Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
	ATF Seal
	ATF agent badge
	ATF Flag
Common name	Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
Abbreviation	ATF
Agency overview
Formed	July 1, 1972
Preceding agency	IRS Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Division;
Employees	5,285 (2021)
Annual budget	Approx. US$1.5 billion (2021)
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agency	United States
Operations jurisdiction	United States
General nature	Federal law enforcement;
Operational structure
Headquarters	Ariel Rios Federal Building, Washington, D.C.
Agency executive	Daniel P. Driscoll, Acting Director;
Parent agency	Department of the Treasury (1972–2003); Department of Justice (2003–present);
Website
	atf.gov

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention of federal offenses involving the unlawful use, manufacture, and possession of firearms and explosives; acts of arson and bombings; and illegal trafficking and tax evasion of alcohol and tobacco products.

ATF also regulates via licensing the sale, possession, and transportation of firearms, ammunition, and explosives in interstate commerce. Many of ATF's activities are carried out in conjunction with task forces made up of state and local law enforcement officers, such as Project Safe Neighborhoods.

ATF operates a unique fire research laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, where full-scale mock-ups of criminal arson can be reconstructed. ATF had 5,285 employees and an annual budget of almost $1.5 billion in 2021. ATF has received criticism over its handling of the investigation leading up to the Ruby Ridge standoff and the Waco siege.