Are there states that have extended Brady background checks to close the gun show loophole?
A. Seven states require background checks no matter where a gun is purchased. Of these seven, two states (California and Rhode Island) require background checks on all firearm purchasers. Five states (Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) require background checks on all handgun, but not long gun, purchasers. Thirty-three states have done nothing to close the gun show loophole. Seventeen states have taken at least some steps to extend Brady background checks for firearm purchases at gun shows. For more information about your state’s background check laws please visit: www.stategunlaws.org Q. What is the evidence that requiring background checks for every sale, no matter where it takes place, would make a difference? A. California has strong gun laws that require all sales to go through retail dealers, including those at gun shows. A study that compared California gun shows with gun shows in states with looser laws found that California’s regulatory policies were
