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1 / 25#25. Texas
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 202.8%
--- Checks in 2011: 617,597
--- Checks in 2021: 1,870,113
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 1,436,646
States where gun sales have increased the most since 2011
There have been 338 mass shootings in the United States in 2023, as of July 2. That's more than there were at this point in 2021, which saw the most mass shootings in the country's history.
According to the number of firearm-related background checks performed by the FBI, Black Friday 2022 was the third-highest day for gun sales ever, surpassing the amounts sold on the same dates in 2020 and 2021. (Note: The data does not directly represent a one-to-one correlation between a firearm background check and sale, as it does not include private gun purchases or instances where a carry permit is as an alternative to the background check.)
In South Carolina, firearms do not have to be registered, and gun owners do not need permits to purchase or carry weapons. In Washington D.C., where firearm-related background checks have skyrocketed in the last decade, permits are not required to buy rifles, shotguns, or handguns. However, background checks are mandatory for all private sales, and gun buyers must register every firearm they acquire. Illinois, which has one of the most stringent gun regulations in America, leads the nation in background checks, which suggests the state's laws are functioning as designed and, despite that fact, people's desire to arm themselves remains unabated.
With each state in the country addressing the issue of gun ownership and registration in different ways, Stacker consulted data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to examine which states have seen the most significant increase in firearm-related background checks between 2011 and 2021. The figures taken into consideration are criminal record requests initiated by an officially licensed Federal Firearms Licensee or criminal justice/law enforcement agency before issuing a purchase or transfer permit.
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2 / 25#24. Missouri
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 204.2%
--- Checks in 2011: 199,086
--- Checks in 2021: 605,570
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 445,110
DmyTo // Shutterstock
3 / 25#23. Washington
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 207.0%
--- Checks in 2011: 228,935
--- Checks in 2021: 702,930
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 619,603
CHANDAN KHANNA // Getty Images
4 / 25#22. Mississippi
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 207.5%
--- Checks in 2011: 96,484
--- Checks in 2021: 296,694
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 222,042
damann // Shutterstock
5 / 25#21. Oklahoma
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 214.2%
--- Checks in 2011: 121,014
--- Checks in 2021: 380,249
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 295,071
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6 / 25#20. Vermont
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 218.9%
--- Checks in 2011: 16,016
--- Checks in 2021: 51,071
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 39,959
Yasemin Yurtman Candemir // Shutterstock
7 / 25#19. Colorado
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 233.3%
--- Checks in 2011: 187,321
--- Checks in 2021: 624,251
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 474,871
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
8 / 25#18. New Mexico
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 233.6%
--- Checks in 2011: 55,404
--- Checks in 2021: 184,807
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 146,184
Lutsenko_Oleksandr // Shutterstock
9 / 25#17. Tennessee
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 252.8%
--- Checks in 2011: 262,331
--- Checks in 2021: 925,496
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 746,690
Gagarin Iurii // Shutterstock
10 / 25#16. Wisconsin
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 255.4%
--- Checks in 2011: 216,797
--- Checks in 2021: 770,432
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 565,119
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Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
11 / 25#15. South Carolina
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 266.1%
--- Checks in 2011: 126,627
--- Checks in 2021: 463,562
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 354,870
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
12 / 25#14. Illinois
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 270.1%
--- Checks in 2011: 694,784
--- Checks in 2021: 2,571,685
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 3,998,754
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
13 / 25#13. Georgia
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 271.0%
--- Checks in 2011: 209,268
--- Checks in 2021: 776,297
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 501,896
Dmitri T // Shutterstock
14 / 25#12. Oregon
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 285.6%
--- Checks in 2011: 114,368
--- Checks in 2021: 440,999
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 412,741
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
15 / 25#11. Idaho
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 298.4%
--- Checks in 2011: 66,621
--- Checks in 2021: 265,432
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 205,491
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Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
16 / 25#10. Rhode Island
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 307.0%
--- Checks in 2011: 8,582
--- Checks in 2021: 34,928
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 24,810
Lutsenko_Oleksandr // Shutterstock
17 / 25#9. Ohio
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 310.5%
--- Checks in 2011: 201,843
--- Checks in 2021: 828,561
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 564,951
Cass Tippit // Shutterstock
18 / 25#8. Virginia
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 312.9%
--- Checks in 2011: 155,912
--- Checks in 2021: 643,707
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 498,195
megaflopp // Shutterstock
19 / 25#7. Arizona
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 337.0%
--- Checks in 2011: 122,097
--- Checks in 2021: 533,540
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 446,903
Lutsenko_Oleksandr // Shutterstock
20 / 25#6. Maryland
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 384.8%
--- Checks in 2011: 54,470
--- Checks in 2021: 264,077
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 278,570
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carroteater // Shutterstock
21 / 25#5. Alabama
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 464.3%
--- Checks in 2011: 159,840
--- Checks in 2021: 902,047
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 617,962
Dmitry Markov152 // Shutterstock
22 / 25#4. Delaware
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 485.3%
--- Checks in 2011: 11,355
--- Checks in 2021: 66,462
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 51,286
YES Market Media // Shutterstock
23 / 25#3. Florida
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 577.3%
--- Checks in 2011: 241,671
--- Checks in 2021: 1,636,929
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 1,255,284
Jonathan Weiss // Shutterstock
24 / 25#2. New Jersey
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 659.9%
--- Checks in 2011: 29,093
--- Checks in 2021: 221,071
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 152,088
BearFotos // Shutterstock
25 / 25#1. Washington DC
- Increase in NICS firearm background checks: 62,750.0%
--- Checks in 2011: 20
--- Checks in 2021: 12,570
- Checks so far in 2022 (as of Nov. 30): 14,491
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