GCA (Gun Control Act of 1968)

The **Gun Control Act of 1968** is the federal statute that structures nearly all commercial firearms transactions in the United States. Passed in the aftermath of the Kennedy and King assassinations, the GCA established the federal firearms licensee (**FFL**) system, mandated interstate firearm sales to go through FFLs, and defined the categories of **prohibited persons** who cannot legally purchase or possess firearms. Most civilian interactions with federal gun law are really interactions with the GCA: **ATF Form 4473** (the background-check form), the prohibition on felons in possession, the minimum age requirements for handgun and long-gun purchases, and the interstate transfer rules. The GCA has been amended several times since 1968 — notably by the **Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA)** in 1986 and the **Brady Act** in 1993 — but the 1968 statute remains the backbone.