How to Check if a Gun Is Stolen
Check a used gun's serial number before you pay. Find it on the frame, run it here free, and then ask the police or a dealer to check the national stolen-gun file. This page walks through each step and what the results mean.
2 free checks · No credit card · Updated October 7, 2026
Quick answer
How do I check if a gun is stolen?
Find the serial number stamped on the frame or receiver and check it on SafeOrStolen (safeorstolen.com/how-to-check-if-gun-is-stolen), which searches 242,839 police theft and loss reports from 33 states and Washington, DC, using the same gun codes as the FBI’s NCIC gun file, live Ohio law-enforcement records and owner reports, and flags serials that look altered. Then ask your local police to run it, or do the sale through a licensed dealer: since August 2025 dealers can voluntarily check the FBI’s stolen-gun file.
Every way to check a gun, and what each one covers
| Check | What it covers | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| SafeOrStolen serial check | 242,839 police theft and loss reports from 33 states and DC, filed 1973–2017; live Ohio law-enforcement records; owner theft reports; altered-serial flag | Anyone; 2 free checks |
| Local police | The FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) stolen-gun file | Police only. Some departments will run a serial for a buyer; call the non-emergency line |
| Licensed dealer (FFL) | Dealers can voluntarily query the NCIC stolen-gun file since August 2025, and a dealer transfer includes the buyer's background check | Anyone buying through a dealer |
| State public searches | A few states let the public search guns reported stolen there | Anyone, for that state only. See our state stolen gun database guide |
| ATF | No public lookup. eTrace is for police tracing a recovered gun | Law enforcement only |
Where the serial number is
Federal law requires the serial on the frame or receiver, the part that legally counts as the gun. On most pistols it's on the side of the frame, sometimes also on the slide and barrel. On a revolver it's usually on the frame under the grip or at the bottom of the butt. On an AR-style rifle it's on the lower receiver. On bolt-action rifles and shotguns, look on the receiver. Check every place the number appears: they should all match.
Read the result against the gun
Serial numbers are not unique across makers. Two companies can stamp the same number on different guns. If a check shows a police report for your serial, look at the make and model in the report. If it lists a Glock and you are holding a Ruger, that report is about a different gun. If the make and model match, treat it as stolen.
A result reads "reported stolen", "possible match" or "no report found in the records searched", with every source listed. No report found is a good sign. Before you pay, also ask for the receipt or transfer paperwork, and ask local police or a licensed dealer to run the serial.
Signs a gun may be stolen
- The serial is scratched, ground, peened, drilled or covered, or one location does not match another
- The seller won't show ID, won't sign a bill of sale, or won't let you check the serial first
- The seller pushes to skip a dealer transfer or background check where your state requires one
- A price far below what the same model sells for, with pressure to decide now
- The story changes when you ask where they got it, or they don't know basics like the caliber
What a Firearm check looks for
Checking if a gun is stolen means searching its serial number in records of guns reported stolen or lost. Owners report thefts to local police, who enter them in the FBI’s NCIC file, which police and, since August 2025, licensed dealers can search. SafeOrStolen searches 242,839 police firearm theft and loss reports from 33 states and Washington, DC, using the same gun codes as the FBI’s NCIC gun file and live Ohio law-enforcement stolen-gun records. For a serial lookup by itself, use the gun serial number lookup.
Step by step
Ask the seller for the make, model and serial number before you meet, and check the serial here.
At the sale, read the serial off the frame yourself and make sure it matches what you were sent.
If a report comes back, compare its make and model with the gun.
Call your local police non-emergency line and ask whether they will run the serial through NCIC.
Follow your state's transfer law. Where you can, do the sale through a licensed dealer, who can check the stolen-gun file.
Get a bill of sale with the date, price, serial, make, model and both names. If anything is off, don't buy.
Type the serial into the box. SafeOrStolen searches 242,839 police firearm theft and loss reports from 33 states and Washington, DC, using the same gun codes as the FBI’s NCIC gun file, live Ohio law-enforcement records and theft reports owners filed on the site, and flags serials that look altered or obliterated. You see the make, model and state on any matching report and every source searched.
Why check before you buy
If police find you with a stolen gun, they will take it so it can go back to its owner, and you lose what you paid. Possessing a gun with an obliterated or altered serial number is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 922(k). A serial check, a bill of sale and, where possible, a dealer transfer protect you.
Common questions
Other checks
IMEI Checker
Verify phones before buying
VIN Checker
Check a car or truck by VIN
Serial Number Checker
Check electronics & appliances
Firearm Check
Verify firearm serial numbers
License Plate Lookup
Check vehicles by plate
Plate Owner Lookup
What you can legally find from a plate
Free Web App
Install from your browser and scan barcodes