FY 2026 Consolidated National Criminal History Improvement Program
🏛 Bureau of Justice Statistics
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Sep 4, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for state courts, state central administrative offices, state governments, and tribal governments that manage criminal history records and background check systems.
Eligible applicants include state court administrative entities, state agencies responsible for criminal justice records, and tribal government bodies. The program funds three complementary initiatives: improving criminal history records nationally, enhancing gun violence prevention through background check accuracy, and updating the FBI's NICS system.
Activities supported include modernizing criminal record systems, improving data quality and accessibility, implementing interstate record sharing, and updating firearm background check databases. Recipients must demonstrate capacity to manage federal funds and coordinate with national criminal justice systems.
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Program 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.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative and Implementation Plan
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Letters of Support from Criminal Justice Partners
- Organizational Capacity Documentation
- Data Quality and System Gap Analysis
- Sustainability Plan
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Justice Statistics
- 📧 AskBJS@usdoj.gov
- 📞 0000000000
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 16.554 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$10,000,000
-
$7,500,000
-
$6,728,300
-
$6,012,113
-
$5,926,392
-
$5,865,176
-
$5,792,877
-
$4,685,176
-
$4,626,714
-
$4,456,510
Top States by Funding
- MI 5 awards $21.8M
- VA 7 awards $21.5M
- CA 6 awards $21.0M
- NE 6 awards $20.7M
- CT 7 awards $19.2M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 16.554). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $84,718,918 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
State court administrative offices, state criminal justice agencies, and tribal governments can apply. Your organization must be designated to administer federal grant funds for your jurisdiction.
What is the application deadline?
The deadline is September 28, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
What activities can this grant fund?
Grant funds support improving criminal history records, modernizing background check systems, implementing interstate record sharing, and updating the FBI's NICS database.
How competitive is this grant?
With $123 million in total funding available, competition is moderate to strong. Applications focused on data quality, system integration, and public safety impact score higher.
What is the typical award amount?
Awards vary based on project scope and state need, ranging up to $2.2 million. Three distinct programs have different funding pools and priorities.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Clearly identify which of the three programs (NCHIP, NCHIP SF BSCA, or NARIP) your project best aligns with and why. Each has distinct funding priorities.
- Demonstrate current system gaps and how federal funding will measurably improve record accuracy, completeness, and accessibility in your jurisdiction.
- Include letters of support from criminal justice partners, courts, law enforcement, and other agencies that depend on your records systems.
- Document your capacity to manage federal funds and coordinate with interstate criminal justice networks and the FBI's national systems.
- Show how your project supports both criminal history records improvement and the specific violence prevention or background check goals of your chosen program track.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applicants fail to align proposals with one of the three specific program tracks (NCHIP, NCHIP SF BSCA, NARIP) or show unclear understanding of their distinct purposes. Applications lack concrete data on current system deficiencies and measurable goals for improvement. Weak evidence of interagency coordination and sustainability beyond federal funding period.
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