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Dealer Transfer Out (FFL to FFL)

When you sell a firearm to another licensed dealer rather than a private customer, the transaction is a dealer-to-dealer transfer. This type of disposition follows a different process than a standard retail sale: no Form 4473 is required when both parties hold a valid FFL. Instead, the bound book entry records the receiving dealer's FFL information in place of a buyer background check.

When to Use Dealer Transfer Out

  • Selling inventory to another FFL dealer (wholesale, surplus, or one-off trades)
  • Sending a firearm to another dealer for a consignment or on-approval arrangement
  • Transferring firearms to an auction house or buying group that holds a valid FFL

Note: If you are acting as the transferring FFL for a customer who purchased a gun online — where the customer is the buyer and you are just handling the paperwork and NICS check on the receiving end — that is a standard retail disposition on the selling dealer's end, not a dealer transfer out. Use a regular Sales Order disposition for situations where you are the seller to a private individual.

Before You Start

  • The receiving dealer must exist as a contact in CloudFFL with a FastBound link that includes their FFL number. If their contact record does not have a FastBound link, run the FFL Lookup first (see FFL Vendors & Contacts for step-by-step instructions).
  • The firearm must be in your inventory with a serial number assigned.

Step by Step

  1. Go to Sales → Orders and click New.
  2. In the Customer field, select the receiving dealer contact.
  3. Add the firearm product to the order line.
  4. In the FastBound Compliance section on the order, locate the Disposition Type field.
  5. Change the disposition type from Regular to Sale to FFL. This tells FastBound that the transferee is a licensed dealer and no 4473 is required.
  6. Click Confirm.
  7. CloudFFL calls the FastBound API to create the disposition. Because the receiving contact has a linked FFL, FastBound records the bound book entry with their FFL information as the transferee. No 4473 is initiated.
  8. Click Delivery, select the serial number being transferred, and click Validate.
  9. CloudFFL commits the disposition in FastBound. The firearm is removed from your inventory and from your active bound book with the receiving dealer's FFL on record.

Shipping the Firearm

If you are shipping rather than handing over in person:

  • Ship only to an FFL-licensed premises address. Dealers cannot receive firearms shipped to a personal address.
  • Use UPS or FedEx Ground with adult signature required and appropriate declared value. USPS is not authorized for handgun shipments between dealers (though rifles and shotguns may go USPS with restrictions).
  • Include a cover letter identifying your FFL and the purpose of the shipment.

Confirming the Bound Book Entry

After delivery is validated, go to FastBound → Compliance Serial Numbers and search for the serial number. Confirm:

  • Disposed = Yes with the correct date
  • Transferee shows the receiving dealer's FFL license name or trade name
  • Disposition Type shows Sale to FFL (not Regular)

Never ship to a non-FFL address. All FFL-to-FFL transfers must go to a licensed premises. If a dealer asks you to ship to a home address or storage unit, decline. The receiving location must be where their FFL is registered with the ATF.

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