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• They Say They Want to Close the “Charleston Loophole.” What Is It?

They Say They Want to Close the “Charleston Loophole.” What Is It? 

Shots rang out at a Bible study.  Eleven churchgoers had gathered on a summer night to read Scripture together.  After an hour of study, attendee Dylann Roof stood up, pulled out a handgun, and began shooting.  Roof killed nine people that night.  This tragedy has become a political flashpoint, highlighting what is now known as the “Charleston Loophole.” 

To understand the issue, we will look at: 

1. Defining the Charleston Loophole; 
2. How the Federal Background Check System Works; and 
3. Reform Efforts. 

Defining the Charleston Loophole 

The Charleston Loophole is another term for 18 U.S.C. § 922(t)(1)(B)(ii), a federal law governing firearm transfers.  The law is also known as the “three-day provision.”  Under this law, a licensed firearms dealer must not transfer a firearm to a buyer unless three business days have passed since the dealer contacted the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and the System has not notified the dealer that the purchase would violate the law.   

This does not mean the buyer “passed” the background check.  It simply means NICS did not complete the background check within three days.  The unintended consequence of this law is that some prohibited persons may obtain a firearm because their background check was delayed, but not completed, within that three-day window.   

Dylann Roof, the murderer who shot the nine churchgoers at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, purchased the firearm used in the shooting after NICS failed to complete his background check in three days.  The NICS examiner assigned to Roof’s background check found Roof had been arrested for felony drug possession, but the examiner needed records showing Roof had been convicted of a felony or was a drug addict to issue a denial.  The examiner had been actively trying to track down Roof’s records but had difficulty finding documents in the small jurisdiction where Roof was arrested.  Thus, three days passed before the process was completed, and Roof picked up the gun he later used in his attack.  

Because Roof was able to purchase a gun for the Charleston attack, gun control advocates nicknamed 18 U.S.C. § 922(t)(1)(B)(ii) the “Charleston Loophole.”  This term is misleading, as records later showed Roof had no disqualifying conviction, and he likely did not meet the standard to be an unlawful drug user.  Therefore, the Charleston tragedy would likely not have been prevented if the three-day provision was abolished.   

How the Federal Background Check System Works 

When someone wants to buy a firearm, the dealer will contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).  NICS became operational in 1998 to fulfill the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993’s requirement to establish a national namecheck system for firearms sellers.    

To begin the process, the dealer will typically ask the buyer to fill out information for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473.  The Form screens whether the buyer is prohibited from purchasing a firearm, including whether the buyer has a felony conviction.  Under federal law, felons cannot possess firearms unless their conviction has been set aside or their rights have been restored.   

After the dealer submits the form, NICS performs a background check to review the buyer’s criminal record and general eligibility to possess a firearm.  Most checks return results within minutes.  However, the background check may be delayed or denied.  A delay means the NICS team needs more time to gather or confirm records.  A denial means the NICS team found a disqualifier, like a felony, that prevents the buyer from owning a gun.  NICS allows an appeals process after a denial, which can occur when the System has out-of-date information. 

The “Charleston Loophole” comes into play when the background check is delayed.  If the NICS delay lasts longer than three days, a dealer may complete the firearm transfer without conclusive results.   

Reform Efforts 

Gun control advocates are fighting to “close” the Charleston Loophole, while Second Amendment advocates argue the law protects constitutional rights.   

Second Amendment advocates note the three-day provision incentivizes the FBI to complete background checks in a timely manner.  Without the three-day provision, the FBI could indefinitely delay background checks, effectively denying Americans their Second Amendment rights. 

Some states have enacted their own waiting period rules: 

Dealer may not transfer firearm until background check is complete. 

Background Check / Waiting Period Rule	States
Dealer may not transfer firearm until background check is complete.	Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado
Background check is extended to thirty days.	California, New York
Permit issuance within twenty days.	Hawai‘i
Permit issuance within thirty days.	Minnesota, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland
Background check is extended to twenty days.	New Mexico
May not transfer gun for three days or until background check is complete, whichever is later.	Florida
Background check is extended to seven days.	Vermont
Background check is extended to ten days.	Pennsylvania
Background check is extended to five days.	Wisconsin, Virginia
Permit issuance within forty days.	Massachusetts
Seven day waiting period.	Rhode Island
Background check is extended to sixty days.	Connecticut
Background check is extended to twenty-five days.	Delaware

Other states, like South Carolina and Arizona, have no state-specific laws governing the background check period. 

Some advocates support shortening the three-day provision to one-day.  Preventing citizens from purchasing firearms can endanger lives; for example, some victims have been killed while waiting for a background check to be completed. 

Final Thoughts 

Regardless of how you feel about the three-day provision, or the Charleston Loophole, the tragedy that gave the term its name highlights the importance of preparedness.  We do not get to choose when or where we must defend ourselves.  But we can prepare for the legal aftermath. 

Attorneys On Retainer is a self-defense legal protection program designed to support your legal needs after a self-defense incident.  Learn about Attorneys On Retainer here.  You can also learn about Attorneys For Freedom, the only law firm in the nation exclusively committed to self-defense cases, here. 

All the best, Rachel Moss, Esq.

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