Compliance

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (abbreviated ATF) is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention of federal offenses involving the unlawful use, manufacture, and possession of firearms and explosives, acts of arson and bombings, and illegal trafficking of alcohol and tobacco products.

As it pertains to data retention and disaster recovery of systems and records the ATF deems critical, stringent regulations and protocols are called out by the following excerpt by the ATF 478.129 – Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Record retention.

(a) Records prior to Act.
Licensed importers and licensed manufacturers may dispose of records of sale or other disposition of firearms prior to December 16, 1968. Licensed dealers and licensed collectors may dispose of all records of firearms transactions that occurred prior to December 16, 1968.

OffsiteDataSync Ensures Compliance By:

• Providing a tiered storage system with automated policies that remove, and securely destroy data deemed no longer necessary to retain

(b) Firearms transaction record.
Licensees shall retain each Form 4473 and Form 4473(LV) for a period of not less than 20 years after the date of sale or disposition. Where a licensee has initiated a NICS check for a proposed firearms transaction, but the sale, delivery, or transfer of the firearm is not made, the licensee shall record any transaction number on the Form 4473, and retain the Form 4473 for a period of not less than 5 years after the date of the NICS inquiry. Forms 4473 shall be retained in the licensee's records as provided in 478.124(b): Provided that Forms 4473 with respect to which a sale, delivery or transfer did not take place shall be separately retained in alphabetical (by name of transferee) or chronological (by date of transferee's certification) order.

OffsiteDataSync Ensures Compliance By:

• Including full, and customizable archive of documents on a scheduled basis
• Predefining retention rules that protect agencies bound by the rules set forth by the ATF

(c) Statement of intent to obtain a handgun, reports of multiple sales or other disposition of pistols and revolvers, and reports of theft or loss of firearms.
Licensees shall retain each Form 5300.35 (Statement of Intent to Obtain a Handgun(s)) for a period of not less than 5 years after notice of the intent to obtain the handgun was forwarded to the chief law enforcement officer, as defined in 478.150(c). Licensees shall retain each copy of Form 3310.4 (Report of Multiple Sale or Other Disposition of Pistols and Revolvers) for a period of not less than 5 years after the date of sale or other disposition. Licensees shall retain each copy of Form 3310.11 (Federal Firearms Licensee Theft/Loss Report) for a period of not less than 5 years after the date the theft or loss was reported to ATF.

OffsiteDataSync Ensures Compliance By:

• Including full, and customizable archive of documents on a scheduled basis
• Predefining retention rules that protect agencies bound by the rules set forth by the ATF

(d) Records of importation and manufacture.
Licensees will maintain permanent records of the importation, manufacture, or other acquisition of firearms, including ATF Forms 6 and 6A as required by subpart G of this part. Licensed importers' records and licensed manufacturers' records of the sale or other disposition of firearms after December 15, 1968, shall be retained through December 15, 1988, after which records of transactions over 20 years of age may be discarded.

OffsiteDataSync Ensures Compliance By:

• Providing a tiered storage system with automated policies that remove, and securely destroy data deemed no longer necessary to retain
• Including full and customizable archive of documents on a scheduled basis
• Predefining retention rules that protect agencies bound by the rules set forth by the ATF

(e) Records of dealers and collectors under the Act.
The records prepared by licensed dealers and licensed collectors under the Act of the sale or other disposition of firearms and the corresponding record of receipt of such firearms shall be retained through December 15, 1988, after which records of transactions over 20 years of age may be discarded.

OffsiteDataSync Ensures Compliance By:

• Providing a tiered storage system with automated policies that remove, and securely destroy data deemed no longer necessary to retain
• Including full and customizable archive of documents on a scheduled basis
• Predefining retention rules that protect agencies bound by the rules set forth by the ATF

(f) Retention of records of transactions in semiautomatic assault weapons.
The documentation required by 478.40(c) and 478.132 shall be retained in the licensee's permanent records for a period of not less than 5 years after the date of sale or other disposition. (Paragraph (b) approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1512 0544; Paragraph (c) approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control numbers 15120520, 15120006, and 15120524; Paragraph (f) approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 15120526; all other recordkeeping approved by the Office of Management, and Budget under control number 15120129) [T.D. ATF208, 50 FR 26704, June 28, 1985 and correctly designated at 50 FR 35081, Aug. 29, 1985, as amended by T.D. ATF273, 53 FR 24687, June 30, 1988; T.D. ATF361, 60 FR 10787, Feb. 27, 1995; T.D. ATF363, 60 FR 17455, Apr. 6, 1995; T.D. ATF415, 63 FR 58280, Oct. 29, 1998; T.D. ATF426, 65 FR 38201, June 20, 2000]

OffsiteDataSync Ensures Compliance By:

• Providing a tiered storage system with automated policies that remove, and securely destroy data deemed no longer necessary to retain
• Including full, and customizable archive of documents on a scheduled basis
• Predefining retention rules that protect agencies bound by the rules set forth by the ATF

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