National Instant Criminal Background Check System

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The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is a point-of-sale system for determining eligibility to purchase a firearm in the United States of America. Federal Firearms Licence holders are required by law to use the NICS to determine if it is legal to sell a firearm to a prospective purchaser. The NICS determines if the buyer is prohibited from buying a firearm under the Gun Control Act of 1968. It is linked to the National Crime Information Center.

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System is applicable to sales from federally licenced dealers. Sales of firearms by private sellers are allowed to proceed without a background check unless required by state law. These regulations remain in place at gun shows, where no special leniency is granted to licensed sellers, and no additional requirements are placed upon private sellers.

NICS can be accessed by phone, or using a computer. If used by computer, the NICS requires the Internet Explorer browser, thus requiring gun stores to purchase a Windows licence.^{[citation needed]}