ATF Form 4473 (5300.9) Firearms Transaction Record

ATF Form 4473 Instructions

The information required on the form must be provided honestly and in full. The penalty for lying on the ATF Form 4473 is jail time for up to 5 years. The completed form is kept by the firearms dealer and should be provided to the ATF upon request.

Step-by-step instructions for completing the form can be found below.

How to Fill out ATF Form 4473?

1. Section A. Filled by the transferee or buyer of the firearm.

   • Item 1, Transferee's/Buyer's Full Name. Self-explanatory;
   • Item 2, Current State of Residence and Address. Enter the address of your current place of residence. If you are a service member on active duty, enter the address of your permanent duty station. This item cannot contain a post office box address;
   • Item 3, Place of Birth. Enter the country where you were born. If you were born in the U.S., enter the state and the city;
   • Items 4 through 10b are self-explanatory;
   • Items 11 and 12. Answer questions by checking the applicable boxes;
   • Item 13. This item applies only to aliens. Enter your U.S.-Issued alien or admission number;
   • Items 14 and 15 are self-explanatory.

2. Section B. Filled by a seller or transferor.

   • Item 16, Type of firearm(s) to be transferred. Check the applicable box;
   • Item 17. Enter the name of the function and the location it will take place at;
   • Item 18a, Identification. Enter the buyers' type of identification and its issuing agency, number and expiration date in applicable boxes;
   • Item 18b, Supplemental Government Issued Documentation. This item applies if the identification document provided by the buyer does not contain a current residence address. Enter the name of the provided supplemental document;
   • Item 18c, Exception to the Nonimmigrant Alien Prohibition. This item applies, if item 12.d.2 was answered positively. Provide the name of the documentation proving the exception from the prohibition and attach a copy to ATF Form 4473;
   • Item 19a, Date the transferee's/buyer's identifying information in Section A was transmitted to the NICS or the appropriate State agency. Enter the date when the information received from the buyer was provided to the National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS);
   • Item 19b, The NICS or State transaction number. If NICS has provided a state transaction number, enter it here;
   • Item 19c, The response initially (first) provided by NICS or the appropriate State agency was. Check the applicable box;
   • Item 19d, The following response(s) was/were later received from the NICS or the appropriate State agency. If the NICS has responded within 3 business days, check the applicable box, specifying the received answer. If not, check the applicable box, indicating that the response was not received;
   • Item 19e, After the firearm was transferred, the following response was received from the NICS or the appropriate State agency. Enter the date of response and check the applicable box, specifying the response type;
   • Item 19f, Name and Brady identification number of the NICS examiner. Enter the name and number of the NICS examiner, if it is known;
   • Item 19g, Name of FFL Employee Completing NICS check. If known, provide the name of the FFL employee;
   • Items 20 and 21. Check the boxes in case they apply.

3. Section C. Completed by the buyer.

4. Section D. Completed by the firearms dealer, even if the firearms are not transferred.

   • Item 24 through 29. Describe the transferred firearms;
   • Item 29, Total Number of Firearms Transferred. Enter the total amount transferred to the buyer;
   • Item 30. Check the box, if it applies;
   • Item 31. Enter the name of the licensee;
   • Item 32. Check the box, if the transaction will facilitate a private party transfer;
   • Item 33, Trade/corporate name and address of transferor/seller and Federal Firearm License Number. Enter your trade or corporate name and address and the number of your FFL;
   • Item 34 through 37. Self-explanatory.

How Long Does the ATF Keep Form 4473?

The completed forms are kept by the dealer for 20 years if the sale was completed and for 5 years, if the sale was disapproved after a NICS check. After that period the forms are submitted to the ATF. The ATF can request a copy of the form from the dealer during a criminal investigation.