The Biden administration on Monday announced a new firearms rule under which licensed arms sellers must certify that they have secure gun storage or safety devices available to their customers.

Under the requirement, dealers must confirm they have secure gun storage options available for consumers that are specifically compatible with the firearms they are selling, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a release.

The rule officially codifies and implements legal requirements already contained in the 1999 Gun Control Act, he added.

“Today’s announcements build on the department’s efforts to reduce the risk of firearms falling into the wrong hands,” Garland said. “Gun safety is a Department of Justice priority, and we will continue to take all appropriate steps to help reduce the number of people killed and injured by the misuse of firearms.”

The rule was submitted to the Federal Register for publication and will take effect Feb. 3.

The measure amends Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regulations. Its key effect is to require federally licensed arms sellers to have available secure gun storage options that are specifically compatible with the firearms they are selling.

“Not all devices are compatible with varying types of firearms,” officials said in announcing the rule.

Safe storage options are defined as “a safe, gun safe, gun case, lock box or other device that is designed to be or can be used to store a firearm and that is designed to be unlocked only by means of a key, a combination or other similar means.” This could be any storage like a vault or browning safe.

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