How to Correct Errors on a Completed 4473: The FFL's Definitive Guide
You're reviewing a completed 4473 and you see it — a transposed digit in the serial number, a wrong date, an address that doesn't match the ID, a missing middle name. The customer is standing at the counter. There's a line behind them.
What do you do?
This is one of the most common operational moments in firearms retail, and it's one of the most dangerous from a compliance standpoint. Correcting a 4473 incorrectly — or failing to correct an error at all — accounts for a staggering number of the violations ATF inspectors cite during compliance reviews. The ATF's own inspection data consistently shows that 4473 errors and incomplete entries are the single most frequently cited violation category, year after year.
The problem isn't that dealers don't care about accuracy. It's that nobody has clearly documented the rules. The ATF's own instructions are spread across multiple rulings, regulation sections, and FAQ documents. Competitors in the compliance space offer vague advice like "just line through it and initial." That's incomplete at best and wrong at worst.
This guide covers every scenario: what you can correct, what you can't, how to make corrections that will hold up during an inspection, when you need to start over with a new form, and how electronic 4473 software eliminates most of these situations entirely.
The Golden Rule of 4473 Corrections
Before we get into the specifics, understand the principle that governs every correction decision:
The ATF must be able to see what was originally written, what was changed, and who made the change.
That's it. Every correction method that's acceptable flows from this principle. Every correction method that gets dealers in trouble violates it. White-out, erasure, overwriting, and any method that obscures the original entry is unacceptable — not because the ATF published a list of banned correction tools, but because those methods make it impossible to see the original entry.
The ATF treats obscured original entries as potential evidence of falsification. It doesn't matter whether you were trying to fix an honest typo or cover up a substantive error. If the inspector can't read what was originally there, they can't verify the integrity of the form, and that's a finding.
Correcting Errors on a Paper 4473
The Correct Method
The ATF-accepted correction procedure for paper 4473 forms is:
Draw a single line through the incorrect entry. The line should be sufficient to indicate the entry has been corrected, but it must not obscure the original text. The inspector needs to be able to read what was originally written underneath the strikethrough.
Write the correct information nearby. Ideally, write the correction directly above, below, or next to the struck-through entry. If there isn't enough space on the form, the correction can be written in the margin with a clear indication of which field it applies to.
Initial and date the correction. The person making the correction must place their initials and the date of the correction next to the corrected entry. This establishes who made the change and when.
That's the complete procedure. Line through, correct, initial, date. Every correction on a paper 4473 follows this method.
Who Can Make Corrections?
This depends on which section of the form contains the error and when the error is discovered.
Section A (Transferee/Buyer information): The buyer fills out this section. If the buyer discovers an error before signing their certification, the buyer should make the correction using the line-through method, initial, and date it.
If the error is discovered after the buyer has signed but before the transfer is complete, the situation gets more nuanced. The buyer can make corrections to their own section, but the correction must be initialed and dated, and the dealer should verify the correction against the buyer's identification documents.
Section B (Transferee/Buyer eligibility questions): These are the yes/no eligibility questions. Corrections here require extreme caution. If a buyer initially answered a question incorrectly and wants to change their answer — particularly from a disqualifying answer to a qualifying one — do not simply correct the entry. Stop the transaction and evaluate whether the original answer or the corrected answer reflects the truth. A buyer who initially answered "yes" to a prohibiting question and then wants to change it to "no" is a situation that warrants careful scrutiny, not a routine correction.
Section C (NICS information) and Section E (Transferor/Seller certification): These sections are completed by the dealer. The dealer makes corrections using the standard line-through method, with their own initials and the date.
Common Correction Scenarios
Wrong date of birth. The buyer entered 1985 instead of 1986. Line through 1985, write 1986, buyer initials and dates. Verify against the buyer's photo ID.
Transposed serial number digits. You entered the serial number as 12435 instead of 12345. Line through 12435, write 12345, your initials and date. Double-check the serial against the physical firearm.
Missing middle name. The buyer left the middle name field blank but their ID shows a middle name. The buyer writes in their middle name, initials, and dates. This is technically an addition rather than a correction, but the procedure is the same.
