Thank you for choosing Simpson Ltd as your firearms importer. To help this process go as smooth as possible, here are some general guidelines. To apply for your license, you can fill out our on-line PDF application form by clicking here.  Or submit the following information, which is required:

        a) Name, address, phone and FAX of foreign seller.

        b) Name, address, phone and FAX of foreign shipper, if needed.

        c) Name, address, phone and FAX of U.S.A. end-user.

        d) Name, address, phone and FAX of U.S.A. FFL Dealer, if different than end-user.

        e) Manufacturer & country of manufacture, type (ie. rifle, pistol, etc.), caliber, model, barrel length in inches, overall length in inches, whether it is new or used and dollar value for each firearm.

        f) End use of firearms (ie. collection, resale, sport shooting, consignment sale, etc.)

For any firearms that are categorized as surplus curio & relic, military, police or government models, additional documentation is required. One of the requirements the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) has for this type of firearm is that it must have been in the country of exportation for the past five (5) years. You will need to provide a receipt, document or statement showing they have been in the foreign country for at least 5 years. The "5 Year Letter" must be an original document. A copy sent via FAX is no longer accepted.  We can provide a sample "5 Year Letter" upon request, or click here.

After we receive these documents, we will apply for your license. An approval can take 8-16 weeks to get back from the BATF, sometimes longer. The clearer the supporting documentation is, the quicker they seem to process the application.

We cannot guarantee approval for every firearm you want to import. There are some guns that cannot be imported. This includes assault weapons, many U.S. Military weapons, machine guns and most .25, .32 and .380 caliber pistols. The U.S. Department of State is constantly changing the list of "friendly" countries that we can receive guns from, which can affect approval.

We will FAX the foreign shipper a copy of the approved import permit and give them instructions on packaging, addressing and documents to put on the parcel.

Many countries require Air Freight shipments for firearms, especially for larger quantities. Some countries allow Air Parcel Post for firearm shipments. If so, the shipping costs will probably be lower. Check with your local service first, and notify us if your firearms are to be shipped via Air Parcel Post. Some of the shipping details will be different. Note that the maximum amount of insurance available for Air Parcel Post is usually less than for air freight.

When your guns are shipped to us, please have them shipped in sturdy containers that can be opened by U.S. Customs, if needed, and resealed. Most parcels are not opened, unless our instructions have not been followed.

What is it going to cost? Our fee for processing your import license is $200 for up to 10 guns, with additional guns being $10.00 each. This fee needs to be received before we can submit your application. It is not refundable in case of rejection from the BATF or for any other reason you may not receive your firearms. If we need to re-crate your shipment for shipping to the U.S. end-user, there may be an additional handling fee of $10.00 per gun. Also, U.S. law dictates that we engrave all modern firearms (those mfg after 1898) with our name, city and state. This will be done as discreetly as possible. There is an additional $5.00 per gun to do this. We accept cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

There are additional fees that we have little control over. They include all shipping costs from the foreign shipper to us, brokers fees, storage fees, insurance, duty, etc. Some of these costs need to be paid by the shipper at the time of shipment. Please do not send them freight collect. When your shipment arrives in U.S. Customs, we must pay duty and customs broker fees. We will bill those actual costs to you (or charge a credit card, if you desire) along with the additional freight to get them from us to the U.S. FFL holder. These costs usually start at $250 and go up from there. The firearms will be shipped after these fees have been paid. You will be liable for these fees, even if there is an error made by our agents or customs personnel.

Please note: Once we have an approved import permit, Simpson Ltd or our bonded Customs Broker must be present at the Customs port to clear the shipment, with the original permit. The owner or shipper can not clear or hand carry the items through U.S. Customs. This is a Federal liability for us, and we will be forced to report infractions.

We realize this can be a long drawn out frustrating process at times. Processing and approvals can take several months. One time an application can come back in as little as 3 weeks, while another one, submitted the same day, may take 10 weeks. Getting an export permit from some countries can be harder than others. Because of these variables, which are beyond our control, we cannot give you a schedule as to when your items can be shipped or when they will arrive.

Thank you for letting us serve as your U.S. firearms importer. We will try our best to make this sometimes treacherous process as smooth as possible.

For more information, you can send an e-mail to Michael at imports@simpsonltd.com.

Click Here for Online PDF Import Application       

Click Here for Sample 5 Year Letter