New Streamlined Process for Alabama Permit Holders to Purchase Firearms

Fairfax, Va. – This week, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) published an open letter to Alabama’s gun dealers notifying them that customers with a valid Alabama concealed carry permit issued after August 1, 2013, no longer need to undergo a federal background check, at the point of sale, to purchase a firearm.  This major regulatory change is the result of Attorney General Luther Strange’s tireless efforts on behalf of law-abiding permit holders in Alabama.  Attorney General Strange initiated the lengthy process of formally requesting National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) exemption status in a letter to the ATF last September.

 “The NRA’s five million members appreciate Attorney General Strange’s efforts to streamline firearms purchases for Alabama’s law-abiding permit holders,” said Catherine Mortensen, NRA Spokesperson. “This is yet another example of how Attorney General Strange has worked tirelessly on behalf of Alabama’s gun owners.”

 In the letter, Strange provided detailed documentation that Alabama’s concealed carry permitting process satisfied the statutory and regulatory compliance requirements for NICS exemption. Upon review, the ATF agreed with the Attorney General’s position. Alabama is the 24^th state to receive NICS exemption status.

 NICS exemption status ensures that law-abiding permit holders who have been fully vetted and subject to a NICS check, may purchase or receive a firearm from a gun dealer without the delays sometimes associated with a NICS check. The permit itself acts as verification that the holder has undergone a background check and is neither prohibited under state or federal law from possessing a firearm.

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. More than five million members strong, NRA continues to uphold the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services. Be sure to follow the NRA on Facebook at NRA on Facebook and Twitter @NRA.