Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Shutdown
You'll get your mail, but not your passports. Here's what's affected by the shutdown
National parks and gun permits
If you had plans for a vacation to visit any national parks, zoos or museums, some of those may be closed.
The popular panda cameras at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington will be turned off, according to a statement from the Smithsonian Institution. Visitors will still be able to visit the National Zoo, as well as Smithsonian museums, over the weekend. But the zoo and the museums would be closed beginning Monday.
The shutdown will also affect the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, meaning if you wanted a gun permit, you'll have to wait until the shutdown is over.
Military
The military is considered essential and will still report for duty. However, the troops -- including those in combat -- will potentially not be paid during a shutdown.
If the shutdown goes on for weeks, about 1.3 million active-duty military will be expected to work potentially without pay. The military is currently paid through February 1.
In addition, many civilian Department of Defense employees will not be working during the shutdown, including instructors at military academies and maintenance contractors.
Other NFA Gun Trust and ATF Related Blog Posts
ATF eForm 5320.20 Walk-Through Guide
How to guide and walk-through guide for the ATF Form e5320.20 – ATF e5320.20 Application to Transport Interstate or to Temporarily Export Certain National Firearms Act (NFA) Firearms Step By Step W...
ATF Form 4 December 2025 Typo Explained
The new ATF December 2025 version of the ATF Form 4 has been released with many changes. Â But it seems that new 2025 version has a typo that might be confusing. Â The typo that could cause confusio...
ATF Recommends using the ATF 5320.20 Before Applying with the ATF eForm 4
On the new ATF eForm's site when applying for an ATF eForm 4, you will notice a new banner on the Transferor's page. Â If you have moved your NFA firearm and never have used the ATF 5320.20 to updat...