To streamline the process for individuals to appeal firearm purchase denials from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), the FBI recently partnered with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to assist individuals who have registered with the Identity History Summary Check (IdHSC) program. Registrants can register with a participating post office for digital fingerprinting services. For a $50 fee, the post office will submit the registered customer’s fingerprints to the FBI.

Pursuant to Public Law 92-544, registrants can obtain an IdHSC (also known as a “rap sheet”) for different kinds of NICS appeals:

• Individuals may challenge their IdHSC record. Examples of challenges could be if the individual thinks a record entry is incorrect, or if an entry for a record is incomplete.

• Individuals may challenge firearm purchase denials. Possible reasons for incorrect denials could be cases of mistaken identity or incorrect entries in IdHSC records.

• Individuals may wish to participate in the Voluntary Appeal File. This file contains clarifying information to help reduce unnecessary delays or incorrect denials for firearm purchasers who have been denied more than once or frequently experience delays. Reasons for purchasers to have extra difficulty can include instances of identity theft or mistaken identity

Readers can find more information about the IdHSC program here.