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All Q&As by Category

National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)

Must licensees conduct a NICS background check for the sale of firearms to nonlicensees at gun shows?

Must licensed collectors conduct a NICS background check prior to transferring a curio or relic firearm?

Must a licensee conduct a NICS background check for the transfer of firearms to another licensee?

Must a licensee always wait 3 business days before transferring a firearm after receiving a “delayed” response?

Is there a charge for NICS checks?

Is the redemption of a pawned firearm subject to a NICS background check?

Is a NICS background check required for the transfer of long guns as well as handguns?

Is a NICS background check required for the sale of a firearm to a law enforcement official for their personal use?

Is a NICS background check required for a licensee’s loan or rental of a firearm to a nonlicensee?

If the state is acting as a POC, does that mean that all NICS checks go through the POC rather than the FBI?

If an individual repeatedly pawns the same firearm, is the FFL required to do a NICS background check each time the firearm is redeemed?

If a transferee receives a “denied” response from NICS, can the transferee find out why they were denied?

If a licensee contacts NICS on a Thursday and gets a “delayed” response, when may the licensee transfer the firearm if no further response is received from NICS?

How may a licensee participate in the raffling of firearms by an unlicensed organization?

How long is a NICS check valid?

How does a licensee know whether to contact the FBI or a POC in order to initiate a NICS check?

What does a “business day" mean for the NICS requirements?

Does an officer or employee of an entity that holds a federal firearms license, such as a corporation, have to undergo a NICS check when acquiring a firearm for their own personal collection?

Does a permit qualify as an alternative to a NICS check if the purchaser is using it to buy a type of firearm that is not covered by the permit?

Does a licensee conducting a NICS check have to comply with state waiting periods before transferring a firearm?

Do all NICS checks go through the FBI’s NICS Operations Center?

Can one NICS check be used for more than one firearms transaction?

ATF has recognized the concealed weapons permits in State A and State B as valid alternatives to a NICS check. Can a resident of State A use a concealed weapons permit issued by State A to purchase a long gun in State B without undergoing a NICS check?

At what point during a transaction should a licensee contact NICS?

Are there transfers that are exempt from the NICS background check requirement?