RENO, Nev. — Nevada’s gun sales remain effectively paralyzed as the state’s Point of Contact (POC) background-check system continues to be down more than two weeks after a ransomware cyberattack crippled state servers. While the outage itself is bad enough, a bigger question now looms:
Did hackers steal sensitive gun-owner information from state databases?
The Outage: Gun Sales on Hold
Since August 24, federally licensed dealers across Nevada have been unable to process firearm transfers for most customers. That’s because Nevada is one of a handful of full POC states, where all background checks must route through the state before going to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
When the state’s system went offline, so did the ability to run those checks. Without clearance, most sales cannot legally move forward, and sold guns are piling up on tables in gun shops waiting for state permission slips.
For now, the only Nevadans who can still take possession of firearms are those holding a valid concealed carry permit, which serves as an alternative form of clearance under state law. Everyone else is stuck waiting.
The Gun Lobby Is Aware
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which represents the firearms industry, confirmed it is working closely with Governor Joe Lombardo’s office to restore access.
In a statement, NSSF said the outage is part of a “sophisticated” ransomware cyberattack targeting Nevada’s servers and internet infrastructure. Officials have assured NSSF that “resolving this matter is a top priority,” though no timeline has been provided.
The group emphasized that the attack is impacting multiple agencies, not just firearms transactions, and pledged to provide updates as progress is made.
What’s Restored — And What’s Not
The state says that by August 29, 2025, it had restored some law-enforcement systems, including the Nevada Criminal Justice Information System (NCJIS) and Civil Name Check program, allowing police to once again query warrants and criminal records.
However, the critical piece for the public — civilian background checks — remains offline. That means no fingerprint checks, no name-based checks, and no firearms background checks. Gun counters across Nevada are still frozen.
The Bigger Story: “Data Exfiltration” ~ You Mean My Name & Address?
The Nevada Office of Emergency Management has now admitted what many feared: “hackers exfiltrated data” during the attack. In plain English, that means criminals copied information out of state systems and took it off-site.
The state has not said what data was stolen. If it includes firearm background check records, gun permit files, or other firearms-related information, this breach could expose the identities and addresses of law-abiding Nevada gun owners.
That would be a dangerous “shopping list” for criminals — identifying households most likely to contain firearms. Unlike a stolen credit card, gun ownership is not something a citizen can simply cancel or replace.
Nevada officials say they will notify residents if personal information was involved, as required under state law. But until then, every Nevada gun owner has reason to wonder if their privacy — and safety — has been compromised.
Why It Matters
This incident highlights two serious vulnerabilities:
- Centralized state systems — When one state-run database goes down, an entire constitutional right can be put on hold overnight.
- Data exposure — A ransomware attack isn’t just about shutting down services. It’s also about stealing information. If Nevada gun owner data is now in the hands of criminals, the consequences could be long-lasting.
Hurry Up & Wait
The state is still working with the FBI and CISA to investigate and restore systems. For now, there is no public timeline for when Nevada’s firearm background checks will be back online — or when Nevadans will learn if their gun ownership records were among the stolen files.
For gun owners and dealers alike, this isn’t just an IT problem. It’s a wake-up call: our rights, and possibly our personal safety, are being held hostage by hackers and by the vulnerabilities of government systems.
Bottom line: Gun sales in Nevada remain on ice, and the state has confirmed hackers made off with stolen data. Whether that includes gun owner records is the unanswered question — and it could end up being the bigger story than the outage itself.
We are in dangerous times! We are NOT meeting our funding goals! Will you help out?
9th Circuit Strikes Down California Ammo Background Check Law as Unconstitutional
Face to face is the way to go.
This is a perfect example of why a person should be able to go buy a gun in another state. If all checks went through one centralized source, then it would be uniform, and you should be able to buy a gun from a dealer anywhere. The man is right about the state is putting people’s lives in danger and it should be a top priority that should have been fixed within hours and never should have happened in the first place. Why do we need two check points? The people having permits are lucky in this state. OreGONEistan is… Read more »
Shall Not Be Infringed unless government ineptitude intercedes.
This is a clear cut case of where a lawsuit needs to be submitted requesting an emergency injunction and the judge should immediately declare the state background procedure null and void, and if FFLs cannot use the federal system then BGCs should be eliminated until the NV system is up and running. But 100% of judges are too wimpy to declare such a thing. (I also think BGCs and the requirement for FFLs is unconstitutional but that’s another matter)
Nevada residents can purchase long guns in Arizona and vice versa. Pistols are a different story and that prohibition needs to be overturned. Mohave County AZ is an hour from Vegas. Folks in Vegas know they can shop here. But the point remains: incompetent gummint employees jeopardize the safety of Nevada residents when they allow privileged information to be mishandled. That is the issue.
I can’t believe Nevada one upped commiefornia on the double background check. Oregon about to be, in Michigan you have to go to the local sheriff to get a pistol permit before you can purchase one, basically the first background check and now they know what pistol you bought after the FFL runs the next check. I was raised in Nevada at the time it was a great western state, no more. Like good marxist, our system will be better than your system, they didn’t learn from their neighbors when the CCW system was either hacked or info was deliberately… Read more »
Are you a flaming gun hating Iibby who works in state government and wants to shut down gun sales in your state? Just stage a fake cyber attack/hacking. Who’s going to say otherwise?
THIS is why all of this is b.s. When en emp shuts down electricity for months, are they going to say, “sorry, we can’t check your background until the electricity comes back on”. EXCUSES.