Online Gun Sales - Are Yours Being Traded Away?

Gun sales are no longer as taboo as they once were and the internet has opened up a whole new world of gun sales. While found to be that only a handful of states actually have strict laws for background checks on private gun sales, 21 states do mandate a background check for all online, private gun sales. So what are your state's laws on online gun sales?

The first thing to know is that many states, including your own, do not actually require that private sellers perform universal background checks. However, most states still require that licensed dealers run the background check before selling any firearm to anyone. Most states also only allow licensed dealers to sell firearms to people over 18 years old and require that these people have gone through an approved gun safety training program. If you want to buy a gun from an individual, without going through a dealer, you need to make sure that he or she does go through an approved training program and get the proper gun safety training before you hand over your money. However, there is no universal background check laws in states where online private gun sales are legal.

The second thing to know is that the federal law called the Brady Act makes it mandatory that any firearm that is sold in the United States be subject to federal background check laws. This includes all online gun sales. However, it is important to note that the Brady Act does not apply to all states. For instance, if a federally licensed individual sells four or more firearms in a single transaction, he or she is required by federal law to obtain a Brady Card, which is available to any US citizen. Once you obtain a card, you can then conduct all of the required paperwork and gun safety paperwork online, just as you would with any other firearm purchase.

There are many different reasons as to why the National Instant Background Check System or NICS is a very important tool for regulating online gun sales in the United States. Among many of those reasons are that the system ensures that people are not buying firearms in cases where they may not have good intentions and are either mentally unstable or prohibited from owning a firearm. In many cases, licensed dealers perform the background checks on buyers using NICS, which is an online registry from the Federal Firearms License (FFL) database that links licensed dealers with NICS-approved gun buyers. Many sellers and private sellers to conduct their own background checks, but they may not be licensed by the FFL or may not use NICS, so make sure that you're dealing with licensed gun sellers when you're buying guns online.

There are also many different circumstances under which a licensed dealer will perform a NICS background check on a prospective buyer to ensure that the individual is legally able to possess a firearm. For instance, many states require that potential buyers submit to a background check (in addition to a completed firearm purchase form) to show that they are not prohibited from purchasing a firearm in their state. Also, if you are going to be driving to other states to take advantage of state tax laws, the NICS will let you know whether or not the person you'll be selling to has a Federal Firearms License and whether or not that person has been convicted of any crimes involving firearms. NICS checks can also help ensure that there aren't any outstanding debts or tax liens against the prospective gun buyer, which is another reason that licensed dealers perform them. There's really no reason for anybody to lie when it comes to a firearm transaction!

In addition to providing criminal background information, licensed dealers must also provide data on how the guns are being used. This includes identifying specific guns (including model, manufacturer, and serial number) as well as specific amounts of time that a gun was used for. If the report shows that the person used the gun more than the recommended number of times over a specific period of time, then that could constitute a violation of NICS rules and result in a denial of the firearm application. NICS isn't just a tool for controlling access to firearms. By using it smartly, you can make sure that your family stays safe and that your kids have good gun training!