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Gun Licensing

Audience
Strategy
Gun licensing laws require that individuals who buy a gun pass a background check. Licensing laws are more stringent than laws that require a background check with the gun dealer; they usually require purchasers to register their application with their local law enforcement agency and renew their license on a regular basis. Licensing laws can educate gun owners about safe storage of firearms, reduce gun trafficking, and reduce gun crime overall.
Specific programs and implementation sites:

Helpful resources and citations:

Primary implementing agency:
  • Legislature
Potential partnering agencies:
  • Law enforcement

Links to evaluation evidence:

  • None/inconclusive
PSN Pillars

Focused and Strategic Enforcement

Prevention and Intervention

Related Topics

Body-Worn Camera Auto-Triggering Technologies

Body-Worn Camera Auto-Triggering Technologies

Comprehensive anti-gang initiatives combine enforcement, prevention, and reentry efforts to target gang-related gun violence in high-crime neighborhoods. Sites that implement this approach to tailor the program to their communities’ strengths and areas of need. Enforcement efforts include increased federal, state, and local prosecution; prosecution screening; and hot spots policing. Prevention and intervention efforts include skill building, education, outreach, school-based prevention, and substance use treatment. Reentry efforts include outreach and community-based services for individuals reentering the community following incarceration.

Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative

Comprehensive Gun Violence Reduction Strategies

Comprehensive Gun Violence Reduction Strategies

Consent to Search and Seize Program

Consent to Search and Seize Program

Destruction of Forfeited Firearms

Destruction of Forfeited Firearms

Detective Function Assessment – PSN Resource

Detective Function Assessment – PSN Resource

Hot Spots Policing and Directed Patrols

Hot Spots Policing and Directed Patrols

Gun Buy-Back or Turn-In Programs

Gun Buy-Back or Turn-In Programs

Gun Courts

Gun Courts

Gun Dealer Records Maintenance

Gun Dealer Records Maintenance

Gun Prosecution Case Screening 

Gun Prosecution Case Screening 

Gun Tracing

Gun Tracing

Gun Violence Prevention Hotlines

Gun Violence Prevention Hotlines

Gunshot Detection Technology

Gunshot Detection Technology

Homicide and Non-fatal Shooting Databases

Homicide and Non-fatal Shooting Databases

Homicide Investigations and Prosecutions Assessment – PSN Resource

Homicide Investigations and Prosecutions Assessment – PSN Resource

Homicide Review Commissions

Homicide Review Commissions

Hospital-Policing Partnerships

Hospital-Policing Partnerships

Identifying and Responding to Chronic Offenders

Identifying and Responding to Chronic Offenders

Lost/Stolen Gun Reporting

Lost/Stolen Gun Reporting

Mentoring

Mentoring

National Instant Criminal Background Check System Denials Investigations

National Instant Criminal Background Check System Denials Investigations

Neighborhood Engagement Units

Neighborhood Engagement Units

Nonfatal Shooting Assessment – PSN Resource

Nonfatal Shooting Assessment – PSN Resource

Parent/Guardian Counseling

Parent/Guardian Counseling

Parent/Guardian Counseling

Parent/Guardian Counseling

Police-Community Liaison

Police-Community Liaison

Public Awareness Campaigns

Public Awareness Campaigns

Real-Time Crime Center

Real-Time Crime Center

Regulating Bulk Firearm Purchases 

Regulating Bulk Firearm Purchases 

Promote Safe Storage of Firearms

Promote Safe Storage of Firearms

Problem-Oriented Policing

Problem-Oriented Policing

Search and Seize Policy – Domestic Violence

Search and Seize Policy – Domestic Violence

Street Outreach Workers

Street Outreach Workers

Sustained Investigation of Gun-Involved Cases

Sustained Investigation of Gun-Involved Cases

Universal Background Checks

Universal Background Checks

Youth Counseling

Youth Counseling

School-Based Youth Development Programs

School-Based Youth Development Programs

Cure Violence

Cure Violence

Extreme Risk Protection Orders

Extreme Risk Protection Orders

Lethality Assessment Instruments

Lethality Assessment Instruments

Credible Messenger Program

Credible Messenger Program

Comprehensive Youth Violence Prevention Programs

Comprehensive Youth Violence Prevention Programs

Top Offender List Training – PSN Resource

Top Offender List Training – PSN Resource

Focused Deterrence

Focused Deterrence

Improve Homicide Investigations

Improve Homicide Investigations

Respond to Retaliatory Violent Disputes

Respond to Retaliatory Violent Disputes

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