At a Glance: The process to obtain a Federal Firearms License in Michigan follows federal regulations managed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). This creates a consistent application process used across the United States for firearms dealers, manufacturers, and importers. Michigan aligns with these federal rules, but state procedures for pistol transfers, background checks, and business location approvals may influence the steps a Michigan applicant must complete. Understanding both federal and Michigan-specific requirements helps applicants move through the process with confidence.
Quick disclaimer: This is general, educational info based on current sources as of November 2025. Firearms laws change often in Michigan (lately, a lot). Before you spend money or hang a sign, talk to an attorney who works in firearms law and confirm details with ATF and Michigan State Police.
Federal Requirements for Getting an FFL in Michigan
Applicants must meet federal standards alongside Michigan standards to be eligible for a Federal Firearms License. The ATF reviews every application to confirm that the applicant and the business location meet all federal standards.
In general, to qualify for an FFL anywhere in the United States, including Michigan, you must:
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident
- Be legally eligible to possess firearms and ammunition
- Operate from a physical business location suitable for firearm storage and transactions
- All zoning and ordinances where the business is or will be located must allow for the type of firearm transactions/services associated with the license type.
- A lease or rental agreement for a physical business location must allow for the type of firearm transactions/services associated with the license type.
Have NO:
- Felony convictions or convictions where you could have been sentenced to at least a year of confinement, even if you got a lesser sentence
- Substance abuse issues (including marijuana, regardless of state legality)
- Disqualifying mental health adjudications
- Outstanding arrest warrants
- Pending criminal charges and/or cases
- Dishonorable discharge from the Armed Forces
Michigan does not have a separate state “FFL dealer license” the way some states do. If you meet federal requirements and comply with Michigan’s business, zoning, and firearms laws, ATF can issue you an FFL.
However, Michigan does have some important twists:
- New safe-storage and dealer-warning requirements for FFLs.
- Expanded license-to-purchase and background check laws affecting how you handle firearm sales and reporting.
- Strong state preemption of local gun rules—but local governments can still use zoning and business rules to decide where you can operate.
Local Zoning and Business Setup for Michigan Applicants
Local requirements often include:
- Verifying that your proposed business location fits local zoning rules
- Speaking with your local sheriff’s office or local police department to confirm local expectations
- Registering your business entity at the same current address listed on your driver’s license
- Completing any required local business registrations
- Understanding rules about transporting firearms to and from the business location
Practical considerations
Many Michigan municipalities allow home-based FFL operations as long as the business does not involve walk-in retail activity. Some cities limit customer traffic or require an appointment-only structure.
Why zoning matters
The ATF will not approve an FFL application until zoning is confirmed. Speaking with local law enforcement agencies can help new applicants avoid delays.
Step-by-Step Process to Get an FFL in Michigan
Step 1: Make Sure You Qualify Under Federal Law
ATF applies the same basic eligibility rules in every state. To be approved for an FFL, you generally must:
- Be at least 21 years old.
- Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
- Have premises where you’ll conduct business (home-based or commercial, but it must meet local zoning and be a genuine business, not just “buying cheap for myself”).
- Not be a prohibited person (felony conviction, certain domestic violence misdemeanors, certain restraining orders, etc.).
- Intend to engage in the business—not just collect guns cheaply for personal use
Step 2: Choose the Right Type of FFL
Know your business model first, then pick the license type that actually matches what you’ll be doing.
Step 3: Handle Michigan Business & Zoning
3.1 Form a Business and Register With the State
If you’re operating as an LLC, corporation, or similar, you’ll need to form it and register with the State of Michigan (usually via LARA) and handle any necessary tax registrations (sales/use tax, etc.). Even though Michigan doesn’t require a separate dealer license, you still must be a properly registered business in the state.
3.2 Zoning and Local Ordinances
Here’s where many FFL applications die, in any state:
- ATF will not approve an FFL if your business violates local zoning.
- Michigan law preempts local units of government (cities, villages, townships, counties) from regulating the purchase, sale, transfer, or possession of firearms directly.
