Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2021

By Elizabeth J. Davis, and Jennifer Karberg, Brittni Lambing, Ronald Frandsen, and Joseph Durso

This report presents statistics on the number of applications for background checks for firearm transfers and permits received by the FBI and state and local checking agencies in 2021 and on the number and percentage of applications that were denied. It also describes the types of permits or checks used by each state, the number of denials issued by these agencies, and the reasons for denial. The report is the 19th in a series produced by BJS. 

Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2025. 29p.