BJS FY 14 Firearm Inquiry Statistics (FIST) Program

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) began the Firearm Inquiry Statistics (FIST) Program in 1995 to provide national estimates of the total number of firearm purchase applications received and denied pursuant to the Brady Act and similar state laws. The FIST Program collects counts of firearm transfers and permit checks conducted by state and local agencies and combines this information with Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) transaction data. Under FIST, additional information is collected on reasons for denials, appeals of denials, and law enforcement actions the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) take against denied persons.