Most Form 4473 transfers are individual-to-individual — a dealer transferring a firearm to a private buyer. But transfers to businesses, corporations, LLCs, and government entities happen regularly, and the form is completed differently than for an individual buyer.

When Is the Transferee a Business Entity?

If the buyer is purchasing the firearm on behalf of a business — a gun range buying pistols for rental use, a security company purchasing firearms for its officers, or a law enforcement agency acquiring duty weapons — the transferee may be the business rather than an individual. The key question is who actually owns the firearm after the transfer.

Section B for Entity Transfers

When the transferee is a business or government entity, Section B is completed differently. The business name goes in the name field. The business address goes in the address field. The individual completing the form on behalf of the entity signs and dates the transferee certification. The eligibility questions in Question 21 are answered by the individual authorized representative.

Note: The individual completing the form still certifies eligibility. Even in a business transfer, a real person is certifying under penalty of law that the information is correct and that the purchase is lawful.

Law Enforcement Transfers

Transfers to law enforcement agencies for official use are handled differently depending on whether the transfer is to the agency or to an individual officer for personal use. Agency purchases typically use the entity transfer format. Transfers to individual officers for personal use follow the standard individual transfer process.

ID Verification for Entity Transfers

For entity transfers, the authorized representative presenting the transaction must provide identification. The ID information goes in Question 26. The representative's personal ID is recorded even though the purchaser is the business entity.

What to Watch For

The most common error on entity transfers is treating the authorized representative as the individual buyer and completing the form as if it were a personal purchase. If a business entity owns the firearm, the form should reflect the entity as the buyer. Running these forms through a compliance audit before filing catches this distinction.

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