April 12, 2021
The FBI processed a record high number of gun background checks in March nearly 4.7 million in one month.
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The FBI processed a record high number of gun background checks in March nearly 4.7 million in one month. The agency is able to make an immediate determination about 90% of the time, but what happens when it can t?
Federal law gives the National Instant Criminal Background Check System three business days to process an application. If it s still pending after three days, federally licensed firearms dealers are allowed to complete the sale anyway.
The FBI says results are most commonly delayed when NICS has an incomplete criminal history. The missing information means employees need to hunt down the relevant details before they can determine whether the applicant is allowed to have a gun. And sometimes that process takes more than three days.