM. If the weapon
youre modifying is a .40 cal, youd choose 40 as the caliber and CALIBER as the unit of measure.
Or, if you were creating a Short Barreled Shotgun, youd likely choose Gauge as the unit of measure.
Make sure you get this right, as the ATF will reject your application your form if they find any errors.
Put the Length of Barrel and Overall Length in inches in the configuration as you want the firearm
registered. You can measure things yourself (make sure you know how to do this properly), or look on
manufacturers websites under their specifications. According to the NFA, the barrel length of a
shotgun or rifle shall be determined by measuring the distance between the muzzle and the face of
the bolt, breech, or breechlock when closed and when the shotgun or rifle is cocked (see 27 CFR sec.

179.11). Overall length is defined as the distance between the extreme ends of the weapon measured
along a line parallel to the center line of the bore (see 27 CFR sec. 479.11). On a folding stock weapon
you measure with the stock extended, provided the stock is not readily detachable, and the weapon is
meant to be fired from the shoulder. If you have anything attached to the end of the barrel (such as a
flash suppressor, adapter, etc.) it can only be included in the barrel and overall length measurements if
it is permanently installed that means welded, pinned, etc. If youre able to remove the
attachment from the end of your barrel by hand or with hand tools, the ATF does not consider that
permanent. But if the attachment requires cutting, drilling, grinding, or major heating to remove,
youve got a pretty solid argument that its permanent.
The most accurate way to measure barrel length on a rifle or shotgun is how the ATF would do it if they
inspected your firearm: remove any non-permanent attachments, make sure the firearm is unloaded
and cocked, then insert a wooden dowel from the muzzle end until it stops on the bolt or breechface.
Use a pencil to mark the muzzle end of the dowel where it exits the barrel, then remove the dowel and
measure from the end of the stick to your mark. You now have an accurate barrel length measurement.
Again, this is friendly advice and Im not an attorney, so making sure length information for your
firearm is 100% accurate is your responsibility.
For Serial Number, include the existing serial number of the weapon from the manufacturer. If youre
creating a new weapon yourself from scratch, youd be able to enter any serial number you want.
You dont have to put anything in the Description box. I never do. Once again, this is also not a place
where I recommend sharing your comedic genius with the ATF. For State Why You Intend To Make
Firearm, I recommend putting simply All lawful reasons. Ive heard stories where some applicants
put things like To fight zombies, and actually got away with it but again, I dont think its worth
risking $200 and a longer wait time to make jokes here.
When youre done entering the details, double-check them before you press Next to go to the 3rd and
final step of the Add Firearms box.

Step 4.3-2: Electronic Documents (NOT for Trust docs)

Step 3 of the Add Firearms box asks for Electronic Documents relating to the firearm. DO NOT
ATTACH YOUR TRUST DOCUMENT HERE. In most cases, you wont attach anything here. Its
primarily for attaching documentation about the firearm if youre creating one from scratch. If youre
filling out ATF Form 1 using a trust, youll attach those docs later. Just press Finish to finalize and
close the Add Firearms box.

Dont attach trust or corporate documents here. That comes later.

Once youve finished adding a firearm, the Line Item section will update and look like this:

Line Item section with firearm added.

You cant submit a Form 1 for more than one firearm at a time, so dont even try. You should now see
some of the details you just provided. Assuming everything looks right, you can press Next to move on
to Electronic Documents.

Step 4.4: Electronic Documents

If youre submitting this form using a Corporate Entity or Trust, this is where youll provide those
documents to the ATF.

Electronic Documents section of ATF Form 1. This is where you upload your Trust documents.
Use the Choose File button to select the first document you want to attach, then select the document
from your hard drive location. For Document Type, choose the appropriate type which will most
likely be CORPORATION/TRUST/OTHER LEGAL ENTITY. For the description, enter something
that describes the document. I simply use Trust. Hit the Add button and the document will appear in
the list of attached documents:

Electronic Documents section showing all attached docs.

If your legal entity has multiple documents (such as amendments to the Trust or corporate docs), follow
the same process to add them here. Joe only has the one document, so hes ready to hit Next and move
on to the Certify step.

Step 4.5: Certify Section

One you arrive at the Certify section of ATF Form 1, the system will take a quick look at your form
and point out any obvious errors, such as required information thats missing. It wont check for
accuracy of the information, however. Thats done manually after your form is submitted.
If you are submitting a Form 1 for a manufacturer or model that wasnt listed by the ATF, youll get a
yellow warning message at this point that says The model or manufacturer you have indicated is
either unknown or is not listed in the ATF reference tables. ATF will have to validate the information
you provided prior to rendering a decision on your application. This may extend the average
processing time for this application. Please attach copies of any additional information that you feel
will assist us with this validation. You can continue on and ignore this message, or you might consider
going back to the Line Item step and attaching a photo of the firearm, including a close-up of the serial
number, manufacturer markings, and any other markings that might speed things up.
Otherwise, if everything looks OK up to this point, youll get a validation message like this:

ATF Form 1 Certify Section

Read the Certification section carefully before checking the box, because by doing so youre making
an official declaration to a government agency, under penalty of perjury, that youre providing true,
accurate, and complete information. And the penalties for perjury are serious. Unless, of course, youre
a sitting U.S. President or Cabinet Member (how I wish that really was a joke).

