PMF Requirements: What FFLs Need to Know About Privately Made Firearms

What is a PMF?

A Privately Made Firearm (PMF) is a firearm manufactured by a non-licensee, including those made from kits, 3D-printed, or otherwise assembled outside of a licensed manufacturer. Under ATF Final Rule 2021R-05F (effective August 24, 2022), PMFs received by FFLs must be properly serialized and recorded.

Serial Number Requirements

When an FFL receives a PMF, they must mark it with a serial number within 7 days (or before disposition, whichever is sooner). Per 27 CFR 478.92(a)(2), the serial number must include:

• An abbreviated FFL number: first 3 digits + last 5 digits of the FFL license number
• A hyphen separator
• A unique identifier

Example: If your FFL is 1-23-456-78-9A-12345, your PMF prefix is 123-12345, and a serial might be 12312345-0001.

Bound Book Recording

In your A&D bound book, PMFs must be recorded with:

• Manufacturer: "Privately Made Firearm (PMF)"
• Serial Number: The FFL-assigned serial using the format above
• PMF Indicator: A clear designation that this is a privately made firearm

Form 4473

When transferring a PMF, the Form 4473 must indicate the firearm is a PMF. This appears in Section A alongside the standard firearm description fields.

How Logbooks for Guns Handles PMFs

Our system provides full PMF support:

• PMF checkbox on receive and edit forms — auto-fills manufacturer as "Privately Made Firearm (PMF)"
• FFL prefix calculator — automatically shows your required serial prefix based on your license number
• Bound book PDF — displays "(PMF)" designation below the manufacturer name
• Form 4473 — PMF column in Section A