Not quite sure what you are referring too, but I am guessing your question is about the FBI's NICBCS. In theory (supposedly based upon congressional law), when it went on-line ~1998, the FBI had to approve/disapprove the FFL-dealer inquiry about a transfer to a prospective buyer within 3 days or the transfer automatically defaulted in the buyer's favor. Now, there was supposed to be a time limit on how long the FBI could retain the inquiry request in its records before it was expunged. During POTUS #42 WJC's watch, AG Janet Reno was known to extend this time period to 6 months. Don't know what the current practice is. Many of us Freepers fear that DoJ/FBI/ATF have been secretly/ illegally storing these inquiry requests to the NICBCS and ATF Forms 4473 from FFL-dealers in computer records since POTUS #42 or POTUS #44's watch. The ultimate aim would be to use this info as the foundation of a national gun registry.
When I bought my last firearm I asked the FFL dealer about that and he said that federal law says the sale is expunged on the federal level and at the state level after 30 days. WA is about two years behind in expunging their files.