Background checks
Answers from across the site that touch on background checks.
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Buying a Firearm: The Background Check and What Delays It
A licensed dealer must run a federal background check before handing over a firearm. The system answers proceed, delayed or denied, and each answer has its own timetable and its own fix.
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Prohibited Persons: Who May Not Possess a Firearm
Federal law lists nine categories of people who may not possess a firearm, and most states add their own. The categories turn on legal technicalities that surprise people who assume a clean recent record settles it.
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Fingerprint Background Checks and Challenging an FBI Record
The FBI compiles a criminal history summary from fingerprints submitted by other agencies. You can request your own copy, and errors are corrected through the agency that reported them.