Blair Holt Firearm Owner Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill would make it illegal to own a handgun or a semiautomatic rifle with a detachable magazine without first getting a federal firearm owner license. Applicants must be at least 21, pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check, submit a photo, and pay a fee of up to $10. Licenses expire after 5 years and must be renewed.
• The Attorney General would build a national database tracking every sale or transfer of a qualifying firearm. Licensed dealers must report each transaction within 14 days, including the gun's make, model, serial number, and the buyer's license number. The bill also removes the existing federal ban on creating a gun registration system.
• Most private gun sales or transfers between individuals would be banned unless they go through a licensed dealer who runs a background check. Exceptions exist for transfers between close family members like spouses, parents and children, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, and aunts/uncles and nieces/nephews.
• Gun owners must report a lost or stolen firearm to the Attorney General within 72 hours of discovering it missing and must report any change of address within 60 days. Failing to do either would be a federal crime.
• Adults who leave guns accessible to children under 18 could face up to 5 years in prison if a child uses the gun and causes death or serious injury. The bill includes exceptions for guns stored with a safety device, lawful self-defense, and situations where no child is reasonably expected to be present.
• The Attorney General would create a firearm injury information clearinghouse to study gun deaths and injuries and research the effectiveness of smart gun technology. Annual reports on these findings would go to Congress and be made available to the public.