TexasCHLforum.com

The state of Texas, or any of its political subdivisions, gets no copy of any firearm records unless you buy two or more handguns from the same dealer within 5 business days (and possibly semi-auto long guns under the new "rule"). If you meet those requirements then the ATF requires they give a copy of the multiple purchase form to the local PD.

The feds have been known to illegally keep/compile records from NICS checks, but we can not say if they are doing this now because they won't tell us. On the multiple sales reports they get a copy to permenantly keep. The ATF can make copies of certain records under certain conditions but they tend to think that "certain" means "all".

The dealer keeps the 4473 and a comment in his bound book as to the disposition (sale/transfer) of the firearm. A dealer can destroy his copy of records after they reach a certain age, many do not out of concern that the ATF might react badly. Many dealers have fires or other issues when they go out of business. There is an E4473 process (it still prints out a form though) and the ATF offers the software for it to the dealers for free, and the dealer can also get permission to use an eletronic bound book. The same rules and laws apply just the same to the electronic copies of the records as they do to the paper copies.