Frequently Asked Questions

FFL Bridge is an API and embeddable widget that lets online firearms retailers add FFL dealer selection to their checkout. Customers search by ZIP code, see nearby licensed dealers on a map, and pick where they want their firearm shipped. It eliminates the back-and-forth of collecting FFL information manually.

Our database is built from the official ATF Federal Firearms License records. We update it monthly to ensure only active, valid licenses appear in search results. We also cross-reference with registered dealers who have claimed their profiles to provide additional details like transfer fees and hours.

Over 50,000 licensed FFL dealers across all 50 states. This includes Type 01 (Dealer), Type 02 (Pawnbroker), Type 07 (Manufacturer), and other license types that accept transfers.

No. FFL Bridge is built for online firearms retailers and e-commerce platforms. You don't need your own FFL to use the API. Your customers use it to find a licensed dealer near them to receive their purchase.

There are three ways to integrate: (1) Drop-in widget, just paste a script tag and a div into your page. (2) REST API, make HTTP requests directly for full control. (3) React component, for React/Next.js apps. Most retailers are up and running in under 10 minutes with the widget.

FFL Bridge works with any platform that lets you add custom HTML or JavaScript. That includes WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Shopify, Magento, custom-built sites, and more. The widget is platform-agnostic.

Yes. Each API key supports optional domain restrictions. In your dashboard, you can add one or more allowed domains (e.g., yourstore.com, *.yourstore.com). When domain restrictions are configured, the API will only respond to requests originating from those domains. If no domains are configured, the key works from any origin. This is a security feature, not a billing limitation.

Yes. You can add multiple domains to a single API key, or create separate API keys for each site. There's no per-site fee. Your usage is metered by total API calls across all keys, not by how many sites you run.

Yes. The widget is fully responsive and works on phones, tablets, and desktops. The map and dealer list adapt to the available screen size.

The widget is designed to blend into dark and light themes. Pro plan subscribers get white-label options to match your brand colors and remove FFL Bridge branding.

Average response time is under 100ms. We use bounding-box pre-filtering and Haversine distance calculations to return results quickly, even in dense metro areas with hundreds of nearby dealers.

You can search by ZIP code, city/state, or exact lat/lng coordinates. Additional filters include radius (default 25 miles), limit (number of results), and whether the dealer accepts transfers.

Include your API key in the Authorization header as "Bearer YOUR_KEY" or in the X-API-Key header. For quick testing, you can also pass it as an api_key query parameter.

Rate limits depend on your plan. Free tier: 100 calls/day (hard limit). Paid plans have daily call allowances with overage available. Usage resets at midnight UTC each day, and there are no per-second burst limits.

On the free tier, requests are blocked after the daily limit. On paid plans, overage calls are allowed and billed at a per-1,000-call rate. Your checkout will never go down because of a limit.

Pro plan subscribers get a 99.9% uptime SLA. All plans benefit from our infrastructure, which targets 99.9%+ availability. We monitor continuously and status is available at our status page.

Yes. The free tier includes 100 API calls per day with full access to the widget and API. It's great for development, testing, or very low-volume sites. No credit card required.

Starter ($29/mo) includes 1,000 calls/day. Growth ($79/mo) includes 10,000 calls/day with the map widget. Pro ($199/mo) includes 100,000 calls/day with white-label and phone support. There is also a free tier with 100 calls/day to get started.

No. Pricing is based on total daily API calls, not the number of sites. You can use your account on as many websites as you want.

Yes. No contracts, no cancellation fees. Cancel from your dashboard and you'll retain access through the end of your billing period.

Not yet, but we're considering it. Reach out if you're interested and we can work something out.

Monthly. We pull the latest ATF FFL records and reconcile them against our database. Expired, revoked, or surrendered licenses are automatically deactivated.

Yes. Dealers can register on FFL Bridge to claim their profile, add transfer fees, update contact info, and mark whether they accept public transfers. Claimed profiles are verified against ATF records.

The widget sends a ZIP code (or location) to our API and receives dealer results. We don't collect personal information from your customers. API call logs include the requesting domain, IP, and query parameters for usage tracking, but no customer PII.

FFL Bridge is a dealer lookup tool, not a compliance platform. We help customers find licensed dealers, but the actual transfer, Form 4473, and background check are handled by the receiving FFL dealer as required by law. Our data comes directly from the ATF's public FFL records.

Email support is included on all plans. Growth plan subscribers get priority response times. Pro plan subscribers get phone support and a dedicated SLA. Reach us at support@fflbridge.com.

Yes. Full API docs with endpoints, parameters, response schemas, and code examples are available at fflbridge.com/docs.

Use the contact form or email us at support@fflbridge.com. We'll verify against ATF records and update our database. Dealers can also claim their listing to manage their own information.