The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) reported that the February 2026 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure increased by 3.5 percent year-over-year, marking a second consecutive month of increases.

NSSF-adjusted NICS were 1,265,320, compared to the February 2025 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,222,980. The adjusted NICS data subtracts out NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks, which states use for CCW permit applications and ongoing checks of active CCW permit databases. NSSF began subtracting permit rechecks in February 2016.

For comparison, the unadjusted February 2026 FBI NICS figure of 2,220,852 reflects a 16.1 percent decrease from the unadjusted February 2025 figure of 2,647,933.

NSSF-adjusted NICS checks grew 5.5 percent in January after declining 3.4 percent year-over-year in December and 4.1 percent overall in 2025.

Additional insights on the month-over-month NICS data from GunBroker, NICS Reporting & Analysis (January 2026 data), is available to members.

  • 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, PA, CA, VA

Methodology
Twenty-eight states 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 and to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer without an additional background check for that transfer. The number of NICS checks in these states does not include legal transfers based on qualifying permits, and the NSSF does not adjust for them.

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.

Although not directly correlated with 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 involving the sale or transfer of new or used firearms.

NSSF 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. Given varying state laws, local market conditions, and purchase scenarios, a one-to-one correlation cannot be established between a firearm background check and a firearm sale.

Image courtesy NRA