Subject to the direction of the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives shall:

(a) Investigate, administer, and enforce the laws related to alcohol, tobacco, firearms, explosives, and arson, and perform other duties as assigned by the Attorney General, including exercising the functions and powers of the Attorney General under the following provisions of law:

(1) 18 U.S.C. chapters 40 (related to explosives), 44 (related to firearms), 59 (related to liquor trafficking), and 114 (related to trafficking in contraband cigarettes);

(2) Chapter 53 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. chapter 53 (related to certain firearms and destructive devices);

(3) Chapters 61 through 80, inclusive, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. chapters 61-80, insofar as they relate to activities administered and enforced with respect to chapter 53 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. chapter 53;

(4) 18 U.S.C. 1952 and 3667, insofar as they relate to liquor trafficking;

(5) 49 U.S.C. 80303 and 80304, insofar as they relate to contraband described in section 80302(a)(2) or 80302(a)(5); and

(6) 18 U.S.C. 1956 and 1957, insofar as they involve violations of:

(i) 18 U.S.C. 844(f) or (i) (relating to explosives or arson),

(ii) 18 U.S.C. 922(l) (relating to the illegal importation of firearms),

(iii) 18 U.S.C. 924(n) (relating to illegal firearms trafficking),

(iv) 18 U.S.C. 1952 (relating to traveling in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering enterprises insofar as they concern liquor on which Federal excise tax has not been paid);

(v) 18 U.S.C. 2341-2346 (trafficking in contraband cigarettes);

(vi) Section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act, as added by Public Law 94-329, section 212(a)(1), as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2778 (relating to the importation of items on the U.S. Munitions Import List), except violations relating to exportation, in transit, temporary import, or temporary export transactions;

(vii) 18 U.S.C. 1961 insofar as the offense is an act or threat involving arson that is chargeable under State law and punishable by imprisonment for more than one year; and

(viii) Any offense relating to the primary jurisdiction of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives that the United States would be obligated by a multilateral treaty either to extradite the alleged offender or to submit the case for prosecution if the offender were found within the territory of the United States;

(b)(1) Investigate, seize, and forfeit property involved in a violation or attempted violation within the investigative jurisdiction set out in paragraph (a), under 18 U.S.C. 981 and 982;

(2) Seize, forfeit, and remit or mitigate the forfeiture of property in accordance with 21 U.S.C. 881 and applicable Department of Justice regulations.

(c) Subject to the limitations of 3 U.S.C. 301, exercise the authorities of the Attorney General under section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act, 22 U.S.C. 2778, relating to the importation of defense articles and defense services, including those authorities set forth in 27 CFR part 47; and

(d) Perform any other function related to the investigation of violent crime or domestic terrorism as may be delegated to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives by the Attorney General.

[Order No. 2650-2003, 68 FR 4926, Jan. 31, 2003, as amended at 77 FR 51699, Aug. 27, 2012; AG Order No. 3421-2014, 79 FR 12062, Mar. 4, 2014; AG Order No. 3495-2015, 80 FR 9989, Feb. 25, 2015]

The Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives shall:

(a) Operate laboratories in support of Bureau activities; provide, with or without cost, technical and scientific assistance, including expert testimony, to Federal, State, or local agencies; and make available the services of the laboratories to foreign law enforcement agencies and courts under procedures agreed upon by the Secretary of State and the Attorney General;

(b) Operate the National Explosives Licensing Center to review applications for explosives licenses and permits; determine the eligibility of applicants; issue licenses and permits on approved explosives applications; coordinate with field offices the inspection of applicants, licensees, and permittees; and maintain an explosives license and permit database;

(c) Operate the National Firearms Licensing Center to review applications for firearms licenses; determine the eligibility of applicants; issue licenses on approved firearms applications; coordinate with field offices the inspection of applicants and licensees; and maintain a firearms license database;

(d) Maintain and operate the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR), pursuant to section 5841 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 5841, as a registry of all National Firearms Act (NFA) firearms in the United States that are not in the possession or under the control of the United States;

(e) Maintain and operate the Arson and Explosives National Repository, a national repository of information on incidents involving arson and the suspected criminal misuse of explosives, under 18 U.S.C. 846(b);

