- Brady Bill (signed November 30, 1993; only the temporary waiting-period provision ended on November 30, 1998, when NICS replaced it)
- went into effect on February 28, 1994
- named after James Brady, who was shot during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981
- mandated National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)
About the Brady Bill
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act created the federal background check requirement for firearm purchases from licensed dealers. It was named for James Brady, the White House press secretary who was shot and permanently disabled during the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981. Introduced as H.R. 1025 by Representative Charles Schumer, it passed Congress in November 1993 and was signed by President Bill Clinton on November 30, 1993. It took effect on February 28, 1994.
The law worked in two phases. Its interim provisions imposed a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases and directed local chief law enforcement officers to check buyers’ eligibility. In Printz v. United States (1997), the Supreme Court held that the federal government could not compel local officers to perform those checks. The interim phase ended on November 30, 1998, when the permanent provisions took effect and the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System began processing checks for all firearms, not just handguns. The law itself did not expire in 1998; only the temporary waiting-period system did. Every Form 4473 transaction at a gun counter today traces back to the Brady Act.
Key Facts
- March 30, 1981 – James Brady wounded in the attempt on President Reagan’s life
- November 30, 1993 – Brady Act signed by President Clinton
- February 28, 1994 – Interim provisions, including a five-day handgun waiting period, take effect
- June 27, 1997 – Printz v. United States strikes down the local-officer mandate
- November 30, 1998 – Permanent provisions take effect and NICS goes live
