Frequently Asked Questions

Logbooks for Guns is a cloud-based, ATF compliant electronic bound book platform for Federal Firearms Licensees. It replaces paper A&D (Acquisition and Disposition) records, Form 4473 processing, and NICS tracking with a secure, searchable digital system. Founded in 2011 by an active FFL holder, it is purpose-built for dealers, manufacturers, importers, and C&R collectors — not adapted from generic inventory software. Every field, every validation rule, and every compliance check reflects actual ATF regulations.

Plans are billed monthly with no per-record fees — ever:

• Personal — $3/month: For personal collectors and non-licensed gun owners.
• Dealer — $30/month: For licensed dealers (Type 01/02).
• Collector — $30/month: For C&R license holders (Type 03).
• Manufacturer — $60/month: For licensed manufacturers (Type 07/10).
• Importer — $60/month: For licensed importers (Type 08/11).

All plans include a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. See the full pricing page for details.

Yes. Every new account gets a full 30-day free trial with access to all features on your selected plan. No credit card is required to start. You enter payment information only if you decide to continue after the trial period. There is no obligation and no auto-charge at trial end.

Under ATF Ruling 2016-1, you may transition your existing paper bound book to an electronic system at any time. You are not required to back-enter historical paper records — you can simply begin entering new acquisitions and dispositions electronically from your transition date forward while retaining your paper books as the historical record. If you choose to digitize historical records, our bulk import tool supports CSV entry. Your paper books must be retained per ATF retention requirements regardless of the transition. We recommend contacting us if you need guidance on your specific situation.

Yes. We support CSV import for acquisition and disposition records. If your current software can export a CSV or spreadsheet, our import wizard maps your existing columns to the required ATF fields. For systems that export in ATF pipe-delimited ASCII format (per ATF's business discontinuance specification), we can import that format directly. Contact our support team for a migration checklist tailored to your current software.

Yes. The platform is fully compliant with every current federal regulation governing electronic firearms records:

• ATF Ruling 2016-1 — All 14 conditions for electronic A&D bound book records, including audit trail, correction history, access controls, US-based hosting, and on-demand ATF access.
• ATF Ruling 2016-2 — Native electronic Form 4473 processing.
• ATF Ruling 2022-01 — Electronic storage and permanent retention of Form 4473.
• Final Rule 2021R-05F — Forever retention and PMF (Privately Made Firearm) support.
• BSCA 2022 — Enhanced background check compliance for buyers under 21.
• 27 CFR 478.125 — Full record-keeping requirements for all FFL types.

ATF does not certify or endorse specific software vendors. Compliance is the dealer's responsibility; our platform is engineered to satisfy every requirement.

Yes. Per ATF Final Rule 2021R-05F, FFLs are required to mark and record PMFs that come into their inventory for service or transfer. The platform includes a dedicated PMF designation on each acquisition record, handles the serialization workflow for unmarked PMFs, and flags the record type correctly in all reports and exports. Records for PMFs are retained permanently, consistent with the rule's forever-retention requirement.

Yes. Form 4473 is processed natively within the platform per ATF Ruling 2016-2 and stored electronically per Ruling 2022-01. The system walks through all required transferee questions, captures NICS transaction numbers, records disposition outcomes, and links each completed 4473 directly to the corresponding bound book disposition entry. Forms are stored with permanent retention and are available for on-demand ATF inspection access. E-signature capture meets ATF's authentication requirements.

Yes. The platform generates the ATF-specified pipe-delimited ASCII export file required when an FFL goes out of business or retires their license. The export format matches the ATF Out-of-Business Records specification exactly, including all required fields, field order, and delimiter formatting. You can generate this export at any time from your account settings — you do not need to wait until business discontinuance to verify the output.

Yes. The system automatically detects multiple sales — two or more handguns sold to the same unlicensed buyer within five business days — and alerts you to file ATF Form 3310.4 (Report of Multiple Sale or Other Disposition of Pistols and Revolvers). The detection runs at the time of disposition entry so you are notified before completing the transaction. Reporting history is logged in the record for audit trail purposes.

