What Happens during an ATF inspection?

[SilverTauron]

I ask because of a peculiar incident at my local dealer in South Dakota.

I purchased a handgun on gunbroker, and made arrangements to have my SD dealer send their FFL license to the shipping seller in Georgia. I call the store for verification that the documentation arrived to their satisfaction, when the Georgian FFL tells me the dealer license is "wrong".

Upon request for clarification, apparently their needed to be an owners signature on the bottom left corner of the FFL license itself, something which my local dealer in 20 years of business -and the attendant ATF inspections- never heard of. The Georgian gun dealer refused to send the handgun without an owner-signed copy of the FFL, which resulted in a 3 way phone conversation at my dealer's store between myself, the owner, and the sending FFL. Being the great guy he is the owner of my local gun store took the time to sign the FFL and re-fax it despite never having needed to in the past, and the transaction proceeded smoothly after that. I gently asked the Georgian dealer on the phone why all this was necessary , and his reply was that his local ATF inspector "had it in for him", in so many words.

I thus ask what happens during an inspection,since to hear it from the out of state dealer my local guy has been in violation of the law for 20 years with the consent of the ATF, who's inspected the SD dealer and had no issues.

[ke6guj]

do you mean that the SD dealer sent out a completely unsigned FFL to the GA dealer? If so, the GA dealer was correct.

But if the FFL was ink-signed, and the GA dealer wanted a second signature, the n the GA dealer was not correct.

here is a sample FFL,

that shows where it needs to be signed in the bottom left corner of the FFL. (top half of the paper)

[efillc]

I thus ask what happens during an inspection,since to hear it from the out of state dealer my local guy has been in violation of the law for 20 years with the consent of the ATF, who's inspected the SD dealer and had no issues.

An ATF IOI wouldn't care if a dealer had unsigned copies of his own license laying around. In fact, an FFL should have them in case the sending dealer hasn't made it into the 20th century and insists on a "wet ink signed" copy.

As for what happens during an inspection, it can vary widely. We had one earlier this year and it took three days. The first day the auditor looked at all of our NFA inventory and forms. Just as an FYI, the NFRTR was not correct so it's a good thing we had our paperwork straight. The rest of the time the auditor looked at every 4473 we had processed for the prior year, and checked the entry in our bound book, to make sure it was correct. She also took a quick look at our manufacturing log, but a lot more time was spent on the dispositions than anything else.

While I haven't experienced it, I have heard that if the auditor has it in for you, you're in for a very bad week.

[halifax]

I've not received a copy of an FFL that was not signed and completely filled in. I think the FFL is just being cantankerous.

I doubt, however, this would ever be an issue in an audit unless the firearm was sent to a non-licensee by deceit.

[GoingQuiet]

An unsigned license is not valid. Any license submitted for the purposes of transfer should be signed and dated.

[Mr310]

Isn't it like a passport where it needs to be signed to be valid?

[ShootinXs]

Just had my interview with the IOI last week and he said DO NOT sign it, make copys and wet ink those as needed , he explained it as a blank check if somebody gets there hands on it . Then lock it up .

[ke6guj]

Just had my interview with the IOI last week and he said DO NOT sign it, make copys and wet ink those as needed , he explained it as a blank check if somebody gets there hands on it . Then lock it up .

right, you don't sign the original. You sign the copies that you send to other FFLs.

In this case, the OP's FFL either sent the selling FFL an unsigned copy of the FFL, or it was signed, but the selling FFL wanted it signed by someone else.

[SilverTauron]

right, you don't sign the original. You sign the copies that you send to other FFLs.

In this case, the OP's FFL either sent the selling FFL an unsigned copy of the FFL, or it was signed, but the selling FFL wanted it signed by someone else.

My FFL had a signed copy of the license with every lined spot duly signed by the appropriate agencies. No blanks or obvious discrepancies could be seen by myself or the owner,hence our confusion. The Georgia FFL wanted a secondary signature by the owner on the lower-left corner of our sending copy, a requirement my dealer never heard of.

To clarify, the FFL was signed by the owner already and the sending FFL wanted an ADDITIONAL signature on the copy sent to him.

[Table Rock Arms]

I send my FFL out to other dealers no problem. However there is no requirement to do so. Most dealers do it weather they think it needs to be done or out of courtesy. A dealer can (and should even if they have a signed copy) look up other dealers on the FFL ez-check to find out if the receiving dealer is good to go.

[GoingQuiet]

Just had my interview with the IOI last week and he said DO NOT sign it, make copys and wet ink those as needed , he explained it as a blank check if somebody gets there hands on it . Then lock it up .

Did the IOI also teach you the difference between their and there?