National Tracing Center 

(NTC) 

FACT SHEET 

JUNE 2020 

Fast Facts 

ATF’s National Tracing 

Center is the United 

States’ only crime gun 

tracing facility. 

ATF’s National Tracing 

Center is authorized to 

trace frearms by the Gun 

Control Act of 1968. 

ATF’s National Tracing 

Center is only authorized 

to trace a frearm for a 

law enforcement agency 

involved in a bona fde 

criminal investigation. 

The National Tracing Center (NTC) traces frearms associated with 

crimes and provides investigative leads for local, state, federal and 

foreign law enforcement agencies. NTC uses leading-edge technologies 

and tools such as eTrace to detect frearms traffcking and track the 

movement of crime guns across police jurisdictions, state lines and 

national borders. 

Each year, ATF processes frearm trace requests for thousands of 

domestic and international law enforcement agencies. ATF also helps 

foreign law enforcement agencies by tracing U.S.-sourced frearms 

recovered in their countries. 

TRACING PROCESS 

Firearms tracing begins when ATF or another law enforcement agency 

discovers a frearm at a crime scene and wants to learn where it came 

from. NTC receives the trace request and uses the gun’s serial number 

to identify its original manufacture or importer. From their records, NTC 

is able track the frearm through the wholesale and resale distribution 

chain to its frst retail purchaser. 

This trace information can identify possible suspects or traffckers and link them to specifc frearms found in 

criminal investigations. Tracing can also help detect domestic and international traffcking patterns, and identify 

local trends in the sources and types of crime guns. 

OBLITERATED SERIAL NUMBERS 

If a frearm’s serial number has been altered or destroyed in any way, NTC uses forensic expertise and 

technology to identify its origins and piece together its history. This data helps to detect, deter and disrupt 

frearms traffcking patterns and related crimes. 

RECORD SEARCHES 

When a trace involves a current federal frearms licensee (FFL), NTC works with them to search their records 

for the serial number in question. Many large manufacturers, importers and wholesalers voluntarily participate 

in the free NTC Connect program (also known as Access 2000 or A2K), which grants ATF investigators secure 

and limited access to their cloud-based records in order to search for specifc crime guns. 

However, many trace requests involve licensees that are no longer operating. Any FFL discontinuing their 

license is required to send all their frearms transaction records to NTC within 30 days. NTC safely stores these 

records in its Out-of-Business Records Repository for future trace requests. 
 

THE NUMBERS

450,000 trace 

requests were processed 

in fscal year 2019 

7,800 law enforcement 

agencies partner with ATF 

to use or contribute to the 

eTrace system 

46 countries work with 

ATF in tracing weapons 

used in domestic or 

international incidents 

On average, NTC receives 5 million out-of-business records per month. 

Since 1968, ATF has received and stored several hundred million records. 

LOST OR STOLEN FIREARMS 

Many frearms found at crime scenes were originally stolen from licensed 

retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers or importers. Part of ATF’s mission is 

to quickly fnd any lost or stolen frearms before they are traffcked onward 

or used in a crime. 

For this reason, FFLs are legally required to report theft or inventory loss 

to ATF within 48 hours of the incident. NTC analyzes those theft/loss 

reports and shares with local law enforcement in order to track criminal 

activity, develop investigative leads, and recover the frearms. NTC also 

investigates reports of frearms that are lost or stolen during shipping or 

transport between states. 

MULTIPLE SALES 

FFLs are required to inform ATF if they sell two or more handguns to the 

same buyer within 5 consecutive business days. These multiple sales 

reports, when cross-referenced with crime gun trace information, help 

NTC uncover illegal frearms traffcking and other criminal activity. 

COMBATING VIOLENT CRIME 

Each year thousands of frearms are reported lost or stolen, and some 

end up being used in criminal activities. In the past, this posed a challenge 

for law enforcement because they did not have access to a single, 

accredited resource to help them identify historical data about various 

frearms. NTC solves that issue by using technology such as eTrace to 

track down gun crime origins which is used to develop links that help lead 

to the prosecution of violent crime gun offenders. Using technology, we 

are able to complete gun-tracing at a much greater speed. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 

• National Tracing Center Homepage 

• eTrace 

• Crime Gun Information Centers 

• National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) 

99 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20226 | www.atf.gov