The ATF's private sale rule has been sitting in legal limbo for a while now, and this week the Trump DOJ made it official by dropping the appeal of the injunction blocking it. If you sell guns privately in Idaho, this is worth understanding.

"This Biden-era rule was a blatant attempt to violate our Constitution and criminalize law-abiding Americans for engaging in lawful private firearm sales."
— Texas AG Ken Paxton, April 24, 2026

Paxton's going to Paxton, but the legal argument underneath that statement has actually held up in court — twice. The rule created vague criteria around "repetitive" sales and profit intent that nobody could clearly define, which is exactly the kind of thing that turns a law-abiding guy selling three hunting rifles out of his safe into someone who unknowingly needed a dealer's license.

The practical situation right now: if you're in Idaho, private party transfers are unchanged. No FFL, no background check required between two individuals — same as it's always been here.

That said, the article flags that "likely" isn't "done." The case still has to run through district court for a permanent ruling, and the legal landscape can shift. Worth keeping an eye on if you do any volume of private buying and selling at gun shows or through local classifieds.

Have you changed anything about how you handle private sales over the last couple years — either out of caution while this was working through courts, or did you not give it a second thought?

Read the full article in The Handbook → | By Steve Duskett