Step 4.6: Pay, Sign, and Submit

After checking the Certify box, youre ready to hit the most important button as far as the ATF is
concerned: the Pay button. Youll notice the Sign & Submit button is grayed out until this crucial step
is completed. Of course, Constitutional strict-constructionists (such as myself) might have very strong
opinions as to whether the requirement to pay an additional $200 to shorten a rifle or lengthen a pistol
qualifies as infringement of the right to keep and bear arms, but thats a discussion for another day.
So for now, be a good little citizen, patriotically reach for your credit card, and press Pay. Your
patriotism will be rewarded with the following dialog box:

Its time for Uncle Sam to get PAID!

Fill in all the required fields (Account Holder Name means the name as it appears on the credit card),
then scroll down and make sure everything is filled out correctly.

Uncle Sam gonna GET that money!

Once youve provided your credit card info, press Continue with Plastic Card Payment. Youll see
one more screen that allows you to enter an email address for a confirmation and receipt, and a checkbox that authorizes the credit card charge:

Enter your email address if you want a receipt.

Hit the Submit Payment button and wait patiently. Dont press your browsers back button.
Eventually, youll get a payment confirmation:

Uncle Sam GOT THAT MONEY!

At this point, youll be returned to the Certify page and the Sign & Submit button will no longer be
grayed out. Before pressing it, pause for a moment to soak in the Freudian irony of the wording, and
then submit.

The ATF wants you to submit to them.

Youll be asked to verify your 12+ character password:

Enter your password one last time.

Youll receive a pop-up verifying that youve successfully submitted to the ATF, and youll be
rewarded with an application number for your reference (which youll need if you want to call the ATF
about it later):

Verification that youve successfully submitted to the ATF.

Step 5: Wait
With your ATF Form 1 e-filed, the only thing left to do is wait. Depending on their backlog, it could be
weeks, or it could be months. Check your email inbox right away, though, because if the system
worked properly, eForms should have sent you an email confirmation. This same system is supposed to
email you any time the status of your application changes (though its not 100% reliable). Your initial
email confirmation should look something like this:
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2015 16:59:15 -0400
From: eforms.notifications@atf.gov
To: joeschmoe@example.com
Subject: eForms Application Submission Notification for Permit/Control No:
2015000000
This is to advise you that the status of your eForms submission with the subject
Permit/Control number has changed to SUBMITTED/IN PROCESS
Permit/Control No: 2015000000
Your Reference No: Sig Sauer MPX
Submission Date: 2015-06-12-04:00
Form ID: ATF Form 1 (5320.1) - Application to Make and Register a Firearm
Please logon to the eForms site for more details.

If you have any questions about your eForms submission, please contact:
for Imports questions, call (304) 616-4550
for NFA questions, call (304) 616-4500
for AFMER questions, call (304) 616-4590
for Firearms Licensing questions, call 1-866-662-2750
Thank you for using eForms.

You can also go back to the eForms Home tab to check on your submission. An item called Form
1 should be listed under the My Forms section under SUBMITTED/IN PROCESS. If you click on it,
you can view the submitted form, but you cant edit it.

You can check on your forms status here.

If you have questions about your application, you can contact the NFA division of the ATF by
calling (304) 616-4500 during Eastern time zone normal business hours. You can also use the Ask the
Experts tab in the eForms interface to email your question. Ive found their response time to questions
surprisingly quick.
Eventually, you should hear back from the ATF. In theory, theyre supposed to send you an email when
they approve or reject your application, but theyre a government agency, so that doesnt always
happen. Its best to check the eForms site occasionally if you have a submission pending. When you do
come back to check, you dont have to drill all the way down into the form. If the ATF has made a
decision, your Form will be moved from SUBMITTED/IN PROCESS to APPROVED or
DISAPPROVED in your My Forms area:

Approved and Disapproved submissions are shown in your My Forms area.

Keep in mind that this section (like anywhere else on the eForms site) can get buggy from time to
time. I recently had a submitted form completely disappear from my accounts My Forms section. I
called the ATFs NFA division to make sure they still saw it, and everything was fine on their end. The
form magically re-appeared in my account a day later, still shown as SUBMITTED/IN PROCESS.

If your Form 1 Gets Rejected

If the ATF rejects your Form 1, theyre supposed to include a written explanation with the reason(s).
Theyll also automatically refund your $200 within a week or so of the rejection. If you decide to resubmit a corrected application for the same firearm, use the Ask the Experts feature on the eForms
website to provide your old and new application numbers (they call them control numbers). The ATF
will process the new application as a correction, which should take less time.

If your Form 1 Gets Approved

If your application gets approved, download the PDF file to your hard drive. Print out a couple copies,
too. Store one with your trust documents (preferably in a safe), and keep the other one in your gun bag.
Whenever you take your Form 1 firearm anywhere to shoot, you should bring a copy of your approved
Form 1 showing the tax stamp just in case you come under any scrutiny.
Also, if you used a Corporation or Trust, dont forget to engrave the entitys name on the firearm
properly. Use your new firearm in good health and with good sense.

If the ATF Contacts You

If you included contact information (such as your email and/or phone number), the ATF may try to
contact you if they have questions while reviewing your submission. If that happens, I recommend you
be courteous and friendly, just as Ive always found them to be. The person youre talking to on the
phone doesnt make the laws, and theyre just trying to do their job.
Good luck with your ATF Form 1 endeavors, and feel free to tell me in the comments below how your
experience went! Joes still waiting but hes patient and optimistic.
As always, I welcome your questions, comments, and feedback below.

Further Reading
ATF.gov get info straight from the horses mouth guaranteed to be accurate for at least 5

minutes before they change their mind

eFormsNews A PDF published by the ATFin January 2015 that has a lot of useful information
for eForms users.
Understanding ATF e-Forms SilencerShop.com
How to legally own a Short Barrel Rifle Defense Firearms Blog
GunTrustLawyer.com A respected source of online gun trust info