(f) Maintain and operate the National Tracing Center to process requests from Federal, State, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies for the tracing of crime guns; and collect and analyze trace data, out-of-business records, reports of firearms stolen or lost from the inventories of licensees or interstate shipments, and multiple sales reports contained in the Firearms Tracing System (FTS), under 18 U.S.C. chapter 44;

(g) Establish, maintain and operate an Explosives Training and Research Facility to train Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers to investigate bombings and explosions, properly handle, utilize, and dispose of explosives materials and devices, train canines as explosives detection canines, and conduct research on explosives, as authorized by section 1114 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002;

(h) Pay awards for information or assistance and pay for the purchase of evidence or information as authorized by 28 U.S.C. 524;

(i) Subject to applicable statutory restrictions on the disclosure of records of information:

(1) Release information obtained by the Bureau and Bureau investigative reports to Federal, State, and local officials engaged in the enforcement of laws related to alcohol, tobacco, arson, firearms, and explosives offenses;

(2) Release information obtained by Bureau and Bureau investigative reports to Federal, State, and local prosecutors, and State licensing boards, engaged in the institution and prosecution of cases before courts and licensing boards related to alcohol, tobacco, arson, firearms and explosives offenses;

(3) Authorize the testimony of Bureau officials in response to subpoenas or demands issued by the prosecution in Federal, State, or local criminal cases involving offenses under the jurisdiction of the Bureau; and

(4) Except as provided in paragraph (i)(1) of this section, authorize all other production of information or testimony of Bureau officials in response to subpoenas or demands of courts or other authorities as governed by subpart B of part 16 of this chapter.

(a) The Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is authorized to exercise the power and authority vested in the Attorney General under 31 U.S.C. 3724, with regard to claims arising out of the lawful activities of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives personnel, in an amount not to exceed $50,000 in any one case.

(b) The Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is authorized to redelegate the power and authority vested in him by paragraph (a) of this section and by 28 CFR 0.172 to the Chief Counsel of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Chief Counsel's designee within the Office of Chief Counsel. This authority shall not be further redelegated below the Associate Chief Counsel level.

[Order No. 2650-2003, 68 FR 4926, Jan. 31, 2003, as amended by AG Order No. 3330-2012, 77 FR 26183, May 3, 2012]

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, and to the extent applicable to the functions transferred to the Department of Justice by the Homeland Security Act of 2002:

(1) The regulations contained in 27 CFR part 46, subpart F (Distribution of Cigarettes), part 47 (Importation of Arms, Ammunition and Implements of War), part 55 (Commerce in Explosives), part 178 (Commerce in Firearms and Ammunition), and part 179 (Machine Guns, Destructive Devices, and Certain Other Firearms) as in effect on January 23, 2003 (see 27 CFR chapter I, revised as of July 1, 2002), shall continue in effect with respect to the operations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives according to their terms until amended, modified, superseded, terminated, set aside, or revoked in accordance with law.

(2) The regulations promulgated by the Department of the Treasury relating to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms of the Department of the Treasury, in effect as of January 23, 2003, shall continue to apply to the operations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives until amended, modified, superseded, terminated, set aside, or revoked in accordance with law, unless the application of such regulations would be inconsistent with statutes or regulations applicable to the Department of Justice.

(3) All orders, delegations, determinations, rules, personnel actions, permits, agreements, grants, contracts, certificates, licenses, registrations, and privileges of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms completed or in effect as of January 23, 2003, and all matters and proceedings pending therein on January 23, 2003, shall continue in effect according to their terms, to the extent that they relate to the authorities or functions transferred to the Department of Justice pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, until amended, modified, superseded, terminated, set aside, or revoked in accordance with law, unless such application would be inconsistent with statutes or regulations applicable to the Department of Justice.

(4) References in such regulations, orders, delegations, determinations, rules, personnel actions, permits, agreements, grants, contracts, certificates, licenses, registrations, and privileges to the Secretary of Treasury, the Department of Treasury, the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms or its officers, employees, agents or organizational units or functions shall be deemed to refer, as appropriate, on and after January 24, 2003, to the Attorney General, the Department of Justice, the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives or to its officers, employees, or agents or its corresponding organizational units or functions, respectively.

(b) Exceptions. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section, 27 CFR part 72, and 27 CFR 46.155, 178.152 and 179.182 as in effect on January 23, 2003, shall not be deemed applicable to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.