[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 27, Volume 3]
[Revised as of April 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 27CFR555.26]

[Page 124-126]
 
            TITLE 27--ALCOHOL, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, AND FIREARMS
 
   CHAPTER II--BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, 
                          DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
 
PART 555_COMMERCE IN EXPLOSIVES--Table of Contents
 
          Subpart C_Administrative and Miscellaneous Provisions
 
Sec.  555.26  Prohibited shipment, transportation, receipt, possession, or 

distribution of explosive materials.

    (a) General. No person, other than a licensee or permittee knowingly 
may transport, ship, cause to be transported, or receive any explosive 
materials: Provided, That the provisions of this paragraph (a) do not 
apply to the lawful purchase by a nonlicensee or nonpermittee of 
commercially manufactured black powder in quantities not to exceed 50 
pounds, if the black powder is intended to be used solely for sporting, 
recreational, or cultural purposes in antique firearms as defined in 18 
U.S.C. 921(a)(16), or in antique devices as exempted from the term 
``destructive device'' in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(4).
    (b) Holders of a limited permit. No person who is a holder of a 
limited permit may--
    (1) Transport, ship, cause to be transported, or receive in 
interstate or foreign commerce any explosive materials;
    (2) Receive explosive materials from a licensee or permittee, whose 
premises are located outside the State of residence of the limited 
permit holder; or
    (3) Receive explosive materials on more than 6 separate occasions, 
during the period of the permit, from one or more licensees or 
permittees whose premises are located within the State of residence of 
the limited permit holder. (See Sec.  555.105(b) for the definition of 
``6 separate occasions.'')
    (c) Possession by prohibited persons. No person may ship or 
transport any explosive material in or affecting interstate or foreign 
commerce or receive or possess any explosive materials which have been 
shipped or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce 
who:
    (1) Is under indictment or information for, or who has been 
convicted in

[[Page 125]]

any court of, a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 
one year;
    (2) Is a fugitive from justice;
    (3) Is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance 
(as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 
802) and Sec.  555.11);
    (4) Has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed 
to a mental institution;
    (5) Is an alien, other than an alien who--
    (i) Is lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as that term is 
defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1101)); or
    (ii) Is in lawful nonimmigrant status, is a refugee admitted under 
section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157), or 
is in asylum status under section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1158), and--
    (A) Is a foreign law enforcement officer of a friendly foreign 
government, as determined by the Attorney General in consultation with 
the Secretary of State, entering the United States on official law 
enforcement business, and the shipping, transporting, possession, or 
receipt of explosive materials is in furtherance of this official law 
enforcement business;
    (B) Is a person having the power to direct or cause the direction of 
the management and policies of a corporation, partnership, or 
association licensed pursuant to section 843(a) of the Act, and the 
shipping, transporting, possession, or receipt of explosive materials is 
in furtherance of such power;
    (C) Is a member of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or 
other friendly foreign military force, as determined by the Attorney 
General in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, (whether or not 
admitted in a nonimmigrant status) who is present in the United States 
under military orders for training or other military purpose authorized 
by the United States, and the shipping, transporting, possession, or 
receipt of explosive materials is in furtherance of the military 
purpose; or
    (D) Is lawfully present in the United States in cooperation with the 
Director of Central Intelligence, and the shipment, transportation, 
receipt, or possession of the explosive materials is in furtherance of 
such cooperation;
    (6) Has been discharged from the armed forces under dishonorable 
conditions; or
    (7) Having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced 
citizenship.
    (d) Distribution to prohibited persons. No person may knowingly 
distribute explosive materials to any individual who:
    (1) Is under twenty-one years of age;
    (2) Is under indictment or information for, or who has been 
convicted in any court of, a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term 
exceeding one year;
    (3) Is a fugitive from justice;
    (4) Is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance 
(as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 
802) and Sec.  555.11);
    (5) Has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed 
to a mental institution;
    (6) Is an alien, other than an alien who--
    (i) Is lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as that term is 
defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1101)); or
    (ii) Is in lawful nonimmigrant status, is a refugee admitted under 
section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157), or 
is in asylum status under section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1158), and--
    (A) Is a foreign law enforcement officer of a friendly foreign 
government, as determined by the Attorney General in consultation with 
the Secretary of State, entering the United States on official law 
enforcement business, and the shipping, transporting, possession, or 
receipt of explosive materials is in furtherance of this official law 
enforcement business;
    (B) Is a person having the power to direct or cause the direction of 
the management and policies of a corporation, partnership, or 
association licensed pursuant to section 843(a) of the Act, and the 
shipping, transporting, possession, or receipt of explosive materials is 
in furtherance of such power;

[[Page 126]]

    (C) Is a member of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or 
other friendly foreign military force, as determined by the Attorney 
General in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, (whether or not 
admitted in a nonimmigrant status) who is present in the United States 
under military orders for training or other military purpose authorized 
by the United States, and the shipping, transporting, possession, or 
receipt of explosive materials is in furtherance of the military 
purpose; or
    (D) Is lawfully present in the United States in cooperation with the 
Director of Central Intelligence, and the shipment, transportation, 
receipt, or possession of the explosive materials is in furtherance of 
such cooperation;
    (7) Has been discharged from the armed forces under dishonorable 
conditions; or
    (8) Having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced 
citizenship.
    (e) See Sec.  555.180 for regulations concerning the prohibited 
manufacture, importation, exportation, shipment, transportation, 
receipt, transfer, or possession of plastic explosives that do not 
contain a detection agent.

[ATF No. 1, 68 FR 13781, Mar. 20, 2003]