New 4473 coming

Media contact:
Bill Brassard
203-426-1320 ext. 212
ATF Announces Release of New Form 4473
NEWTOWN, Conn. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearm industry, is pleased to announce that ATF is set to release its newest version of the Form 4473. The Form 4473 is used by all Federal Firearm License (FFL) holders to record pertinent information from persons seeking to purchase a firearm or firearms prior to the FFL performing a background check via the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) or state-approved point-of-contact law enforcement agency.

The May 2020 Form 4473 includes several changes from the previous version, including:

The warning at the top of the form includes information about illegal exportation.
Information on the firearm/s to be transferred is now Section A, which must be completed before the transferee completes Section B.
The “County” block has been changed to “County/Parish/Borough” to accommodate Louisiana and Alaska, respectively.
A new item (26c.) has been included for the recording of official military orders establishing permanent change of station.
Item 26b, which previously applied to situations in which the identification document did not show the current residence address of the transferee, has been updated to include situations in which the identification document does not include the full legal name of the transferee.


Use of the May 2020-approved Form 4473 will be mandatory for all FFLs beginning November 1, 2020. FFLs may use supplies of their current Form 4473s (October 2016 version) until that date. The new Form 4473 and continuation sheets are available for preorder in both English and Spanish here, and FFLs can expect those preorder to begin shipping in late July 2020. In addition, ATF expects to ship 50-quantity starter packs of the new Form 4473 to all FFLs in late July 2020, and the agency intends to have an updated eForm 4473 up and running during that same time period for those FFLs utilizing the FBI’s NICS E-Check system instead of the paper Form 4473.

NSSF has ordered both Spanish and English overlays for the new Form 4473 and we will notify our members when they are in stock and available through the member portal. These overlays, which complement an FFL’s compliance best practices, help improve accuracy and completion of this critical form and are available free to NSSF members.

The firearms being purchased are now listed on the front page.
Per the ATF, it is so the buyer can verify the form is only being marked with the firearm they're actually buying, with remaining lines voided, to prevent malicious clerks from adding additional firearms to hide inventory shrink, instead of the list on a later page, below the signature lines and able to be completed outside the view of the buyer.
The GOA and other conspiracy theorists say it is so the ATF only has to photocopy the front page to accomplish registration.

Kharn said:

The GOA and other conspiracy theorists say it is so the ATF only has to photocopy the front page to accomplish registration.

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Yeah, because all that's stopping them right now is a duplex photocopier.....

GOA is using it as a drum-up for financial support.

tallen702 said:

Yeah, because all that's stopping them right now is a duplex photocopier.....

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$$$

It's far cheaper to copy 1 8.5x11 sheet, than 2.

It makes for convenience on the BATFE's part.

It is not just copying. The ATF inspectors, during annual reviews, are using a camera or cellphone to photo all the 4473s. Easier to photo the first page for name and firearm serial.

Inigoes said:

$$$

It's far cheaper to copy 1 8.5x11 sheet, than 2.

It makes for convenience on the BATFE's part.

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I take it you don't know what a duplex copier is then.

tallen702 said:

I take it you don't know what a duplex copier is then.

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Not one that I carry with me. They are known by the present name of "All-in-one" printers

The way the form was previously setup, you would need to copy 3 pages, to get the information. Meaning you would need to have the ink, and paper to print 2 pages from and back. Once you get into the hundred of thousand of documents, that overhead can be a considerable expense.


Being able to print/copy one side of a piece of paper, reduces the BATFE expenses of reproducing the document significantly.

All-in-one printers died years ago, now they're document centers with built in hard drives. Tell it to duplex scan, open all the 4473s so they lay as 11x17 sheets in the hopper, and let it run. Later, move the files to another storage location or pick individual pages to replicate.

Yes copiers work, but you guys are missing the point. This change is not there to help in 20 years, when the FFL turns in his old 4473s, and they are scanning them into the system.

This new form change is for immediate benefit. When an inspector is doing an FFL's annual review, he can easily use a camera and take a single photo of page 1 and get the information they want (Name and weapon information).

That's the problem with 4473s. IMO, if it is supposedly illegal for the govt to maintain a database of gun owners and what they own, firearm info should be removed from the form altogether. I mean, NICS is supposed to be running the background check on the buyer, not the gun. So once OKed as a non-prohibited person, you should be able to buy any legal firearm at that transaction. Nobody NEEDS the type, make, model, SN, etc. of the firearm, right? The only reason to include those things IS for registration (and future confiscation).