The August 2025 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,091,342is a decrease of 9.9percentcompared to theAugust 2024 NSSF-adjusted NICS figureof 1, 210,995.
“NSSF is encouraged to see the adjusted NICS background checks top 1 million in the month August once again,” noted NSSF Public Affairs Director Mark Oliva. “We know there is a strong and continued interest in lawful firearm ownership and these figures bear out the truth that Second Amendment rights are valued. These figures are more than data points. They represent Americans from all walks of life who are, quite literally, investing in their safety, security and freedom.”
For comparison, the unadjusted August 2025 FBI NICS figure 1,743,509 reflects a 19.4% percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,163,540 in August 2024.
- Top-5 States for Adjusted NICS Checks: TX, FL, CA, PA, VA
- Top-5 States for FBI NICS Handgun Checks: TX, FL, CA, PA, VA
- Top-5 States for FBI NICS Long Gun Checks: TX, FL, CA, PA, VA
Please note: Twenty-eight states currently have at least one qualified alternative permit, which under the Brady Act allows the permit-holder, who has undergone a background check to obtain the permit, to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer without a separate additional background check for that transfer. The number of NICS checks in these states does not include these legal transfers based on qualifying permits and NSSF does not adjust for these transfers.
The adjusted NICS data were derived by subtracting out NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks used by states for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. NSSF started subtracting permit rechecks in February 2016.
Though not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provide an additional picture of current market conditions. In addition to other purposes, NICS is used to check transactions for sales or transfers of new or used firearms.
It should be noted that these statistics represent the number of firearm background checks initiated through the NICS. They do not represent the number of firearms sold or sales dollars. Based on varying state laws, local market conditions and purchase scenarios, a one-to-one correlation cannot be made between a firearm background check and a firearm sale.
