NICS stands for “National Instant Criminal Background Check System.” It is a federal database system created in response to the “Brady Bill,” aka the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, which was passed after an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
The Brady Bill directs the FBI to take additional steps to prevent gun sales to people who are prohibited from possessing a firearm. In response, the FBI created NICS. Washington State requires a NICS background check on anyone who wants to buy a gun from a licensed seller. Most people never worry about NICS unless their background check gets a status of “Delayed” or “Denied.”
That’s when a NICS appeal lawyer goes to work.