FFL & Licensing
FFL stands for Federal Firearms Licence. Here is what ours permits, how to verify it independently, and exactly what happens when you buy a firearm from us.
Short answer FFL stands for Federal Firearms Licence, the ATF licence that permits a business to deal in firearms and ammunition. Ours is a Type 01 dealer licence, number 5-43-119-01-6B-18066. Firearms ship dealer-to-dealer and are released to you by a licensed dealer in your state after Form 4473 and a background check.
What does FFL stand for?
FFL is a Federal Firearms Licence, issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under the Gun Control Act of 1968, permitting a person or business to engage in the business of dealing in, manufacturing or importing firearms.
The same three letters get used for the licence, the business that holds it and the person responsible for it. People say “ship it to my FFL” meaning the dealer near them who will receive the firearm and hand it over lawfully.
| Type | What it permits |
|---|---|
| 01 | Dealer in firearms other than destructive devices — the standard retail dealer licence. |
| 02 | Pawnbroker dealing in firearms. |
| 03 | Collector of Curios & Relics — a collector licence, not a retail licence. |
| 07 | Manufacturer of firearms, which also carries dealing rights. |
| 08 / 11 | Importer of firearms or ammunition. |
Licensed dealer of record
- Legal entity
- HILLTOP ARMORY LLC
- Trading as
- Hilltop Armory
- Federal Firearms Licence
- 5-43-119-01-6B-18066
- Licence type
- Type 01 — Dealer in Firearms
- Licensed premises
- 955 Coopers Road, Pineville, MO 64856
- Responsible person
- Matt Sims
Any buyer or dealer can confirm this licence independently through the ATF Federal Firearms Licensee eZ Check service. How to verify it →
How to verify our licence
You should not have to take our word for it. The ATF runs a public service called FFL eZ Check that confirms whether a licence number is valid and current and returns the business it belongs to.
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Go to the ATF eZ Check service
Hosted by the ATF at fflezcheck.atf.gov. Use the official ATF site — there are lookalike directories that are not authoritative.
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Enter the first three and last five digits
eZ Check asks for part of the number rather than all of it. For licence 5-43-119-01-6B-18066 that is 5-43 and 18066.
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Check the name and premises match
It should return HILLTOP ARMORY LLC at 955 Coopers Road, Pineville, MO 64856. If a licence number ever fails to match the business claiming it, do not send money or goods.
Dealers receiving a firearm from us will normally want a signed copy of our licence on file. Email support@hilltoparmoryllc.com and we will send it to the receiving dealer directly.
How a firearm transfer works
Firearms bought online are not posted to your door. Federal law requires a firearm shipped across state lines to be delivered to a licensed dealer in the buyer’s state, who completes the paperwork and background check before handing it over.
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You choose a receiving dealer
Pick a licensed dealer near you that accepts transfers and agree their fee with them. That fee is theirs, not ours.
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We collect their licence
Your dealer sends us a copy of their FFL, or we request it. We verify it against ATF records before anything ships.
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We ship dealer to dealer
The firearm travels from our licensed premises to theirs and is logged out of our bound book and into theirs.
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You complete Form 4473 in person
At your dealer you fill in ATF Form 4473, show photo identification, and the dealer runs a background check through the FBI NICS system or the state equivalent.
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You take the firearm home
Once the check returns a proceed and any state waiting period has run, the dealer releases the firearm.
Ammunition is different. It does not require an FFL transfer under federal law and ships straight to you in most states. State restrictions →
What needs an FFL, and what does not
| Item | Ships to |
|---|---|
| Complete firearms | Your licensed dealer |
| Stripped and complete lower receivers | Your licensed dealer — the receiver is the serialised part |
| Ammunition | Direct to you, where state law permits |
| Upper receivers, bolt carriers, triggers, barrels | Direct to you |
| Optics, sights and accessories | Direct to you |
| Primers, powder and components | Direct to you, ground only, HAZMAT rules apply |
The dividing line is the serialised receiver. On an AR-pattern rifle the lower receiver is the firearm in law; an upper receiver is a part.
Common questions
What does an FFL allow you to do?
A Type 01 licence allows the holder to deal in firearms and ammunition from an approved premises: to receive firearms from manufacturers, distributors and other licensees, hold them in inventory, and transfer them to buyers after Form 4473 and a background check. It also obliges the holder to keep a permanent acquisition and disposition record available to the ATF for inspection.
Can I buy a gun without an FFL?
Not from any dealer. Any firearm sold by a licensee is transferred through a licensee, with Form 4473 and a background check. Private sales between unlicensed residents of the same state are treated differently under federal law, but many states now require those to go through a dealer too, and we take no part in them.
What guns require an FFL?
All of them, when bought from a dealer and shipped across state lines — rifles, shotguns, handguns and stripped lower receivers, because the serialised receiver is legally the firearm. Uppers, barrels, triggers and bolt carrier groups are parts and ship directly to you.
How much is a transfer fee?
It is set by the receiving dealer, not by us, and commonly runs from about $25 to $75 depending on the dealer and the state. Agree it before you order.
Do I need an FFL to buy ammunition?
No. Federal law requires no licence or transfer for ammunition, and in most states it ships to your door. A handful of states impose their own permit or in-person transfer requirement.
Can you ship a firearm to my home?
No. A firearm sold by a dealer to a buyer in another state must go to a licensed dealer in that state. Anyone offering to post a firearm straight to your door is not operating lawfully.
About this page
Licence types and transfer procedure are as set out in the Gun Control Act of 1968 and the ATF regulations under it. Our own licence details can be confirmed through ATF eZ Check.
This is not legal advice. Firearms and ammunition law changes often, differs by state, county and city, and parts of it are the subject of active litigation. What follows explains how we operate. It is not a substitute for the law that applies where you live, and you are responsible for knowing that law before you order.