Frequently Asked Questions

ATF Form 4473 is the Firearms Transaction Record. A licensed dealer completes it for every firearm transfer to a non-licensee. It captures the buyer's identifying information, their answers to federal eligibility questions, the firearm description, and the background check result.

Both. The buyer completes their personal information and answers every eligibility question, then signs. The dealer verifies identification, records the background check, describes the firearm, and completes the dealer certification before the transfer.

The form asks for the buyer's identifying details and a series of federal eligibility questions covering things like whether the buyer is the actual transferee, and questions about prohibiting factors. See our full guide to the questions asked on a 4473 for a breakdown.

On paper, the form is completed at the licensed premises. With electronic 4473 software, the buyer can complete their portion ahead of time on their own device so a validated form is waiting for the dealer's review at the counter.

Errors must be corrected properly, and some errors mean the transfer should not proceed until the form is complete and accurate. Incomplete or inconsistent forms are among the most common ATF inspection findings.

Completed 4473s, including denied and non-completed forms, must be retained and available for inspection. Digital storage makes retention and retrieval far easier than paper files.

A background check through NICS or a state point of contact returns Proceed, Delayed, or Denied. The firearm may only be transferred if the result allows it, and the dealer records the result on the form.

The most common findings involve incomplete forms, missing signatures or dates, unrecorded background check information, serial number mismatches between the 4473 and the A&D Book, and using an outdated revision of the form.

With e4473, a complete stored 4473 can be retrieved in about 12 seconds, compared with searching through paper files, which speeds up an inspection considerably.

There are nine FFL types in current use: 01, 02, 03, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, and 11. Most gun stores hold a Type 01 dealer license. See our FFL license types guide for the full list.

Yes. A dealer selling suppressors and other National Firearms Act items needs a Class 3 Special Occupational Taxpayer registration on top of a dealer license.

Yes. e4473 is an add-on to the Bravo Store Systems point of sale, so the 4473 and background check are part of the same workflow as the sale and the A&D Book, rather than a separate bolted-on tool.