Archived Edition
Week of August 31, 2026
Operational briefing as published at the close of this week. Archived editions are immutable — they preserve the queue narrative exactly as it stood.
On Form 1, individuals are clearing faster than trusts — 26 days vs 68 days at the median.
Form 4 individuals are the fastest right now at 5 days. Form 1 trusts are the slowest at 68 days.
Half of Form 1 individuals waited between 6 and 61 days — a quarter came in faster, a quarter slower.
Based on 1,379 approvals reported in the last 90 days.
Approval speeds were unpredictable across the past 4 days. Filers who submitted around the same time saw noticeably different results.
Over the past 4 days, ATF moved 1 month closer to current filings. ATF is working through filings submitted about 2 months ago.
Approvals stayed concentrated on a narrow band of filing dates — ATF worked one stretch of the backlog rather than picking at it broadly.
Approval speeds swung around week to week, so recent numbers are a rough guide rather than a reliable estimate.
What this means
Because different kinds of filings are moving at such different rates, an overall average is close to meaningless right now. Look at the number for your specific form and owner type, not the headline figure.
Compared with recent days
Wait times have stayed unpredictable for 4 days running. ATF made modest progress toward newer filings over the past 4 days.
Highlights
Wait times have been unpredictable for 4 days straight.
Over the past 4 days, ATF moved 1 month closer to current filings.
Waits still vary widely depending on what you filed and how you filed it.
unpredictable · 4 days
Captured September 6, 2026 from live queue analytics and approval reports contributed by filers. Read the methodology →