Last reviewed October 31, 2026
FFLs by State: Where It Stands in 2026
The number of Federal Firearms Licensees in each state is a useful snapshot of gun culture and of how hard state law makes it to run a gun business. ATF’s most recent state-by-state table, in Firearms Commerce in the United States: Annual Statistical Update 2025, counts 128,672 active licenses at the end of fiscal year 2024. ATF’s separate FY 2025 summary puts the national total at 127,739, continuing a slow decline from the 2013 peak.
These counts include every license type, from storefront dealers and pawnshops to home-based gunsmiths, manufacturers and Type 03 Collector of Curios and Relics licenses, so a high number does not always mean more gun stores. California, for example, ranks first despite its strict laws, so the totals should be read alongside the license-type breakdown. At the other end, New Jersey (490), Delaware (288) and Hawaii (202) have the fewest licensees of any state; New Jersey and Hawaii are also among the states with the heaviest permitting requirements on gun owners.
The 2025 repeal of ATF’s “zero tolerance” inspection policy and the 2026 vacatur of the “engaged in the business” rule have eased pressure on small dealers. Whether that slows the long decline in licensee numbers will show up in ATF’s next annual report.
Key Facts
- Top 10 states by active FFLs, end of FY 2024 (ATF Exhibit 11): California 11,055; Texas 10,520; Florida 7,194; Pennsylvania 5,988; North Carolina 4,442; Illinois 4,119; Ohio 4,108; Virginia 3,771; Massachusetts 3,757; Missouri 3,721.
- Fewest among states: Hawaii 202, Delaware 288, New Jersey 490; the District of Columbia had 24.
- National total: 128,672 (end of FY 2024, Exhibit 11); 127,739 as of FY 2025 (ATF Facts and Figures).
- ATF’s 2025 report shows a small discrepancy between its own tables (128,672 vs. 128,690 for the same year).
What Gun Owners Should Know
- To find a dealer for a transfer, use ATF’s FFL eZ Check or the monthly Listing of Federal Firearms Licensees, which is searchable by state.
- Always confirm a dealer’s license is current before shipping a firearm to it; ATF’s FFL eZ Check verifies license numbers.
- Interstate purchases of handguns must go through a dealer in the buyer’s home state; long guns may be bought in person from a dealer in another state if legal in both states.
- Thinking about becoming a licensee? Start with the Federal Firearms License page.
- For suppressor and NFA dealers, see Suppressor Buyers Guide.com and NFA Buyers Guide.com.
Sources
- ATF: Firearms Commerce in the United States, Annual Statistical Update 2025
- ATF: Facts and Figures, Fiscal Year 2025
- ATF: Data and Statistics
Background and Resources
