Title: Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2008 - Statistical Tables

Publication Date: August 04, 2009

What does it say?

From the inception of the Brady Act on March 1, 1994, through December 31, 2008, 1.8 million applications (rounded up from 1,778,000) have been denied, up from 1.6 million through the end of 2007. 

In 2008, 147,000 attempts-to-purchase by dangerous people were blocked by Brady background checks. A felony conviction or indictment was the most common reason for a denial by a state (46%), a local agency (24%), or the FBI (56%) in 2008. A domestic violence misdemeanor conviction or restraining order was the second most common reason for denial by a state (14%) or local agency (17%) in 2008. According to state and local checking agencies that reported arrests, an estimated 1,299 persons were arrested in 2008 for an outstanding warrant or submission of false information on an application.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) field offices investigated 5,573 National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) denials that were referred by the FBI in 2008.

Records of persons ineligible to possess a firearm due to a mental health commitment or adjudication increased 25% in the NICS Index during 2008; overall, the number of records in the index increased 7%.

How can I use it?

Use this report to advocate for extending Brady criminal background checks to all gun sales, including those at gun shows, and to fund the NICS Improvement Act to increase the number of relevant records in the NICS system.

Citation

Bureau of Justice Statistics, Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2008 - Statistical Tables, August 4, 2009