Quick Reference Sheet for Non-U.S. Citizens Purchasing a Firearm - NICS Check Processing Guide

Oct 13, 2026

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Quick Reference Sheet for firearm purchases outlines how to identify and process Non-U.S. citizens using ATF Form 4473 and NICS checks. It explains what Alien Number evidence is required, how to answer Form 4473 questions (including 11L, 12 exceptions, 14 country of citizenship, 15 alien number, and 20c documentation), and how to distinguish Immigrant Alien versus Non-immigrant Alien status. It includes FFL guidance to reassess customers if status is unclear before initiating a check and to communicate the correct alien number type to the NICS operator.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Immigrant Alien

Identification requirements

Quick Form 4473 check

Non-Immigrant Alien

Identification and card details

Quick Form 4473 check

FFL NICS processing flow

AllAliens,no matter the type,must have the following two items: 1)A valid ICE-issued form of identification;and # Immigrant Alien ## Description -Granted permanent residence in the United States.-Most are known as Legal Permanent Resident(LPR)-Must Carry evidence of their status.-Status,in majority of cases,is granted for life-Identification will Indicate“Permanent Resident”-Card will have either an AR\#,USCIS\#,or A\#-Number will be nine numeric digits in length-No longer need proof of 90 days of residency # Identification Quick Form 4473 Check Question 11L(Alien admitted with nonimmigrant visa?)-willrespond with“No” Question\#14 (Country of Citizenship)Question\#15(Alien Number)-9 digit number An FFL Tip Sheet for Processing NICS Checks for Non-U.S.Citizens/Aliens 2)A valid alien number*(which will be provided to question\#15 on the ATF Form 4473.) Non-lmmigrant Alien ## Description -No intention of abandoning residence in another country.-Granted access to the United States for a specific purpose and fora temporary period of time. ldentification -Identification will be either a Visa or Employment Authorization-May have both an A/AR\#and I-94\#,either can be used for NICSpurposes.AR\#is located on the Employment Authorization Cardand the I-94\#can be located at the CPB.gov website.-1-94\#is 11 numerical digits in length-No longer need proof of 90 days of residency Card -Not all need a valid exception,just those admitted under a VisaQuick Form 4473 CheckQuestion 11L(Alien admitted with nonimmigrant visa?)-can be"No"or“Yes." Question\#12(fall within any of the exceptions listed?)-onlypopulate if 11Lis“Yes."Can respond with“No”or“Yes.”Question\#14(Country of Citizenship) Question\#15(Alien Number)-11 digit 1-94 numberQuestion 20c(exception documentation)-populate if\#12 is"Yes." *Be sure to tell the NICS Operator which type of alien number you are providing,either an AR\#or I-94\#.It is imperative this informationbe captured correctly in the NICS.An incorrect number could adversely impact the results of the NICS check.December 2013 Is your customer a Non- U.S.Citizen?Stop.Reassess your customer.You maynot fully understand their current statusin the U.S.You will need to be sure ofDo they have ICE-issued documentation containingthis before assessing how to process yourNoYesan Alien Number*?customer's transaction.If they have anunusual status,such as a refugee,youshould process their check as anNoYesImmigrant Alien.They likely have beenissueda AR\#,A\#,or USCIS\#.Process asnormal; validate allAre they an ImmigrantinformationStop!Do not process.ThisAlien?Are they a Non-Noinformation is required beforeImmigrant Alien?on the Formproceeding.4473 beforeinitiating theYesNoYesNICS check ## Description -No intention of abandoning residence in another country.-Granted access to the United States for a specific purpose and for atemporary period of time. ## Identification Description -Granted permanent residence in the United States.-Identification will be either a Visa or Employment Authorization Card-Most are known as Legal Permanent Resident (LPR)-May have both an A/AR\#and I-94\#,either can be used for NICS purposes.-Must Carry evidence of their status.AR\#is located on the Employment Authorization Card and the 1-94\#can be -Status,in majority of cases,is granted for life.located on the CBP.gov website.ldentification-No longer need proof of 90 days of residency -Identification will Indicate“Permanent Resident”-Not all need a valid exception,just those admitted under a Visa-Card will have either an AR\#,USCIS\#,or A\#Quick Form 4473 Check -Number will be eight or nine numeric digits in lengthQuestion \#14(Country of Citizenship)-No longer need proof of 90 days of residencyQuestion \#15(Alien Number)-11 digit 1-94 NumberQuick Form 4473 Check Question \#11L(Alien admitted with nonimmigrant visa?)-will respond with“No”Have they been admitted to the U.S.under a Visa?Question \#14(Count

FAQs

What two items must be available before processing a Non-U.S. citizen customer?

A valid ICE-issued form of identification and a valid alien number provided on ATF Form 4473 Question 15.

How should an FFL respond to Form 4473 Question 11L for Non-immigrant aliens?

Question 11L should be answered “No” when the alien is admitted with a nonimmigrant visa.

What should the NICS operator be told when initiating a NICS check?

The operator must be told which type of alien number is being provided—either an AR# or I-94#—captured correctly because an incorrect number can adversely impact the results.

Oct 13, 2026

Upload by Logic