FAST FACTS . . .

The Brady Law

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was passed in 1993 and went partially into effect in February of 1994 and was finally completed in 1998 with the advent of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). It required all Federal Firearms Licensed Dealers to (1) run background checks on gun purchasers (2) not sell handguns to anyone under 21 years of age (3) not sell long guns to anyone under 18 years of age.

The Brady Law is largely irrelevant because at the time it was passed, 18 states and the District of Columbia already ran such background checks on gun purchasers. For those states that did not run background checks a five-day waiting period was established for all handgun sales to allow local law-enforcement an opportunity to run background checks.

In 1998 NICS went into effect – requiring all gun purchasers (long and handguns) to pass the federal background check.

The Brady Law placed a burden on small law-abiding businesses by raising the price of firearms licenses from $10 to $200.

The Firearms Industry and the Brady Law

The firearms industry does not oppose an instant background check for firearms purchases.