Firearms Transaction Record/Registro de Transacción de Armas de Fuego
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Emergency
11/18/2022
Approved without change
12/02/2022
11/17/2022
table that charts list comparision
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
06/30/2023
6 Months From Approved
05/31/2023
17,189,101
0
17,189,101
8,594,551
0
8,594,551
0
0
0
The Firearms Transaction Record/Registro de Transacción de Armas de Fuego allows Federal firearms licensees to determine the eligibility of persons purchasing firearms. It also alerts buyers to certain restrictions on the receipt and possession of firearms.
ATF is requesting an expedited/emergency clearance for the Firearms Transaction Record/Registro de Transacción de Armas de Fuego (ATF Form 4473) (OMB 1140-0020). Prospective firearm buyers complete the Form 4473, and the Federal firearms licensee (FFL) relays that information to the FBIâs National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) electronically or by phone. NICS staff performs a background check on the buyer. That background check verifies the buyer is not prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm. As a result, it is critical that the form remain updated to include instructions, questions, and spaces for the specific information the purchasers are required to provide and to remind licensees and prospective purchasers of legal obligations and requirements. It also serves as a deterrent to prohibited purchases by identifying penalties, including criminal ones, for violating the requirements.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (the Act) was signed into law and became effective on June 25, 2022. Among the changes enacted by the Act were a requirement for FFLs to note when a purchaser is under the age of 21 and to meet additional background check steps and timelines for mental health adjudication checks before an FFL may sell to certain purchasers. The Act also included new requirements that FFLs stop a transaction if they have any reason to believe the person is prohibited to receive or possess a firearm, prohibits a licensee from transferring a firearm to a person who intends to use the firearm in trafficking or who is impermissibly acquiring it for another person, and establishes new criminal penalties for such purchases. The Act also changed the scope of individuals prohibited from receiving a firearm due to domestic abuse convictions to include âboyfriends,â and changed the scope of entities who must have a license to purchase firearms for resale. The provisions increase public safety by better identifying people who present a high danger or risk of misuse if they own a firearm, preventing sale to them and for trafficking purposes, and deterring certain subterfuge purchases that enable people who are prohibited or who intend to engage in prohibited actions to receive firearms.
These statutory and regulatory requirements are not reflected on the existing Form 4473. This creates a risk to public safety. The Form 4473 helps to prevent firearms from being sold to people Congress has determined are too dangerous and helps to deter crimes committed with âghost gunsâ that cannot be traced.
NICS has now updated its system and will begin implementing the changes indicated above beginning November 14, 2022. The Form 4473 has been updated and translated into an updated Spanish version. As a result, it is urgent that the updated form be provided to licensees as soon as possible to protect public safety. The majority of changes to the form directly implement the statutory and regulatory items outlined above; the remaining changes to the form are minor administrative items, such as renumbering.
We therefore are requesting expedited review of the revised ATF Form 4473, including waiving both notice periods and faster OIRA review. We understand that an expedited approval would be good for only up to six months, and that we must renew the revised form through a full PRA clearance process before then to continue using it thereafter.
ATF Form 4473 (5300.9A), ATF Form 4473 (5300.9A), ATF F 4473 (5300.9), ATF F 4473 (5300.9)
,
,
,
table that charts list of burden
Total Approved
Previously Approved
Change Due to New Statute
Change Due to Agency Discretion
Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses
17,189,101
17,189,101
0
0
0
0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)
8,594,551
8,594,551
0
0
0
0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)
0
0
0
0
0
0
No
No
$1,500,000
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Jason Gluck 202 648-7405
Reginfo record details
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form ATF Form 4473 (530 Registro de Transacción de Armas de Fuego Hoja de Continuación
Form 4473 - Emergency Clearance Request 11-14-22.pdf
Non Substantive Change - 1140-0020 11.8.22.docx
Firearms Transaction Record/Registro de Transacción de Armas de Fuego