Prohibit People With Dangerous Histories From Having Guns
Prohibit People With Dangerous Histories From Having Guns
What is the problem?
People with dangerous histories should be prohibited from having guns. Federal law prohibits gun possession by certain categories of people. States also set standards for who is too dangerous to have guns. People prohibited by federal or state law will fail a background check if they try to buy a gun from a licensed dealer.
Federal law prohibits certain categories of people from having guns, including:
- Convicted felons.
- Abusers under final domestic violence restraining orders, or convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes, if they have been married to, lived with, or have a child in common with the victim.
- People with dangerous mental illness.
- Fugitives from justice.
- Unlawful drug users.
While federal law applies in every state, without matching provisions in state law, in-state officials generally cannot enforce them. States can also fill gaps left by federal law and set even stronger standards.
Featured Resources

Unchecked: An Investigation of the Online Firearm Marketplace
The online firearm marketplace has emerged as a growing market for anonymous gun purchases through websites such as Armslist.

Gun Law Navigator
The Gun Law Navigator is the largest historical database of modern U.S. gun laws.
Fatal Gaps
Progress Toward a Stronger Background Check System More than ten years after the Virginia Tech shooting, progress in closing the gaps in state mental…
All Resources
Prohibit People With Dangerous Histories From Having Guns
All Resources
The Role of Guns & Armed Extremism in the Attack on the U.S. Capitol
The attack on the U.S. Capitol is the latest demonstration of the danger armed extremism poses to our democracy.
Report
Methodological Note: A More Complete Picture
Read the Report A More Complete Picture: The Contours of Gun Injury in the United States Report…
Methodological NoteA More Complete Picture: The Contours of Gun Injury in the United States
Nonfatal gunshot wounds account for an enormous portion of the gun violence epidemic in America.
Report
Business As Usual
History of a Loophole Americans suffer from an extraordinary rate of gun violence, 20 times higher than nations with comparable levels of economic development…
Report
Domestic Abuse Protective Orders and Firearm Access in Rhode Island
Background: Limiting Abusers’ Access To Firearms Domestic abuse affects the lives of thousands of Rhode Islanders. According to the Rhode Island Judiciary Administration, police responded…
Report