Wrong address. The buyer's address on the form doesn't match their current address on their ID. This one requires investigation before correction. Has the buyer recently moved? Is the ID current? Does the address on the form match a previous address? The buyer corrects the address using the line-through method, and the dealer should verify the new address against the ID. Document any discrepancy.
Incorrect NICS transaction number. You recorded the wrong NTN. Line through the incorrect number, write the correct one, initial, and date. Verify against your NICS records or call logs.
Buyer signed on the wrong date line. The buyer dated their signature as today's date but the actual date of the transaction is different (this happens around midnight transactions or when a form is started one day and completed the next). The buyer lines through the incorrect date, writes the correct date, initials, and dates the correction.
What You Cannot Correct
Some errors on a completed 4473 cannot be fixed with a simple correction. These situations require a new form.
When to Start Over
The form is so heavily corrected that it's no longer legible or clear. If a form has multiple corrections across multiple sections, the cumulative effect may make the form confusing or ambiguous to an inspector. There's no specific threshold — use judgment. If looking at the form makes you hesitate about what the correct information is, an inspector will hesitate too. Start fresh.
The buyer's eligibility has changed. If information comes to light after the form was completed that changes the buyer's eligibility — for example, you discover the buyer has a disqualifying condition they didn't disclose — the original form is not corrected. The transaction is stopped, the 4473 is retained as a denied/cancelled transaction, and no transfer occurs.
The NICS check has expired. If more than 30 calendar days have passed since the original NICS check was submitted, the check is no longer valid. The buyer must recertify and a new NICS check must be initiated. This may require a new 4473 depending on the extent of changes needed.
The wrong firearm was recorded. If the firearm information on the 4473 doesn't match the firearm being transferred — wrong serial number, wrong make, wrong model, wrong caliber — and the error isn't a simple typo that can be corrected with a line-through, this is a substantive mismatch. If the form was completed for Firearm A but the buyer is actually purchasing Firearm B, you need a new form for Firearm B. This is not a "correction" — it's a different transaction.
The wrong buyer information was recorded. If the form was started with one buyer's information but a different person is actually the transferee, this is not a correction scenario. This is a potential straw purchase red flag. Do not correct the form — stop the transaction and evaluate the situation.
The Gray Area: Substantive vs. Non-Substantive Errors
Not all errors carry the same weight during an inspection. Understanding the difference between substantive and non-substantive errors helps you prioritize what needs to be fixed and how urgently.
Non-substantive errors are clerical mistakes that don't affect the legality or integrity of the transaction: a misspelled street name, a height listed as 5'10" instead of 5'11", a minor variation in the employer name. These should still be corrected using the standard method, but they're unlikely to be cited as violations on their own.
Substantive errors affect the legal validity of the transaction or the ability to identify the buyer and the firearm: wrong serial number, wrong date of transfer, missing or incorrect NICS information, incorrect answers to eligibility questions, missing signatures. These are the errors that become ATF findings. They must be corrected promptly and accurately, or they must result in a new form.
The distinction matters because ATF inspectors apply judgment during reviews. A form with a corrected street address and a corrected middle initial tells the inspector that the dealer is careful and catches mistakes. A form with a wrong serial number that was never corrected tells the inspector that the dealer isn't verifying firearm information against physical inventory — and that's a systemic concern, not a typo.
Corrections on Previously Filed 4473s
What happens when you discover an error on a 4473 that was completed weeks, months, or even years ago? This is the scenario that gives dealers the most anxiety, and it's the one where the correction procedure is least understood.
The Self-Audit Discovery
You're conducting a self-audit (which you should be doing regularly — see our guide on how to prepare for an ATF inspection) and you find a 4473 with a serial number that doesn't match the corresponding A&D entry. Or you find a form with a missing NICS transaction number. Or you notice a date discrepancy.
Can you correct it? Yes — with a specific procedure.
Photocopy the original form. Before touching anything, make a photocopy of the form in its current state. This preserves the original record and demonstrates to an inspector that you discovered and addressed the error proactively.
Make the correction on the original form using the standard line-through method. Initial and date the correction with the current date — not the date of the original transaction. The date of the correction should reflect when you actually made it.
Attach the photocopy to the corrected original. Staple or otherwise securely attach the photocopy to the corrected form. This creates a clear before-and-after record.
