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ATF Form 4473 Update – August 2023 Version

Written by jon rydberg

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September 15, 2023

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ATF From 4473 Update

Update: Friday, September 29, 2023

Recently the two following small typos were identified on the ATF Form 4473:

Question 21 n. ended with a “period” rather than a “question mark”.

ATF Form 4473 21n

And, the period was missing between 21 and “m”.

ATF Form 4473 21m

Both typos have been corrected and updated form is available at ATF Form 4473 – Firearms Transaction Record Revisions.

As you well know, due to statutory requirements set forth in both the NICS Denial Notification Act and the Bipartisan Safer Community Act (BSCA), the ATF Form 4473 was revised in December of 2022. Incorporating industry member suggestions made during the recent 60 and 30-day Notice and Comment periods, ATF has further revised the form and now that newest version (August 2023) has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget for implementation. 

ATF encourages all federal firearms licensees (FFLs) to begin using the August 2023 form immediately. The Revised Form is available on ATF’s website, and can be downloaded and printed for immediate use. Please note that the entire Form, including instructions, must be printed, and stored together.  Hard copies of the Revised Form will be available through the ATF Distribution Center beginning November 1, 2023. The ATF eForm 4473 application is also being revised and notification will be sent when it is ready for use.

A detailed breakdown of all form changes is provided on ATF’s website: ATF Form 4473 – Firearms Transaction Record Revisions. The Revised Form will become mandatory for use on February 1, 2024.  Please contact your local ATF Industry Operations office should you have any questions regarding the changes to the form.

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Changes to the New Form

Section B

Question 21.b: 

  • “Do you intend to purchase or acquire any firearm listed on this form and any continuation sheet(s) or ammunition, for sale of other disposition to any person described in questions 21(b)-(l) or to a person described in question 21.m.1 who does not fall within a nonimmigrant exception?” has been moved and is now question 21.n. 
    • As a result of this relocation, the numbering for all other questions below 21.a. has changed (e.g. 21.c. is now 21.b., 21.d. is now 21.c., etc.).  Accordingly, references to these questions throughout the form have been renumbered.

Question 21.b (Formerly Question 21.c., relocated):

  • Previously read “Do you intend to sell or otherwise dispose of any firearm listed on this form and any continuation sheet(s) or ammunition in furtherance of any felony or other offense punishable by imprisonment for a term of more than one year, a federal crime of terrorism, or a drug trafficking offense?”. The question now reads “Do you intend to sell or otherwise dispose of any firearm listed on this form and any continuation sheet(s) in furtherance of any felony or other offense punishable by imprisonment for a term of more than one year, a Federal crime of terrorism, or a drug trafficking offense?”
    • “or ammunition” has been removed from the question.

Question 21.m.1:

  • Removed the instruction (U.S. citizens/nationals leave 21.n.1 and 21.n.2 blank).

Questions 21.m.2: 

  • Reworded to state “if you answered yes to questions 21m.1., do you fall within any of the exceptions stated in the instructions.”

Transferee Certification Statement:

  • The third sentence previously read “I understand that a person who answers “yes” to any of the questions 21.b. through 21.l. and 21.n. is prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm”.   The question now reads “I understand that a person who answers “yes” to any of the questions 21.b. through 21.l. as well as 21.n. is prohibited from receiving, possessing, or purchasing a firearm.”

Section C

Question 24 Category of Firearm(s) to be Transferred:

  • Added “i.e.” before rifle.  Added “e.g.” before frame.

Question 27.c. Response Provided by NICS:

  • Added “(date)” after “The firearm(s) may be transferred on ________”.

Question 27.d Prior to Transfer the Following Response was Provided:

  • Sentence changed from “and may be transferred on ___ (date)” to now read “Transfer of the firearm may occur on ___ (optional).”

Section E

Transferor Certification

  • Changed the last sentence of the Certification statement to “If this transaction required a NICS check, I further certify that this firearm(s) transfer is within 30 days from the date of NICS contact.”

Notices, Instructions, and Definitions

Instructions for Section A:

Question 8 Private Party Transfer

  • Instructions page 4, Question 8.  Private Party Transfer, first sentence:  After “…in accordance with Procedure 2020-2…”, added “or subsequent update”.

Instructions for Section B

Question 10 Current Residence Address

  • Instructions page 4, Question 10.  Current Residence Address, end of first paragraph: Added the sentence: “In these instances, the Armed Forces member must answer “Reside in city limits?” only for their residence address”.

Question 21a. Actual Transferee/Buyer

  • Instructions page 4, Question 21.a.  Actual Transferee/Buyer, first paragraph, second sentence:  Changed “bonafide” to “bona fide”.

Questions 21.c.-21.m.  Prohibited Persons

  • Instructions page 5, Questions 21.c.-21.m.  Prohibited Persons:  Question instructions have been newly associated with their corresponding (renumbered) order.

Question 21.c.-21.m.  Prohibited Persons

  • Instructions page 5, Questions 21.c.-21.m.  Prohibited Persons, first paragraph, first sentence:  Reworded the portion regarding misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to now read “convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence under Federal, including a general court-martial, State or Tribal, or local law;”.

Question 21.j.  Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence

  • Instructions page 5, Question 21.j.  Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence:
    • First paragraph, first sentence: the word “Tribal” was properly capitalized.
    • First paragraph, second sentence: the entire word “EXCEPTION” was capitalized in the portion that reads: “(See EXCEPTION to 21.c. – 21.m.)”
    • First paragraph, last sentence: the first itemized portion of the sentence was changed from “(1) the person was represented by a lawyer and gave up the right to a lawyer;” to now read “(1) the person was represented by a lawyer or gave up the right to a lawyer”.

Question 21.m.  Immigration Status

  • Instructions page 5, Question 21.m.  Immigration Status:  Added a new first sentence that reads “If you are a U.S. citizen/national, it is appropriate to answer “No” to question 21.m.1. and to leave question 21.m.2 blank.”

Instructions for Section C

Question 27 NICS Background Checks

  • Instructions page 6, Question 27.  NICS Background Checks, second paragraph, first sentence:  The sentence portion was revised from “…the transferee/buyer answered “yes” to questions 21.b. – 21.l. and 21.n…” to now read “…the transferee/buyer answered “yes” to questions 21.b. – 21.l. as well as 21.n…”

 Related Resources

Ordering Forms

The revised form is available for download.  Beginning November 1, 2023, forms may be ordered online or by contacting the Distribution Center at 240-828-5316.

Contact Information

If you have additional questions regarding the revised Form 4473, please contact FIPB@atf.gov(link sends e-mail) or your local ATF office.  A listing may be found online.

 

Orchid eBound™ Users:

Orchid eBound™ users can expect to see these changes implemented and ready to go live in early October.

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