How to Check if a Gun Is Stolen Before You Buy

Last updated: October 2026

Not legal advice. This guide is general information, not legal advice. A clean check is not a guarantee, and a possible match is not proof.

Quick summary: In Utah, you can check a gun's serial number for free and anonymously with the state's Gun Serial and CFP Search. Florida and Ohio have similar public tools. Most other states don't, so your options there are asking local police or completing the sale at a licensed dealer (FFL). There's no public national stolen-gun database.

Why check before you buy a used gun?

If you buy a stolen gun, police can take it, and you'll likely lose the money you paid. Checking the serial number takes a minute and can save you from a bad deal. It also helps get stolen guns back to their owners.

On GunTreasure, every listing has a stolen-check box that shows the right option for the listing's state. This guide explains what's behind that box.

How to check if a gun is stolen in Utah

Utah law requires the state Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) to run a free online tool that lets a buyer or seller check whether a gun's serial number has been reported stolen (Utah Code 53-5a-603). The same law says:

BCI may not share your search with police,
BCI may not collect your personal information,
BCI must delete the search information right after answering,
using it is voluntary, and nobody can require you to use it.

Step by step

Get the serial number from the gun itself. Ask the seller for a clear photo of the serial, or read it yourself at the meetup. Don't rely on a number typed in a message.
Go to the Utah Gun Serial and CFP Search.
Enter the serial exactly as stamped, including letters.
Read the result. It will show either no record or a possible stolen report.

What the Utah result means

The Utah tool checks Utah's stolen-gun records, which may be incomplete or out of date. A gun stolen in another state may not show up. A hit is only a possible match, because different guns can share the same serial number. That's why the wording on GunTreasure's listings is careful:

"Before you buy, check the serial number with Utah BCI's free, anonymous stolen-gun search. A possible match isn't proof, but don't buy the gun. Contact your local police or sheriff (non-emergency line) with the serial number, and don't confront the seller."

If the search shows a possible match

Don't buy the gun.
Don't confront the seller. You don't know the full story, and it isn't safe.
Call your local police or sheriff's non-emergency line and give them the serial number, make and model.
Report the listing on GunTreasure using the report button, so our team can review it.

Utah law says you aren't required to report based on what the tool tells you (Utah Code 53-5a-603(6)). We still encourage it.

How to check in Florida and Ohio

Florida: FDLE's Public Access System stolen gun search is free and anonymous. FDLE says the data may not be current or complete and isn't proof of theft.
Ohio: The Ohio Attorney General's Stolen Guns Database is free and anonymous. It includes only records cleared for public release.

The same advice applies: a possible match isn't proof, but don't buy the gun, call local police on the non-emergency line, and don't confront the seller.

Illinois: the seller runs the check

Illinois doesn't have an anonymous public search. Instead, the seller must run a stolen-firearm check through the Illinois State Police FOID system before a private transfer, and give the buyer the receipt (20 Ill. Adm. Code 1230.45; ISP Firearms Services portal, FOID login required). On GunTreasure, Illinois listings say:

"Illinois sellers must run the State Police stolen-firearm check through the FOID system and give the buyer the receipt before any transfer. Ask the seller for it."

How to check if a gun is stolen in states without a public search

We found no public online stolen-gun search in the other states and DC (checked October 2026; a state could add one). Here's the text GunTreasure shows on those listings:

"[State] has no public online stolen-gun search. To check a serial, ask your local police or sheriff (non-emergency line) whether they'll run it. If it comes back stolen, they may keep the gun. You can also complete the sale at a local FFL; many dealers can check the FBI's stolen-gun file, but it's voluntary, so ask first. A clean check isn't a guarantee. If something seems off, walk away and report it."

Why an FFL can help

Since August 4, 2025, licensed dealers have had voluntary access to the FBI's stolen-gun file (part of NCIC) through the NICS E-Check system (FBI FAQ). A hit is only a "potential match." Not every dealer uses it, so ask first. Find an FFL near you.

Is there a national stolen gun database I can search?

No. The FBI's NCIC file is for law enforcement only (FBI NCIC). ATF doesn't look up serial numbers for the public.

Some private websites let owners list stolen guns. They aren't connected to police records, and a clean result proves nothing. GunTreasure doesn't rely on them.

Other red flags a gun may be stolen

The serial number is scratched, ground off or altered. Stop. Possessing or receiving a gun with an altered or removed serial is a federal crime (18 U.S.C. 922(k)), and these guns aren't allowed on GunTreasure.
The price is far below market.
The seller is in a hurry, won't meet at a gun shop, or wants to meet somewhere odd.
The seller can't tell you basic facts about the gun or how they got it.
The seller won't show the serial number before you meet.

What a clean check does and doesn't mean

This is the disclaimer next to the copy button in GunTreasure's stolen-check box:

"A clean result doesn't guarantee a gun isn't stolen. Records can be incomplete or out of date, and GunTreasure doesn't verify results. A match is only a possible match; contact local police instead of confronting anyone."

A clean result means no matching report showed up in that database. The gun may have been stolen and not reported yet, reported in another state, or entered with a typo. Use the check as one tool, along with your judgment, an in-person inspection (see our checklist) and a safe meeting place.

Related guides

Next step

Browse listings — every one has a stolen-check box for its state — or find an FFL near you to handle the transfer.