One of the newest lines of defense against hardened criminals having access to firearms is the National Instant Criminal Background Check System implemented by the federal government.  This system is used to check the criminal backgrounds of individuals that attempt to purchase a firearm from licensed gun dealers anywhere across the country.

Created in response to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System allows licensed gun dealers to request a criminal background check on a potential customer and receive a timely response as to whether they are legally allowed to sell this individual a firearm.  The Brady Act made criminal background checks mandatory for any individual that attempts to purchase a firearm and refusal to consent to the background check is an immediate disqualification from purchasing the firearm from the dealer.

There are a number of different reasons why a person's personal information and criminal history entered into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System may disqualify a person from purchasing a firearm.  Criminal offenses such as violent crimes, armed robbery, and some cases of domestic violence can disqualify an individual under the Brady Act, along with documented cases of mental illness, opened protection orders against the person, or suspected ties to terrorist or other criminal organizations.