Acquisition Requirements for Used Firearms
Every used firearm you acquire — whether through direct purchase from a walk-in customer, trade-in, consignment intake, pawn loan, or purchase from another dealer — must be logged in your A&D bound book as an acquisition. The entry must include the manufacturer or importer, model, serial number, type, and caliber or gauge, along with the date of acquisition and the identity of the source.
For acquisitions from non-licensees (private individuals), record the person's name, address, date of birth, and government-issued identification details. For acquisitions from other FFLs, record the dealer's name, FFL number, and address. The bound book entry must be completed by the close of the next business day after the acquisition.
There is no federal requirement to complete a 4473 when purchasing a firearm from a non-licensee. The 4473 is a transfer/disposition document — it's required when you sell or transfer a firearm to someone, not when you acquire one. However, you must still record the acquisition in your bound book with full details.
Checking for Stolen Firearms
While there is no federal requirement for dealers to check whether an incoming used firearm is stolen, it is an essential best practice — and some states mandate it. Accepting a stolen firearm creates enormous problems: the firearm will be seized when traced, you'll lose the value of the inventory, and repeated acceptance of stolen firearms can draw ATF scrutiny regarding your due diligence.
Check the serial number against the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) stolen firearms database. You can do this through your local law enforcement agency, some POS systems that integrate with law enforcement databases, or by requesting a NCIC check through your state police. Some jurisdictions require pawnbrokers to submit acquisition data to local police specifically for stolen property checks.
If a firearm is later identified as stolen after you've acquired it, cooperate fully with law enforcement. You cannot sell a known stolen firearm. If you discover it's stolen before selling, report it to local law enforcement and the ATF.
Serial Number Verification at Intake
Verify the serial number at the time of acquisition — before money changes hands. Compare the number on the firearm's frame or receiver to the seller's description. If the serial number is obliterated, altered, or missing, do not accept the firearm. Possession of a firearm with a removed or altered serial number is a federal felony.
Record the serial number exactly as it appears on the firearm. Use the manufacturer's format including all prefixes, suffixes, and special characters. If the number is difficult to read due to wear, take extra care to verify each character. Consider photographing the serial number at intake for your records.
For more on serial number accuracy, see our serial number compliance guide.
Buy-Sell-Trade Procedures
Buy-sell-trade transactions create multiple bound book entries. When a customer trades a used firearm toward the purchase of another: log the incoming firearm as an acquisition (from the customer), and log the outgoing firearm as a disposition (to the customer, with a completed 4473 and background check). These are two separate transactions in your records, even if they happen simultaneously at the counter.
Valuation of the trade-in is a business decision, but your records must accurately reflect the transaction. If the trade-in reduces the cash price, document the values. Some states require specific documentation of trade-in values for tax purposes.
Pawn Intake for Firearms
When you accept a firearm as pawn collateral, log it in your A&D bound book as an acquisition. The entry should reference the pawn loan number or ticket. When the customer redeems the loan, log the return of the firearm as a disposition back to the same person — no 4473 is required for a pawn redemption returned to the original pledgor.
If the loan is forfeited and the firearm becomes your inventory, it remains logged as a single acquisition. When you eventually sell the forfeited firearm to a new buyer, that sale requires a 4473 and background check, and is logged as a disposition in your bound book.
Bravo's Pawn POS manages the full pawn lifecycle — from intake to redemption to forfeiture to sale — with automatic bound book entries at every step.
Documenting Condition
While the ATF does not require you to document the condition of used firearms, doing so protects your business from disputes and supports accurate valuation. Record the condition at intake — noting any visible wear, damage, modifications, or missing components. Photographs are invaluable.
For pawn transactions, condition documentation is especially important. If a customer claims their firearm was damaged while in your possession, your intake documentation is your defense. Some states require pawnbrokers to document item condition as part of the pawn agreement.
Make Every Acquisition Compliant
Bravo's POS logs every used firearm into your bound book automatically — serial number, source, condition, and valuation in one workflow.
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