- BUT: Courts have held that zoning ordinances of general application (e.g., “no retail businesses in pure residential zones”) are not firearm regulations and can still be enforced.
In plain English:
- Your city usually can’t pass a “no gun stores in town” ordinance.
- It can say “no retail businesses in this neighborhood” or limit home-occupation businesses, and that will absolutely affect a home-based FFL.
Action items:
- Talk to your city or township zoning office and ask (in writing if you can):
- Is a firearms business allowed at this address?
- If home-based, what are the home occupation rules (signage, hours, inventory, customer traffic)?
- Get something you can show the ATF Industry Operations Investigator (IOI) during your interview (letter, email, approved permit, etc.).
Step 4: Complete and Submit ATF Form 7
Once zoning and business structure are squared away:
- Download ATF Form 7/7CR – Application for Federal Firearms License.
- Fill out the application completely, list all Responsible Persons (owners, officers, or anyone who can direct the firearms business).
- Include:
- Passport-style photos for each responsible person (for most license types).
- Fingerprint cards for each responsible person.
- The application fee (amount depends on FFL type).
- Mail the application and fee to the Federal Firearms Licensing Center (FFLC) as directed on the form.
You must also send a copy of the application to your Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) in Michigan—typically the county sheriff or local police chief where the business is located. The CLEO doesn’t “approve” your FFL, but is notified of your application.
Step 5: ATF Background Check & Interview
After ATF processes your fee, they will:
- Run background checks on all responsible persons.
- Forward your file to the local ATF field office.
- Assign an Industry Operations Investigator (IOI) to conduct an in-person interview at your business premises.
During the interview, the IOI will:
- Review federal recordkeeping, NICS, and transfer rules.
- Discuss Michigan state law and local requirements, including zoning.
- Verify that your location, storage plans, and business operations are suitable.
If everything checks out and your operation complies with federal, state, and local law, ATF can approve and issue your FFL.
Michigan-Specific Rules That Matter Once You’re an FFL
Here’s where most generic “How to get an FFL” guides stop being helpful. Michigan has several state-specific requirements you must understand to stay compliant once your FFL is active.
1. License-to-Purchase & Background Check Rules
In 2023, Michigan enacted a series of laws (Public Acts 18, 19, etc.) that expanded licensing and background-check requirements and took effect in 2024.
Key points for an FFL:
- Pistol purchases: As a rule, a buyer must have either:
- A License to Purchase (LTP) under MCL 28.422, or
- A valid Concealed Pistol License (CPL), or
- Another qualifying status, such as being an FFL or certain law-enforcement credentials.
- Long gun purchases:
- For many long-gun sales, if the buyer passes a NICS background check through you as the FFL within 5 days of purchase, a separate LTP is not required—but you must report the sale details to the Michigan State Police (MSP) as specified.
- Reporting requirements:
- MCL 28.422 and 28.422a spell out your duty to submit pistol sale records and certain other firearm sale information to MSP.
The bottom line:
Even though ATF handles NICS at the federal level, Michigan law adds extra paperwork and reporting obligations on pistol sales (and some long gun sales). You’ll need clear internal procedures so nothing falls through the cracks.
2. Mandatory Safe-Storage Device, Literature, and Signage
Michigan is now very specific about what FFLs must provide with each firearm sale. Under MCL 28.435, as amended by 2023 PA 17:
As a Michigan FFL, you must:
- Include a locking device or secure container with each firearm sale, unless the purchaser brings in their own device/container and a purchaser copy of the receipt for you to keep.
- Provide, free of charge, a brochure or pamphlet with safety information on the use and storage of the firearm in a home environment.
- Provide state-required “lethal means counseling” literature and a written warning explaining penalties for failing to securely store a firearm when minors are likely to be present.
- Have both you and the purchaser sign a statement of compliance with these requirements and keep those records for at least six years.
- Post a conspicuous warning sign at entrances, exits, and points of sale that states buyers may be criminally and civilly liable if a minor gets unlawful access to their firearm because it was improperly stored.
These safe-storage and warning-sign rules are in addition to your normal ATF recordkeeping, Form 4473, and NICS responsibilities.
