ATF’s New 4473 Proposal

The ATF is proposing a couple of changes to the Form 4473 and the public comment period is open until February 24, 2020.

The proposed form includes changes to the order of the form and to two questions.

Order of the 4473

The ATF has moved the firearm description section to the top of the form and requires that it be filled out prior to the customer filling out their section of the form.

Previously (currently), the customer section is supposed to be filled out completely before the transaction information is entered. This is because the ATF wants the full customer information in case the customer lies on the form. Will all of their information on the form, and their signature certifying it, the ATF can make a criminal case if needed.

Putting the firearm information first is a good change. By doing this, it allows the customer to know what firearm information is being entered on the form – this makes sense. This way, they can’t have firearms they aren’t intending to purchase accidentally listed on the form.

Question Changes

The ATF is proposing to change one of the most error producing questions on the form: “County.” Many purchasers mistakenly see this as “Country.” Now the ATF is going to list the question as “County/Parish/Borough” – this is not only more accurate for some localities, it should also make it clear not to list “U.S.A.”

The ATF is also changing the question about sex. In addition to “Male” and “Female,” the ATF is now adding “Non-Binary.” Comments about this political move aside, this seems like it’ll cause problems with customer identity for FFLs.

It is up to you, the FFL, to stop the transaction if you doubt the accuracy of anything on the form. It seems impossible to hold the FFL accountable for identifying  whether the purchaser has included the correct sex.

We’ll keep you up to date of any changes to this proposed form, including if and when it goes into effect.