A buyer is halfway through Form 4473 and realizes they made an error — they wrote the wrong date of birth, put their old address, or initially answered a Question 21 sub-question incorrectly before reconsidering. How corrections are handled on a Form 4473 is a compliance matter with specific requirements. Getting it wrong — even with good intentions — can create a violation.
The White-Out Rule
White-out, correction fluid, correction tape, and any other obliterating correction method is absolutely prohibited on Form 4473. Period. No exceptions. An ATF inspector who sees white-out on a 4473 will flag it as a violation regardless of what's underneath. The integrity of the record requires that original entries and corrections both be visible.
The Correct Correction Method
The proper way to correct an error on Form 4473 is to draw a single line through the incorrect entry — leaving it legible — write the correct information nearby, and have the buyer initial and date the correction. The initials and date establish who made the change and when. A correction without initials or a date is an incomplete correction.
Who Can Make the Correction?
Corrections to the buyer's sections (Sections B and C) must be made by the buyer, not the dealer. A dealer who crosses out a buyer's error and writes in the correct information — even if they're copying directly from the buyer's ID — has altered the buyer's legal certification. The buyer must make the correction in their own hand, initial it, and date it.
Corrections to the dealer's sections (Sections A, D, and E) are the dealer's responsibility and should be made by the dealer using the same single-line method.
Starting Over Is Sometimes the Right Answer
If a form has extensive corrections — multiple crossed-out entries, corrections to corrections, marginal notes — starting with a fresh Form 4473 is often cleaner than maintaining a heavily marked-up original. The original should be retained with the corrected version and both filed together. A heavily corrected form that's difficult to read creates interpretive problems and inspection questions even if every correction was made correctly.
Changes to Eligibility Answers
If a buyer changes an answer to one of the Question 21 eligibility sub-questions — particularly if they initially answered "no" and want to change to "yes" — special caution is warranted. An initial "no" that gets changed to "yes" before the form is submitted is legally a "yes" answer and the transfer cannot proceed. More concerning is a buyer who initially answers "yes" and then tries to change it to "no" — this pattern can indicate an attempt to conceal a disqualifying factor.
After the Form Is Submitted
If an error is discovered after the Form 4473 has been completed and the transfer processed, the correction process is different. The dealer documents the error in their records, makes a notation on the original form, and — for significant errors — may need to contact the ATF. Retroactive corrections to submitted 4473s should be documented carefully and dated to reflect when the error was discovered, not backdated to the original transaction date.
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