3. Michigan Preemption – and What It Doesn’t Protect You From
Michigan’s preemption statute (MCL 123.1102) generally prevents cities, villages, townships, and counties from creating their own rules about firearm purchase, sale, or possession.
But:
- Local governments can still regulate discharge of firearms, certain conduct, and employee carry in limited contexts.
- They can enforce zoning laws and building codes that apply to all businesses of a certain type or in a certain district. Courts have recognized that zoning of general application is not the same as firearm regulation.
So even with strong preemption, don’t assume “the city can’t stop my gun shop.” They can absolutely stop you if your proposed use doesn’t fit the zoning category.
4. CPL vs. FFL – Different Licenses, Different Rules
A Concealed Pistol License (CPL) is for individuals carrying concealed pistols, not for running a firearms business. Michigan is a “shall-issue” CPL state with its own training and firearm eligibility requirements.
- You do not need a CPL to get an FFL.
- Many Michigan FFL owners do hold CPLs, but that’s about personal carry, not dealer privileges.
What Applicants Should Keep in Mind
Each step builds on the previous one. Federal approval depends on accurate paperwork. Michigan steps begin once the business is ready to operate.
After Completing These Steps
Applicants who follow each requirement often move through the process without delays. The ATF reviews all information before approving to become a licensed dealer.
Additional Considerations for Michigan FFL Applicants
Costs and Timeframes
Costs vary based on the license type and business setup needs.
FFL Type | Application Fee | Renewal Fee (3 Years) |
Type 01 | $200 | $90 |
Type 02 | $200 | $90 |
Type 03 | $30 | $30 |
Type 06 | $30 | $30 |
$150 | $150 | |
Type 08 | $150 | $150 |
Type 09 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
Type 10 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
Type 11 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
Common costs:
- ATF application fee
- Business registration fees in Michigan
- Zoning or occupancy review fees
- Supplies for record keeping
- Storage equipment for pistols, rifles, and other firearm types
Timeframes:
- The Federal Firearms Licensing Center will approve or deny your application within 60 days
- Local zoning steps may take additional time
- Michigan requires the RI-060 form to be filed with the Michigan State Police within 10 days of the pistol transfer
- Applicants should plan their timeline before submitting the application.
Practical Tips for a Smooth FFL Application in Michigan
- Start with zoning.
Before you ever send ATF a check, get written confirmation that your proposed location can be used for a firearms business under local zoning. - Document everything.
Keep copies of zoning approvals, business registrations, and any communication with local authorities. ATF will like seeing a clean, organized file.
- Start with zoning.
- Build Michigan-specific SOPs.
- How you’ll handle LTPs, CPL exemptions, and NICS.
- How you collect and report pistol sales to MSP.
- How you provide and document locks, literature, and signage under MCL 28.435 and 28.429.
- Train everyone.
Every employee touching a 4473 should understand both ATF requirements and Michigan-specific rules. One sloppy sale can cause problems with both ATF and state authorities. - Review the law quarterly (at least).
Michigan has made major firearms-law changes in just the last couple of years. Relying on a 2018 blog post—or the “guy at the gun show”—is a great way to end up out of compliance.
Final Word On Getting an FFL in Michigan
Getting an FFL in Michigan is, on paper, relatively straightforward: meet the federal standards, get your business and zoning in order, and survive the ATF interview. In reality, the Michigan-specific obligations, a purchase permit, MSP reporting, safe-storage device requirements, state-mandated literature, and signage, are where many dealers get tripped up.
Treat the FFL as only part one. Part two is building a Michigan-compliant operation that can withstand:
- An ATF compliance inspection, and
- Additional Questions from Michigan State Police or local prosecutors after a trace, theft, or incident.
How FFLGuard Protects You as an FFL
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Michigan applicants benefit from help with record keeping, audit preparation, and updates related to federal firearms rules. FFLGuard’s counsel provides legal defense and guidance for inspections, audits, and proceedings that involve law enforcement agencies or regulatory offices.
New applicants receive structured support as they set up their business. Ready to apply for your Michigan FFL? Contact FFLGuard today for guidance on your application and compliance needs through the affordable JumpStart Program.