What to do if a gun is stolen, and how to check if a gun is stolen

Why the serial number matters most

A stolen firearm can be identified, traced and returned only if police can match it to a report. That match depends on the serial number, the unique number a manufacturer stamps on the frame or receiver. When you report a theft, police can enter the gun into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), an FBI information system that the FBI describes as containing records contributed by and accessible to criminal justice agencies nationwide. NCIC's Gun file is one of its seven property files, according to the FBI's NCIC overview.

If an officer later recovers the gun at a crime scene, a traffic stop or a pawn shop, a serial number query can return your report. Without a serial number, a recovered gun may never be linked to you. Give police the make, model, caliber and serial number, and keep those details recorded for every firearm you own.

Who to report a stolen gun to

Private owners report to local law enforcement, usually the police department or sheriff's office where the theft happened. ATF (the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) states on its Report Firearms Theft or Loss page that it does not take reports of stolen firearms from private citizens. If you do not know the serial number, ATF suggests contacting the dealer who sold you the gun, your local police, who may request a records search for a criminal investigation, or your state firearms registration office, if your state has one.

When you call, ask for a report number and ask whether the gun will be entered into NCIC. Use the non-emergency number unless a crime is in progress or someone is in danger. For other items taken in a burglary, our stolen property guide covers inventories and insurance claims.

State laws that require owners to report

Federal law does not require individual gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm, according to the Giffords Law Center summary of reporting laws. Some states do. Giffords counts 14 states and the District of Columbia that require owners to report the loss or theft of any firearm, plus Maryland and Michigan, which have narrower rules: Maryland covers handguns and assault weapons, and Michigan covers thefts only.

Deadlines vary widely. In the Giffords summary they range from immediately in the District of Columbia to 24 hours in states such as New York and Washington, 48 hours in Illinois and Virginia, 72 hours in Connecticut and Oregon, and 5 or 7 days in states such as California, Colorado and Delaware.

These rules change, and the details in each statute matter. Giffords is an advocacy organization, so treat its summary as a starting point. Confirm your obligation with your local police or your state's current statute, and report promptly whether or not your state requires it.

What licensed dealers must do

Different rules apply to a federal firearms licensee (FFL), a business licensed by ATF to deal in, manufacture or import firearms. ATF says any licensee who discovers a theft or loss from inventory must report it to ATF and to local law enforcement within 48 hours of discovery. The requirement comes from 18 U.S.C. 923(g)(6) and 27 CFR 478.39a, and the report is made by telephone and in writing on ATF Form 3310.11, the Federal Firearms Licensee Theft/Loss Report. ATF's page tells licensees to call local police first.

This duty covers a licensee's business inventory. It does not create a federal duty for private owners, which is why state reporting laws and local police reports matter for guns stolen from homes and vehicles.

How many guns are stolen, and how many come back

Almost all reported firearm thefts involve private owners rather than businesses. Private citizens reported 1,013,964 firearms stolen from 2019 to 2023, about 95% of all 1,062,970 reported stolen firearms, according to ATF, National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment, Part II: Firearm Thefts and Losses. The same assessment found that Mississippi had the highest rate, 179.8 per 100,000, and Texas the highest count, 26,674 a year.

Recovery is uncommon. Arkansas recovered 22.29% of $217,366,193 in stolen property in 2024, but firearms only at 14.53%, according to the Arkansas Department of Public Safety, 2024 Value of Property Stolen and Recovered. In Oklahoma, weapons were recovered at 12.5% in 2024, against 53.5% for vehicles, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Selected Findings: Property Loss and Recovered 2024. These are two states' figures, measured by value, and they may not reflect national rates. They do show the point: most stolen guns are not recovered, and a serial number in a police report is what gives a recovered gun a path home. More figures are on our statistics page.

How to check if a gun is stolen

There is no public national database for checking whether a gun is stolen. NCIC holds the national stolen-gun records, and access is limited to authorized criminal justice agencies. The practical options depend on who you are and where you live.

Ask the police

Police can query a serial number in NCIC. If you have reason to believe a gun is stolen, contact your local police department with the serial number, make and model rather than investigating on your own.

Buy through a licensed dealer

A purchase through a licensed dealer includes a background check on the buyer through NICS (the National Instant Criminal Background Check System), which checks whether the buyer may legally receive a firearm. That check is about the person, not the gun. Separately, the FBI says the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 gave licensees authority to run voluntary serial number checks in the NCIC Gun File, according to an FBI NICS Section notice on NCIC Gun File checks. Because the check is voluntary, ask the dealer whether it will run one. The FBI notes that responses come back only on an exact serial number match, that a match is a potential match rather than confirmation, and that the dealer should contact local law enforcement.

Use a state public search

A few states publish stolen property searches. Florida's FDLE Public Access System offers free searches that include guns, updated every 24 hours from the Florida Crime Information Center. FDLE says the data is not confirmation or probable cause that property is stolen, should be verified with the reporting agency, and recommends that citizens not take individual action. Our check if stolen page lists other public lookup tools.

Insurance after a gun theft

Homeowners and renters policies may cover stolen firearms, but some policies set a lower limit for categories such as guns, so coverage may not match the value of a collection. Read your policy or ask your agent, and check whether a scheduled item or separate policy applies. Insurers usually ask for a police report number, a description of each firearm with its serial number, and proof of ownership such as receipts or photos. A record made before a theft is far more useful than one rebuilt afterward. Coverage terms vary by insurer and state, so this is general information, not insurance advice.

Secure storage reduces the risk

Secure storage makes a firearm harder to steal and less likely to be taken in a quick theft.

• Locked safes or lockboxes for firearms at home, bolted down where possible.
• Locking devices, such as cable or trigger locks, for guns that are not in a safe.
• Locked, secured containers for any firearm that must stay in a vehicle, out of sight.
• A written record of each gun's make, model, caliber and serial number, stored separately from the guns.

Some states and cities have their own storage requirements, so check current local rules. Whatever the law, the same principle applies: record the serial number, lock the gun up, and report a theft quickly.