Pennsylvania conducted more firearms background checks in the third quarter of this year than any previous quarter in the history of the Pennsylvania Instant Check System.
The completed 406,151 background checks using PICS on individuals during July, August and September of this year.
The previous record was set in the first quarter of 2013 when 369,807 background checks were conducted.
“We began to see an increase of PICS activity in the first quarter as Pennsylvania and the rest of the country began learning about the COVID-19 pandemic, and that trend has continued,” said Captain Mark Shaver, director of the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Records and Identification.
In comparision, in third quarter 2019 the state conducted 225,214 checks.
PICS is used by law enforcement agencies to determine if someone is legally allowed to obtain a carry permit or a firearm.