What is a straw purchase?

A straw purchase occurs when the
actual buyer of a firearm is unable to
pass the required federal background
check, or does not want his or her full
name associated with the purchase,
and has someone else who can pass
the required background check
purchase the
firearm for him
or her.

Recent and
widespread
reports of
increased cartel-
related violence
in Mexico have
illustrated law enforcement’s need
to continue to combat illegal straw
purchasing of firearms in the United
States. Though most of the firearms
recovered in Mexico do not come
from the United States, as has been
erroneously reported, America’s
firearms industry recognizes the
importance of deterring any illegal
acquisition of firearms regardless of
the firearm’s origin or location of use.
Fighting Straw Purchasing

The Don’t Lie for the Other
Guy (Don’t Lie) program is a public
awareness and firearm retailer
education campaign that was
developed in 2000 by the National
Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) –
the trade association for the firearms
industry – in partnership with the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives (ATF) to address the
challenges of detecting and deterring
potential straw purchases of firearms.

Firearms retailers receive a
Don’t Lie kit to educate sales
personnel on how to detect and
deter straw purchases. The kit
includes a video detailing common
straw purchasing scenarios use
to obtain firearms illegally, store
display materials to warn consumers
about straw purchases and the
penalties associated with them, and
retailer guides
for training
employees.
Billboards,
posters, transit
signs, public
transportation
signs, public
service
announcements, press
conferences with federal, state
and local law enforcement, and
educational/warning messages
on display at
firearms retailer
shops support
the program’s
no-nonsense
message
about the
consequences
of participating
in a straw
purchase: “Purchase a gun for
someone who can’t and buy
yourself 10 years in jail.” These
efforts have led to over 1 billion
media impressions of the Don’t Lie
campaign.
Purchase a gun for
someone who can’t
and buy yourself 10
years in jail
Resources
To learn more about straw purchases
visit www.dontlie.org.
Urge Congress To Support Don’t Lie
NSSF is urging Congress to adequately fund
the Don’t Lie for the Other Guy anti-straw
purchasing program. By adequately funding
Don’t Lie, Congress and President Obama will
be giving law enforcement an important tool
it needs to help deter the criminal acquisition
of firearms, some of which might otherwise be
misused in Mexico by the drug cartels.
NSSF.ORG
National Shooting Sports Foundation®
Fast Facts
Don’t Lie For The Other GuyTM
The Firearm Industry’s Anti-Straw Purchasing Program