Quick NFA ATF Photo: DIY At Home

NFA ATF application photo – size & requirements

ATF Form 1 is for citizens which want to apply to make and register a firearm. The State Department requires a photo of ATF NFA registration submitted physically into the ATF with your ATF Application for each responsible person in your application. The ATF eForm requires submitting a digital NFA passport photo in the eForm system.

Basic requirements for ATF form photo

To demonstrate your current appearance, you must apply a color photo taken in the last 6 months. It is good to use a clear and unaltered image of your face. Do not use social media apps to process your photo as they may apply filters. Ask someone else to take your photo, because selfies are not allowed. Use a plain white or off-white background.

Resolution and quality

Submit a non-blurry, grainy, or pixelated high-resolution NFA photo. Apply digital file attachments to your application in following formats: .jpg .jpeg .pdf .tif .bmp .png .gif. Do not modify or improve the photo digitally. Note that you cannot submit a scan of a damaged photo showing gaps, creases, or smudges.

Print Size

The correct size of a passport photo for NFA trust is: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), where the head must be between 1 -1 3/8 inches (25 - 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.

Pose and Expression

According to NFA paperwork photo requirements you need to have a neutral facial expression, closed mouth, and open eyes. The head has to be bare, without any scarf, headphones, hat, or other items. You should be directly facing the camera, so that your face is positioned straight in the picture. Hair also cannot cover your face, bangs, on the other hand, are permitted, if they do not cover the eyes.

Background and lighting

When it comes to the ATF NFA photo requirements, the background of the photo should be plain, light-colored, white or off-white. It cannot show people or any other artifacts. The best light for taking a photo is natural, so if it is possible, choose daylight. It is necessary to diffuse the light evenly, so that it does not cast shadows on your face. Reflections cannot be shown on your face – be careful about them.

Glasses and head covering

Wearing glasses is not allowed. Please submit a signed letter from your doctor with the application, if you are unable to remove your glasses for medical reasons.

You cannot wear a head covering or a hat. If you wear a hat or a head covering for religious purposes, send a signed document that verifies that it is a part of traditional religious clothing that is continuously worn in public, or that is used daily for medical purposes.

Clothing and items

Choose the normally worn on a daily basis clothing, because you cannot wear:

• A uniform
• Clothing that looks like a uniform
• Camouflage

Headphones or wireless hands-free devices should not be worn. As long as they do not cover your face, you can wear jewelry and leave your facial piercings. For NFA photo permanent tattoos are also acceptable.

What mistakes to avoid on an ATF Form photo?

If you are trying to get an ATF Form 1, these common mistakes can cause the rejection of your application. To avoid this situation, let's see what not to do with your NFA photo:

• Submitting photo taken more than 6 months before,
• Submitting old or black and white photo,
• Wearing glasses, head covering, or other items,
• Having closed eyes, opened mouth, or wide smile,
• Wearing clothes that are not allowed such as uniform.

Remember that it cannot be a selfie. A very common mistake is to apply a photo with shadows or red-eye effect – be careful about that!

NFA passport photo online tool

Our photo editor was created to help you prepare the correct NFA photo taken at home. When the accurate photo is ready, just upload it on our site, and in just a few minutes you will receive the corrected photo back. This tool is able to:

• Remove the existing background and replace it with the correct one;
• Check all the important elements, like the color of the photo and lighting;
• Resize your photo by cropping it to a perfect size.

Last update: 6/7/23