BJS FY 2026 Consolidated National Criminal History Improvement Program
This cooperative agreement funds states, state court systems, and tribal governments to improve criminal history and related records, NICS reporting, and the accessibility and accuracy of records used for background checks.
RESTRICTED TO: STATE LOCAL GOV · TRIBAL ENTITIES
⚑ Eligibility is limited to states, state court systems through the designated central administrative office, and tribal governments; public universities are not direct applicants. · Funds support criminal-history/NICS record systems and related data quality, completeness, timeliness, and accessibility activities, not research. · Program includes multiple components (NCHIP, NCHIP SF BSCA, NARIP) with firearm/background-check record update priorities under NARIP and BSCA-related funding. · Award ceiling listed is $2,196,000; close date 2026-09-28.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 15 none | university cannot apply directly (ineligible) |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 15 none | university cannot apply directly (ineligible) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 10 none | deep-tech content; no commercialization signal |
Description
1) NCHIP ($59,000,000)- This program aims to improve the nation's safety and security by enhancing the quality, completeness, and accessibility of criminal history record information; and by ensuring the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and non-criminal justice background check systems.
2) NCHIP SF BSCA ($40,000,000) - This program furthers the DOJ's mission to reduce violent crime and address gun violence by improving the accuracy, utility, and interstate accessibility of criminal-history and related records in support of national record systems and their use for name- and fingerprint-based criminal history background checks. This program was developed to implement Title III, Division B (3) - Appropriations outlined in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (Pub. L. 117-159).
3) NARIP ($24,000,000)- This program provides grants to assist states, state court systems and tribal governments in updating the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) with certain mental health, protection and restraining order, domestic violence conviction, and other criminal history record information which may disqualify individuals from purchasing or possessing firearms. BJS coordinates its work on the NICS program with the efforts of the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) to ensure that funded state and state court system programs are complementary and consistent with the overall goal of improving the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of state and national criminal records.
Eligibility
Courts: The state central administrative office or similar entity designated by statute or regulation to administer federal grant funds on behalf of the jurisdiction’s court system.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Bureau of Justice Statistics <AskBJS@usdoj.gov>
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