Gun laws across the nation have changed dramatically since the early 1990's, with many new restrictions on who is allowed to own a firearm in the spotlight.  Today, a specialized background check, such as a NCIC criminal background check, is required for every individual who would like to purchase a firearm from a licensed gun dealer.  These background checks are required by the federal government based on the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993.

Because of the current laws requiring background checks, such as the NCIC criminal background check, to be conducted on each person attempting to purchase a firearm, the federal government has created a national database of individuals that are not allowed to purchase firearms in the United States.  There are a number of different circumstances that will cause a person's personal information to be entered into the database as restricted from purchasing firearms.

Having this national database at the federal level of government allows gun dealers to request background checks and receive timely responses to their inquiries.  Conducting a NCIC criminal background check before allowing a person to purchase a firearm allows the government to keep more guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and other individuals that should not have access to firearms.