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Background Checks on All Gun Sales

    Background Checks on All Gun Sales

      What does this solve?

      Background checks are the foundation of any comprehensive gun violence prevention strategy. Current federal law requires that background checks be conducted whenever a person attempts to buy a gun from a licensed gun dealer. This is to ensure that the buyer is not legally prohibited from having the gun.

      While federal law requires background checks for all gun sales by licensed gun dealers, it does not require background checks for guns sold by unlicensed sellers, like non-dealers who sell guns online or at gun shows. This loophole enables people with felony convictions, domestic abuse restraining orders, and other people with prohibiting histories to buy guns with no questions asked. The loophole should be closed to require background checks on all gun sales—not just on the sale of firearms from licensed gun dealers.

      Which states require background checks and/or permits to purchase handguns?

      21 states have adopted this policy

      AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Alabama has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Alaska has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Arizona has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Arkansas has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      California has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Colorado has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Connecticut has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase and point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Delaware has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Florida has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Georgia has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Hawaii has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Idaho has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Illinois has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase and point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Indiana has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Iowa has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Kansas has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Kentucky has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Louisiana has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Maine has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Maryland has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase (for handguns) and point-of-sale (for all guns)

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Massachusetts has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Michigan has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Minnesota has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      Handguns and semiautomatic military-style assault weapons
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase or point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Mississippi has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Missouri has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Montana has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Nebraska has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      Handguns only
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Nevada has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      New Jersey has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase and point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      New Mexico has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      New York has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase (for handguns and semiautomatic rifles) and point-of-sale (for all guns)

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      North Carolina has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      North Dakota has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Ohio has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Oregon has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Permit to purchase and point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Pennsylvania has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      Handguns only
      When is the background check performed?
      Point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Rhode Island has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      South Carolina has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      South Dakota has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Tennessee has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Texas has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Utah has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Vermont has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Virginia has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Washington has adopted this policy

      Does the law cover only handgun purchases, or also rifle and shotgun purchases?
      All firearms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns)
      When is the background check performed?
      Point-of-sale

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      West Virginia has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

      Background Check and/or Purchase Permit

      Wyoming has not adopted this policy

      How it Works

      Background checks keep guns out of the wrong hands.

      Current federal law does not require background checks on sales between unlicensed parties. This means that people with dangerous histories can easily circumvent the background check system simply by purchasing their firearm online or at a gun show.

      An Everytown investigation showed that as many as 1 in 9 people arranging to buy a firearm on Armslist.com, the nation’s largest online gun marketplace, are people who cannot legally have firearms. And the unlicensed sale marketplace is large: the same investigation found that each year, 1.2 million ads offering firearms for sale are listed that would not legally require a background check to be completed. A 2015 survey found that nearly a quarter of Americans—22 percent—who acquired a firearm in the two years prior did so without a background check.

      Requiring background checks on all gun sales is proven to reduce gun violence. State laws requiring background checks for all handgun sales—by point-of-sale check and/or permit—are associated with lower firearm homicide rates, lower firearm suicide rates, and lower firearm trafficking.

      By the numbers

      Myth

      Requiring background checks on all gun sales would be burdensome.

      Fact

      The most common federal background check legislation would simply require that unlicensed sellers meet their buyers at a gun dealer. The gun dealer will then run a background check in exactly the same way as for sales directly from the dealer’s store. 99 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a gun dealer—so it’s easy and convenient to get the background check done. There are nearly 59,000 unique gun dealers across the country, four times as many as there are McDonald’s and nearly twice as many as U.S. post offices. Gun owners are already accustomed to this process, because they do it every time they buy a gun from a dealer.

      Featured Resources

      Background Checks on All Gun Sales

      All Resources

      Did you know?

      An Everytown investigation showed that as many as 1 in 9 people arranging to buy a firearm on Armslist.com, the nation’s largest online gun marketplace, are people who cannot legally have firearms.

      Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, “Unchecked: An Investigation of the Online Firearm Marketplace,” February 2021, https://bit.ly/3dUshWo.