How do I get paper copies of older reports that are not on your webpage?
We hope to develop methods for putting all of these reports on our webpage at a later date. Rig...  Read More

How can I get something on my criminal record corrected or removed?
At the state level, criminal records are usually maintained by the state police or public safety age...  Read More

How can I find out about available federal grants for criminal justice programs, equipment, or for other purposes?
Grant opportunities available through the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs a...  Read More

How can I get a copy of my criminal record?
At the State level, criminal records are usually maintained by the state police or public safety age...  Read More

What is the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007?
The NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, Pub. L. 110-180 ("NICS Improvement Act"), was...  Read More

Why was the NICS Improvement Act enacted?
The NICS Improvement Act was enacted in the wake of the April 2007 shooting tragedy at Virginia Tech...  Read More

What is the NICS?
The NICS is administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).  A NICS check includes ...  Read More

What are the federal categories of persons prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms?
The Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended, 18 U.S.C. 921, et seq., establishes the following categorie...  Read More

How are the terms "adjudicated as a mental defective" and "committed to a mental institution" defined?
Section 922(g)(4), Title 18, United States Code, prohibits the receipt or possession of firearms by ...  Read More

Does the NICS maintain a database of medical records or information on an individual's mental health condition, diagnosis, or treatment?
No. Only records of court or other lawful authority findings or orders that the meet the above ATF d...  Read More

Why is it important to have information about mental health adjudications or commitments in a national database?
When information about such adjudications and commitments is provided to the NICS, the FBI can deny ...  Read More

What provisions are made to ensure the privacy of the information identifying persons with disqualifying mental health adjudications or commitments?
The information in the NICS is subject to the Privacy Act and the privacy of the information is prot...  Read More

How does the NICS Improvement Act improve the information available for NICS checks?
The NICS Improvement Act seeks to improve the information available to the NICS, so that the system ...  Read More

What does the NICS Improvement Act do?
FOR STATES: The NICS Improvement Act has provisions that require states to meet specified goals for ...  Read More

What are the conditions that a state must meet to be eligible for the NICS Improvement Act grants?
For fiscal year 2009, $10 million has been appropriated. There are two conditions that each state mu...  Read More

What is the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP)?
The purpose of the Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) NCHIP is to ensure that accurate records are ...  Read More

Why do states have to create relief from disabilities programs for the mental health prohibitor?
Before the enactment of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Act...  Read More

Where can a state get further information on the requirements of the relief from disabilities program required to be eligible for grant funding?
The Bureau of Alchol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is available to answer questions about ...  Read More

How should a state calculate the "reasonable estimate" of records subject to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Act's completeness requirements?
The Act requires the Attorney General to establish for use by the states a methodology to calculate ...  Read More

What are the authorized purposes for use of grant funds under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Act?
FOR STATE AND TRIBAL GOVERMENTS: Section 103 of the Act, regarding implementation assistance to the ...  Read More

Doesn't the federal government already have a program to improve automation for information used for firearm eligibility checks?
The Brady Act recognizes the need to automate state record systems that contribute most of the rel...  Read More

How are the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Act grant programs different than the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP)?
The NICS Improvement Act grant programs do not supplant NCHIP. Rather, the NICS Improvement Act gran...  Read More