ATF Form processing times have been notoriously slow. This chart tells a story I’m proud to share. The white line represents the average processing times across the four ATF forms Americans submit most often. It shows just how far we have come.
Thanks to dedication of our… pic.twitter.com/TGeU74sDHx— Robert Cekada (@ATFDirectorRC) July 27, 2026
ATF Form processing times have been notoriously slow. This chart tells a story I’m proud to share. The white line represents the average processing times across the four ATF forms Americans submit most often. It shows just how far we have come.
Thanks to dedication of our employees, the average time has dropped from 73 days in FY21 to just 18 days today. Form 4 processing has fallen from 150 days to approximately 18 days.
I’m incredibly proud of the men and women of ATF. Their hard work made this possible. We are not finished; We will keep improving and modernizing, earning the trust of the American people while staying focused on our core mission to reduce violent crime.


Processing times would be lightning fast (e.g. instantaneous) if fedzilla simply eliminated the unconstitutional law requiring prior approval to purchase and possess various firearms and firearm components.
A kinder, gentler, more efficient tyrant…
“We are not finished”
That’s a shame!
“We will keep improving and modernizing, earning the trust of the American people”
Good luck with that idea!