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FBI Gun Laws And NICs Information Center
Information and updates on U.S. Gun Laws, Ownership, and the FBI NICs Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Background Check News

Stay updated with the latest developments in background checks, firearm regulations, and law enforcement policies. Get insights into changes affecting gun ownership, NICS procedures, and public safety.

  • Firearm Purchases Spike Amid Heightened Covid-19 And Gun Control Concerns

    As concerns over the continued spread of the coronavirus escalate in the United States, millions of people are now flocking to retail outlets to stock up on essentials such as water, milk, bread, toilet paper, and guns; a lot of guns. Concerns over the rapid spread of Covid-19, coupled with fears of more restrictive gun…

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  • Washington House Passes Centralized Gun Background Check Bill

    The Washington House passed a new gun background check bill this week that was surprisingly supported by both the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility. The said bill, supported by the opposing advocacy groups, aims to centralize firearm background checks under the Washington State Patrol. House Bill 2467 passed the Washington…

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  • 2019 Set To Hit New Gun Sales Record

    Despite an apparent dip in total gun sales since US President Donald Trump’s took power, 2019 is still on the running to beat the record set in 2016. While the official numbers for the month of December have yet to be published, the number of firearm checks done so far has put last year in…

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  • FBI NICS Firearm Checks Jumped By 10 Percent In September

    The number of firearm background checks conduction in the month of September this year has significantly increased when compared to the same month last year. New data released by the Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check Systems (NICS) revealed an increase of over 10 percent year-on-year. Unadjusted numbers for the month of September…

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  • House Urges Senate To Reconvene And Pass Bipartisan Background Check Bills

    Following the tragic mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso that killed 31 people over the weekend, more than 200 mayors signed a letter that urged the Senate to reconvene in order to immediately pass legislation that would strengthen the country’s gun background check policies. Majority of the mayors that had signed the letter that…

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  • NICS Firearm Background Checks Hits 2 Million Mark For Sixth Straight Month

    This year has seen a landmark number of firearm purchases across the United States, with more than 2 million transactions per month since January. In fact, 2019 is the first year in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) history where checks have surpassed the 2 million mark for every month from January through…

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  • New Bills Introduced To Combat Home-Made ‘Ghost Guns’ Loophole

    An investigation conducted by Californian authorities has shown that there is apparently a growing number of so-called “ghost guns” now being used in criminal activities around the state. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) revealed in a recent report that 30 percent of the firearms they have confiscated are unserialized. Guns without…

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  • Ohio House Republicans Passes Bill To Allow Weapon Carry Without Background Checks

    Around half of the House Republicans in Ohio have now expressed their support for a newly proposed bill, which some have now started calling the Constitutional Carry Bill, to be passed into law. The new bill would essentially allow all law-abiding citizens in the state to carry a concealed weapon without having to apply for…

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  • Universal Background Check Returns to Congress, Now With Democratic Majority

    A good number of gunmen that were involved in recent mass shootings acquired their firearms illegally. Some of them were able to buy their guns from gun shows and from sellers online. If these gunmen tried to get their firearms from a licensed dealer, they might have been blocked from getting them in the first…

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  • Gabby Giffords and House Democrats to Reintroduce Universal Background Check Bill

    Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, and Rep. Mike Thompson return to the Capitol to reintroduce a new background check bill. Back in November 2017, the politicians along with 200 lawmakers introduced similar legislation. The bill will require background checks on all firearm purchases including private transactions. Fourteen Republicans supported the bill…

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