Background Checks

What You Need to Know About Congressional Gun Reform Negotiations Today

Background Checks

What You Need to Know About Congressional Gun Reform Negotiations Today

As Congress works out a potential package of gun reforms, we separate rhetoric from reality.

Chip Brownlee
What Does a Tweak to the Background Check System Mean for States That Run Their Own?

Ask The Trace

What Does a Tweak to the Background Check System Mean for States That Run Their Own?

A reader asks about a provision in the new Violence Against Women Act that requires the federal government to notify local officials when someone fails a background check.

Chip Brownlee
Bipartisan Deal Over Violence Against Women Act Targets People Who Lie on Gun Background Checks

Background Checks

Bipartisan Deal Over Violence Against Women Act Targets People Who Lie on Gun Background Checks

A provision to notify local officials when someone fails a federal background check could be the only gun reform measure to hit President Joe Biden’s desk before the midterms.

Chip Brownlee
Gun Background Checks Surged to New High in June

Background Checks

Gun Background Checks Surged to New High in June

The FBI ran 3.9 million screenings last month, topping the previous record for the second time this year.

Daniel Nass
He Came Armed With King Cakes

How We Fix This

He Came Armed With King Cakes

The gun background check system is only as good as the records it contains. How one affable bureaucrat helped Louisiana set the standard for flagging people banned from owning firearms.

Ann Givens
A Bipartisan Bill Targets Would-Be Gun Buyers Who ‘Lie And Try’ on Background Checks

Background Checks

A Bipartisan Bill Targets Would-Be Gun Buyers Who ‘Lie And Try’ on Background Checks

The FBI is currently under no obligation to notify the local law enforcement agencies best suited to quickly investigate prohibited firearm purchases.

Alex Yablon
Your All-in-One Guide to Gun Background Checks

Background Checks

Your All-in-One Guide to Gun Background Checks

As Congress weighs gun reforms, here’s what to know about the current system — and the loopholes new laws might close.

Jennifer Mascia
The NRA Opposes a California Gun Regulation It Accidentally Inspired

Background Checks

The NRA Opposes a California Gun Regulation It Accidentally Inspired

Last month, the National Rifle Association rallied its members against a new California regulation compelling gun and ammo buyers who lack the state’s new REAL ID to present a birth certificate or a passport when going through a background…

Alex Yablon
Illinois Lawmakers Want to Fingerprint Gun Buyers

Chicago

Illinois Lawmakers Want to Fingerprint Gun Buyers

The legislative push comes in response to the Aurora mass shooting that exposed a loophole which could be arming scores of high-risk people.

Brian Freskos
What We Know About the Effectiveness of Universal Gun Background Checks

Background Checks

What We Know About the Effectiveness of Universal Gun Background Checks

Examining the research on the policy Democrats hope to push through Congress.

Alex Yablon
FBI to Add Major Law Enforcement Database to Gun Background Check System

Background Checks

FBI to Add Major Law Enforcement Database to Gun Background Check System

The bureau is getting ready to tap National Data Exchange and its 400 million records to help screen gun buyers. Experts say it would have blocked the Charleston church shooter from obtaining his murder weapon.

Ann Givens and Andrew Knapp
Inside One State’s Effort to Report More Mental Health Records to the Gun Background Check System

How We Fix This

Inside One State’s Effort to Report More Mental Health Records to the Gun Background Check System

Prompted by a 2007 law, an administrator at the Iowa Department of Public Safety personally oversaw the review of 125,000 state mental health case files to figure out who should be prohibited from owning guns.

Ann Givens
The Gun Background Check System Is Overburdened and Understaffed, DOJ Budget Request Shows

Background Checks

The Gun Background Check System Is Overburdened and Understaffed, DOJ Budget Request Shows

Experts say the shortage leaves NICS vulnerable to mistakes and workers at risk of burnout.

Ann Givens
Florida Gun Bill Omits Fix For ‘Lie-and-Try’ Loophole

Background Checks

Florida Gun Bill Omits Fix For ‘Lie-and-Try’ Loophole

On Thursday night, the Republican-dominated Florida Legislature responded to widespread calls for action after the Parkland mass shooting by passing the state’s first significant gun bill in two decades. The legislation was the product of intense debate by members…

Daniel Nass and Katie LaGrone
The Florida Loophole That Lets Thousands of People Banned From Guns Get Away With Lying on Background Checks

Background Checks

The Florida Loophole That Lets Thousands of People Banned From Guns Get Away With Lying on Background Checks

A bill to give the state a tool to crack down on "lie-and-try" gun buyers awaits action from lawmakers.

Daniel Nass and Katie LaGrone

Background Checks

What You Need to Know About Congressional Gun Reform Negotiations Today

What Does a Tweak to the Background Check System Mean for States That Run Their Own?

Bipartisan Deal Over Violence Against Women Act Targets People Who Lie on Gun Background Checks

Gun Background Checks Surged to New High in June

He Came Armed With King Cakes

A Bipartisan Bill Targets Would-Be Gun Buyers Who ‘Lie And Try’ on Background Checks

Your All-in-One Guide to Gun Background Checks

The NRA Opposes a California Gun Regulation It Accidentally Inspired

Illinois Lawmakers Want to Fingerprint Gun Buyers

What We Know About the Effectiveness of Universal Gun Background Checks

FBI to Add Major Law Enforcement Database to Gun Background Check System

Inside One State’s Effort to Report More Mental Health Records to the Gun Background Check System

The Gun Background Check System Is Overburdened and Understaffed, DOJ Budget Request Shows

Florida Gun Bill Omits Fix For ‘Lie-and-Try’ Loophole

The Florida Loophole That Lets Thousands of People Banned From Guns Get Away With Lying on Background Checks