Question on Class III and BATFE No-Warrants

F

FrontSight

New member
Hi,

Does having a Class III license open up your home to No-Warrant searches by the BATFE? I thought that was just with FFL's and only if your home is your place of business, but someone else on another site said yadda yadda yadda...

Thanks!
 
If by "Class 3 license" you mean a non-FFL/SOT having a registered NFA weapon, the answer is no. The forms for a non-FFL/SOT individual to transfer/possess/manufacture an NFA weapon are an application and a tax filing. By filing the tax and making the application you do not give up any rights you would otherwise have. BATFE or any other LEA can demand to see the paperwork, but they cannot enter your home without a proper warrant. That said, if there's something amiss in either their records (the NFRTR) or with your paperwork, they'll be able to get that warrant ASAP.

If by "Class 3 license" you mean a licensed dealer or manufacturer of NFA weapons, the answer is yes, as it would be with the business premises and inventory of any FFL.
 
Even with an FFL the BATFE does not have the authority to inspected ones home without a warrant... only the licensed premises.
 
There has been a rumor around for years that if you own an NFA firearm BATFE will "inspect" your home, or come in without a warrant to make sure you still have the gun, etc. Not true. A registered NFA firearm is no more illegal than your TV set and your ownership of one does not give anyone the right to search or inspect your home without the proper warrant.

In fact the only time I can conceive that BATFE would even care would be if a gun registered to you turned up in the wrong hands, or there was some error with the gun ID or serial number. Then, they might want to make sure your gun is still where it should be and to clear up any misunderstanding. But they would do that by phone or a visit, with no problem (unless, of course, you really did sell the gun to Public Enemy No. 1).

Jim
 
By the way, the $200 is a tax and not a license.
The big differnce is, that a license has a limit.
The $200 NFA is a one time tax you pay. When you die, your son/daughter will get then the NFA item. He does not have to pay again the $200 and they can't take the NFA item!
 
There has been a rumor around for years that if you own an NFA firearm BATFE will "inspect" your home, or come in without a warrant to make sure you still have the gun, etc. Not true.
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I have a friend who works for BATFE. He's one of two local agents. He's rather amused by these rumors.
Maybe I should invite him over for a beer and show him my "toys" so I can tell people that BATFE has been to my residence to inspect my firearms.:D
 
I've had both NFA toys and a C&R license for around 20 years now and have never seen an ATF agent. I know there's one around here somewhere because they have a local telephone number listed in the book. :)
 
I registered seven NFA firearms in the 1968 amnesty and never had any further dealing with BATFE except to report a change of address.

Jim
 
...never had any further dealing with BATFE except to report a change of address.
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I had to do that twice; when I bought and moved to my current residence, and when the rural fire dept. changed my street address number.
My BATFE agent friend told me, "We're not concerned with guys like you; we're more concerned with the @$$hole criminals with unregistered stuff".
 
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