Federal law prohibits gun ownership for individuals in several categories, including: Convicted felons or those under indictment for a felony. Fugitives from justice.
: Further investigation is needed. If no determination is made within three business days , the dealer may (but is not required to) transfer the firearm, unless state law says otherwise. Common Prohibitions background check before buying a gun
: A national index of criminal history records. Federal law prohibits gun ownership for individuals in
: Records specifically related to firearms prohibitions that might not be in the other two databases (e.g., mental health adjudications). If no determination is made within three business
: The system checks three primary national databases for disqualifying records:
Individuals adjudicated as "mentally defective" or committed to a mental institution.
: You must fill out ATF Form 4473 , which asks 16 questions about your background, including criminal history, drug use, and mental health.