The June 2023 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,110,696 is a decrease of 19.6 percent compared to the June 2022 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,382,287. For comparison, the unadjusted June 2023 FBI NICS figure 2,152,187 reflects a 14.8 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,527,308 in June 2022.
June marks the 47th month in a row that has exceeded 1 million adjusted background checks in a single month.
The second quarter 2023 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 3,654,134 reflects a decrease of 6.7 percent as compared to the second quarter 2022 figure of 3,916,986.
Please note: Twenty-four states currently have at least one qualified alternative permit, which under the Brady Act allows the permit-holder, who has undergone a background check to obtain the permit, to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer without a separate additional background check for that transfer. The number of NICS checks in these states does not include these legal transfers based on qualifying permits and NSSF does not adjust for these transfers.
The adjusted NICS data were derived by subtracting out NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks used by states for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. NSSF started subtracting permit rechecks in February 2016. Read more