Document the discovery. Make a note — either on the photocopy, on a separate sheet attached to the form, or in your compliance log — explaining when you discovered the error, what the error was, and what correction was made. This level of documentation is not strictly required by regulation, but it demonstrates the kind of proactive compliance that ATF inspectors view favorably.
The Inspection Discovery
If an ATF inspector discovers an error during an inspection, they will typically give you the opportunity to correct it on the spot using the same procedure. The inspector may note the error on their report regardless of whether it was corrected during the inspection, but a corrected error that was fixed cooperatively and promptly during an inspection is treated differently than an error that persists across multiple forms and multiple inspections.
The ATF's enforcement standard revolves around patterns. A single corrected error is a mistake. Ten corrected errors across ten forms is a training issue. Ten uncorrected errors across ten forms is potential willful non-compliance.
The Corrections That Get FFLs in Trouble
Based on ATF inspection patterns and published revocation decisions, these are the correction practices that cause the most enforcement action:
White-out or correction fluid. Never, under any circumstances, use white-out on a 4473. This is the single most cited correction violation. White-out obliterates the original entry, making it impossible for the inspector to verify what was originally recorded. Even if the correction itself is accurate, the use of white-out calls the integrity of the entire form into question. If you have white-out anywhere near your 4473 processing area, get rid of it.
Erasure. Same principle as white-out. If the original entry can't be read, the correction is unacceptable. This applies to pencil erasures, eraser marks, and any method that removes rather than strikes through the original text.
Overwriting. Writing over the incorrect entry with the correct information — turning a "5" into a "6" or an "A" into an "R" — is unacceptable because the inspector can't determine what was originally written. Line through the original and write the correction separately.
Undated corrections. A correction without a date is a correction that could have been made at any time — including five minutes before the inspector arrived. Always date your corrections.
Uninitialed corrections. Same issue. A correction without initials has no attribution. The inspector doesn't know who made the change or whether it was authorized.
Corrections made by the wrong person. If the buyer's section has corrections in the dealer's handwriting (or vice versa), the inspector may question whether the corrections were authorized and accurate. The person whose section contains the error should generally make the correction themselves.
How Electronic 4473 Eliminates Most Correction Scenarios
Here's the reality that changes everything: most 4473 errors that require correction on paper forms simply cannot occur on an electronic 4473.
An electronic 4473 system validates every field in real time as the form is being completed. The errors that account for the vast majority of ATF findings — missing fields, blank signatures, incomplete dates, mismatched firearm descriptions, wrong NICS transaction numbers — are caught and flagged before the form can be saved.
Missing fields. The system won't save an incomplete form. Every required field must be populated before the form can be finalized. The concept of "missing field" violations disappears entirely.
Serial number errors. When E4473 is integrated with Bravo Store Systems, the firearm data — serial number, manufacturer, model, type, caliber — is pulled directly from inventory. There's no manual transcription. The serial number on the 4473 matches the serial number in the A&D book because both came from the same source record.
Date errors. The system timestamps the transaction automatically. The date of the NICS check, the date of the transfer, and the date of the buyer's certification are recorded by the system clock, not by someone writing a date from memory.
NICS transaction numbers. With integrated NICS submission, the NTN is recorded automatically from the background check response. No manual transcription of a phone number or reference code.
Illegible entries. Digital entries are always legible. The entire category of "I can't read the handwriting" findings is eliminated.
Eligibility question errors. The system presents each question sequentially and requires a response before advancing. Skipped questions — one of the most common paper-form findings — are physically impossible.
This doesn't mean electronic 4473s are immune to all errors. A buyer can still enter an incorrect address. A dealer can still select the wrong firearm from inventory (though the system will flag serial number mismatches against the physical firearm at the point of verification). But the universe of possible errors shrinks dramatically, and the errors that remain are substantive ones that require human judgment — exactly the kind of errors that should require human attention, not the kind that should be catchable by a software validation rule.
The track record speaks for itself. Across thousands of FFLs using E4473 with Bravo Store Systems, the platform maintains zero compliance infractions attributed to the software. That's not because those stores never make mistakes. It's because the system prevents the mistakes that paper can't.
Ready to stop correcting 4473s and start preventing errors? Schedule a free demo to see how E4473 validates every field in real time, or email us at hello@e4473.com.
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