Case Study: Federal Bureau of Investigation achieves faster, automated firearm background checks and scalable surge handling with Pegasystems

FBI modernizes to address firearm legislation and purchase volumes

The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) must process roughly 23 million background checks a year and rapidly respond to spikes in gun purchases and changing legislation, all while meeting a legal three-business-day turnaround. Prior to modernization, checks were handled manually through a fragmented process that created long wait times and strained contact center resources.

Using Pega, the FBI launched a public-facing, omni-channel portal for licensed firearms dealers and integrated workflow engine that automates rules-driven routing, directs denied cases to a separate system, and supports phone-based requests to the NICS call center. The automation reduced call volumes and manual handoffs, enabling investigators and contact-center staff to process far more background checks with limited resources and adapt quickly to legislative changes.

Federal Bureau of Investigation