Firearm Laws: Waiting Periods for Firearm Acquisition

Task Force Finding*

Waiting periods for firearm acquisition require a specified delay between application for and acquisition of a firearm. Waiting periods have been established by the federal government and by states to allow time to check the applicant’s background or to provide a “cooling-off” period for people at risk of committing suicide or an impulsive act against others.

The evidence, consisting of a small number of studies with limitations in their design and execution, is insufficient to determine the effectiveness of waiting periods in preventing diverse violent outcomes.

*From the following publication:

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Recommendations to reduce violence through early childhood home visitation, therapeutic foster care, and firearms laws. [PDF - 71KB] Am J Prev Med 2005;28(2S1):6-10.

Review completed: October 2001