The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is used to search available background information about individuals who are seeking to possess a firearm.

Federal firearms licensees, called FFLs (such as gun shops and pawn shops), and criminal justice agencies use NICS to help determine if a prospective firearm transferee is ineligible to receive a firearm based on federal or state firearm prohibitors. Criminal justice agencies across the United States have been instrumental in assisting the FBI with processing nearly 160 million NICS checks over the past 25 years.