Yes. The platform is fully responsive and works in any modern browser on any device — desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. The interface is specifically optimized for iPad (both portrait and landscape orientation), which is a common choice at dealer counters. No app download is required. Because it runs in the browser, it works on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS without any software installation.

Yes, on the Enterprise plan. You can create sub-user accounts for employees or partners with granular permission controls — for example, allowing a counter employee to enter acquisitions and run Form 4473 without access to billing or account settings. Every action performed by sub-users is logged in the audit trail with their user identity, satisfying ATF Ruling 2016-1's access control and audit requirements. The Dealer/Manufacturer plan includes single-user access; upgrade to Enterprise for team accounts.

Yes. You can print barcode labels directly from your inventory. The system generates Code 39 and Code 128 barcodes encoding the firearm's serial number, and label sheets are formatted to standard Avery label sizes for standard laser or inkjet printers. Labels can be generated individually or in bulk — up to 100 per page. Barcodes can be scanned during disposition entry to instantly pull up the correct record, reducing manual entry errors.

Yes. The platform has built-in support for pawn acquisitions (taking a firearm in as collateral) and consignment inventory. Pawn records track the pledge date, redemption deadline, and transfer status. Consignment records track the original owner, terms, and sale proceeds. Both transaction types generate the correct A&D entries per 27 CFR Part 478 and flag the appropriate record type in your bound book.

Yes. A REST API with bearer token authentication is available on the Enterprise plan. The API supports reading and writing acquisition and disposition records, querying inventory, and submitting Form 4473 data programmatically. HMAC-signed webhooks are available for real-time event notifications. Full API documentation is available at /developers and sandbox tokens are available for testing before going live in production.

Yes. The Personal plan at $3/month is designed specifically for C&R collectors (Type 03 FFL). It includes a full electronic A&D bound book with the correct fields for curio and relic firearms, acquisition and disposition tracking, PDF bound book generation, and ATF ASCII export. C&R records have their own compliance logic separate from commercial dealer records. This is the most affordable compliant electronic C&R bound book available.

All data is stored exclusively on US-based servers, as required by ATF Ruling 2016-1 Condition 3, which prohibits storing bound book records on servers located outside the United States. We do not use foreign cloud regions or cross-border data replication for any firearms records. The infrastructure runs on dedicated US servers with no data residency exceptions.

Automated database backups run hourly. Backups are encrypted and replicated to offsite cloud storage (geographically separate from the primary server) after each backup cycle. Daily snapshots are retained for 30 days; weekly snapshots are retained for 90 days. Backup integrity is verified via SHA-256 checksum after each backup. In the event of a server failure, the restore target is under one hour of data loss.

Yes, at multiple layers. Sensitive database fields (personal identifying information, Form 4473 transferee data) are encrypted at rest using AES-256. All data in transit is protected by TLS 1.2+ (HTTPS); plain HTTP connections are automatically redirected. Sessions are encrypted and rotated on privilege changes. Security headers — including HSTS, Content Security Policy, and X-Frame-Options — are enforced on every response. The platform runs on up-to-date server software with regular security patches applied.

Yes. Your data is always yours and you can export it at any time without contacting support:

• PDF — Formatted bound book pages suitable for printing or archiving.
• ATF ASCII (pipe-delimited) — The official ATF out-of-business records format.
• CSV — Spreadsheet-compatible format for use in Excel, Google Sheets, or other software.

Exports are available from the Reports section of your account dashboard with no usage limits.

Per ATF regulations (27 CFR 478.129 and ATF Ruling 2022-01), bound book records and Form 4473s must be retained permanently or until the records are transferred to ATF or a successor licensee — you cannot legally delete them. Accordingly, your records are never deleted, even after cancellation. Your account enters a read-only state where you can still view, search, and export all historical records. If you reactivate your subscription at any time, full read-write access is restored instantly with all records intact. This is by design and required by law.