Open Letter to Georgia Federal Firearms Licensees
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that on July 1, 2005, the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) will cease to operate as the point of contact (POC) for the National Instant Background Check (NICS) program, and to further advise you of the affect these changes may have on firearms transactions conducted under your Federal firearms license.
In recent letters from the GCIC and FBI NICS you were advised that you would be receiving an enrollment packet from NICS. You are required to enroll in order to request NICS background checks for firearms sales. As with all Federal laws and regulations that govern your firearms business, you need to comply with the regulations set forth in the packet provided to you by NICS. You should know that if the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discovers violations upon inspection, there can be a number of possible consequences, including recommendations for warning letters, warning conferences, and in instances of willful offenses, license revocation or criminal prosecution. In order to achieve our shared goal of ensuring proper and accurate business practices, ATF must take appropriate administrative or criminal action when voluntary compliance is not achieved. This is critical to carrying out our mission to ensure that criminals and terrorists do not gain access to firearms and to protect the public.
We would like to emphasize the importance of the partnerships that have been established between ATF, the FBI NICS and the firearms industry, and to reinforce our joint responsibilities under the Gun Control Act. Your compliance with these obligations is critical to the prevention of terrorism, firearms trafficking, and other related criminal activities. In turn, ATF is dedicated to helping you fulfill these duties, thereby making our communities safer.
Should you have any questions concerning this letter and your conversion to the FBI NICS program, please contact your local ATF office or NICS Customer Service at (877) 444-6427.
Lewis P. Raden
Assistant Director
Enforcement Programs and Services