Pa. Firearm Background Check System Reaches Busiest Level Ever Between July And September

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

HARRISBURG (KDKA) - The Pa. State Police announced that the third quarter of 2020, between July 1 and September 30, was the busiest in the history of the Pennsylvania Instant Check System.

"We began to see an increase of PICS activity in the first quarter as Pennsylvania and the rest of the country began learning about the COVID-19 pandemic, and that trend has continued," said Captain Mark Shaver, director of the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Records and Identification.

The Pennsylvania Instant Check System is used to determine a person's legal ability to carry a firearm and purchase a firearm.

Between July 1 and September 30, the Pennsylvania Instan Check System completed 406,151 background checks, the highest total in a quarter since 2013 when the first quarter performed 369,807.

During the third quarter of 2020, of the 406,151 background checks, 6,950 were denied a license, and 93 of the applicants were arrested for an outstanding warrant at the point of purchase, according to state police.

Full statistics can be found on the Pennsylvania State Police website.