SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

We encourage written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies concerning the proposed information collection. Your comments should address one or more of the following four points:

—Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary to properly perform ATF's functions, including whether the information will have practical utility;

—Evaluate the agency's estimate of the proposed information collection's burden for accuracy, including validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

—Evaluate whether the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected can be enhanced, and if so, how; and

—Minimize the information collection's burden on those who are to respond, including using appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting people to submit electronic responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

Abstract:18 U.S.C. chapter 40 requires any person engaged in the business of manufacturing, importing, or dealing in explosive materials to first obtain a license. 18 U.S.C. 842(a)(1). The statute also requires all persons who wish to obtain explosives, even for limited use, to obtain a federal explosives license or a permit (to use explosives, rather than engage in the business). This also includes all persons who wish to ship, transport, receive, or possess explosive materials. 18 U.S.C. 843. ATF has prescribed ATF Form 5400.13, Application for Explosives License/Permit, as the means by which persons may apply for a federal explosives license or permit (FEL/P). Each person (individual, partnership, corporation, or association) applying for a FEL/P must submit ATF Form 5400.13. ATF uses the information on the application to determine if the applicant is qualified to be an explosives licensee/permittee under the statute. Part of the process of determining whether a person qualifies to be a licensee/permittee includes a background check to ascertain whether the person is prohibited from possessing or otherwise using explosive materials.

Type of information collection: revising a previously approved collection.

Title of the form/collection: Application for Explosives License/Permit.

Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the Department sponsoring the collection: Form number: ATF Form 5400.13. Component: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as the obligation to respond: Affected public: business or other for-profit; individuals or households. Obligation to respond: mandatory per 27 CFR 555.41 and 555.45, required to obtain a benefit.

Estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: There are an estimated 927 respondents associated with this collection per year, and it will take each respondent an average of approximately 1.5 hours per response to complete their responses.

Estimate of the total annual burden (in hours) associated with the collection: The estimated annual public burden associated with this collection is 1,390.5 hours, which is equal to 927 (total respondents) * 1 (# of responses per respondent) * 1.5 hours.

Estimate of the total annual other cost burden associated with the collection, if applicable: 0; there are no costs.

Revisions to This Information Collection

As part of this ICR renewal, ATF has updated Form 5400.13 to reflect the new government payment method through pay.gov (required by executive order) and to include instructions and an email address for submitting the digitally fillable and signable form to ATF by email. ATF is also making a minor edit to the title, from “Application for Federal Explosives License or Permit” to “Application for Explosives License/Permit” for plain writing and brevity. In addition, ATF is changing the form number from 5400.13/5400.16 to 5400.13. There is no longer a need to retain the reference to a long-canceled merged form. Finally, there has been a decrease in the number of respondents to this IC, from 10,200 during the last renewal in 2023, to 927, a decrease of 9,273 respondents. This resulted in a corresponding decrease to the number of burden hours, from 15,300 in 2023 to 1,390.5 in 2026, a decrease 13,909.5 hours.

91 FR 67856