§ 4084. Federal firearms licensees; authority to serialize firearms, frames, and receivers
(a) A federal firearms licensee may imprint a serial number on an unserialized firearm
or frame or receiver of a firearm pursuant to this section.
(b)(1) A firearm, frame, or receiver serialized pursuant to this section shall be imprinted
with a serial number that begins with the licensee’s abbreviated federal firearms
license number, which is the first three and last five digits of the license number,
and is followed by a hyphen that precedes a unique identification number. The serial
number shall not be duplicated on any other firearm, frame, or receiver serialized
by the licensee and shall be imprinted in a manner that complies with the requirements
under federal law for affixing serial numbers to firearms, including that the serial
number be at the minimum size and depth and not susceptible to being readily obliterated,
altered, or removed.
(2) A licensee who serializes a firearm, frame, or receiver pursuant to this section shall
make and retain records of the serialization that comply with the requirements under
federal law for the sale of a firearm. In addition to any record required by federal
law, the record shall include the date, name, age, and residence of any person to
whom the item is transferred and the unique serial number imprinted on the firearm,
frame, or receiver.
(3) A licensee shall not be deemed a firearms manufacturer solely for serializing a firearm,
frame, or receiver pursuant to this section.
(c) Returning a firearm, frame, or receiver to a person after it has been serialized pursuant
to federal law or this section constitutes a transfer that requires a background check
of the transferee. A federal licensee who serializes a firearm, frame, or receiver
pursuant to this section shall conduct a background check on the transferee pursuant
to subsection 4019(c) of this title, provided that if the transfer is denied, the licensee shall deliver the firearm,
frame, or receiver to a law enforcement agency for disposition. The agency shall provide
the licensee with a receipt on agency letterhead for the firearm, frame, or receiver.
(d) A licensee who violates subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall:
(1) for a first offense, be fined not more than $2,500.00; and
(2) for a second or subsequent offense, be imprisoned for not more than one year or fined
not more than $2,500.00, or both. (Added 2023, No. 120 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. February 28, 2025.)