Which ID is Required to Pick up your NFA Firearm? - Silencer, SBR, ETC

When you as an individual or a responsible person within your NFA gun trust/legal entity have received the call from your LGS to pick up your NFA Firearm, you might be wondering which ID you will need to bring with you.  In order to obtain your NFA Firearm, you will need to fill out the ATF 4473 for the NFA Firearm that you have been approved for.  Since you and your responsible persons within your NFA gun trust/legal entity have already undergone a background check with the FBI, no background check is required at the time of pickup.  Denoted on Question 20 of the ATF 4473:

"20.  No NICS check was required because a background check was completed during the NFA approval process on the individual who will receive the NFA firearm(s), as reflected on the approved NFA application. (See Instructions for Question 20.)  

Instructions: 

Questions 20 and 21. NICS Exceptions: A NICS check is not required if the transfer qualifies for any of the exceptions in 27 CFR 478.102(d). Generally, these include: (a) transfers of National Firearms Act firearms to an individual who has undergone a background check during the NFA approval process;"

However, even though your local gun store is not submitting a background check using the NICS system, you will need to provide your local gun store a valid government-issued photo identification.  According to NICS, the following can be used as valid government-issued photo identification document and the serial number or identification number from that document. 

  • Air Force Serial Number
  • Alien Registration Number or USCIS
  • Army Serial Number, National Guard Serial Number, or Air National Guard Serial Number, regardless of state
  • Canadian Social Insurance Number
  • Driver’s License Number
  • Fingerprint Identification Number
  • Marine Corps Serial Number
  • Mariner’s Document or Identification Number
  • Navy Serial Number
  • Non-Immigrant Admissions Number
  • Another Agency ID
  • Passport Number
  • Personal Identification Number (this applies only to state-issued members)
  • Port Security Card Number
  • Royal Canadian Mounted Police Identification Number
  • Selective Service Number
  • U.S. Coast Guard Number
  • Veteran’s Administration Claim Number

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