In Orange County, the Sheriff's Office requires three notarized affidavits that the person is of "good moral character," a background check and a questionnaire. A person must be 21 or older to get a permit to buy a handgun, and there is a waiting period.

Denials can be appealed in District Court.

Shotguns and rifles are handled differently.

A person 18 or older can go to a federally licensed firearms dealer, fill out a federal form that attests he or she is a legal U.S. resident, is not a felon, has no outstanding warrants, and has not been indicted on a felony.

The person also must attest on the form that he or she is not the subject of a domestic violence protective order, is not addicted to drugs or alcohol, has not been adjudicated "mentally defective" or been committed to a mental institution, and has not been dishonorably discharged from the military, among other criteria.

Then the dealer calls the FBI-run National Instant Background Check System, which checks several law enforcement databases to verify what's on the form.

A person is either accepted, denied or delayed. The dealer isn't given a reason.

There are legal ways to buy shotguns and rifles that do not require a background check, however. Guns given as gifts or bought from individuals and not federal dealers don't require a call into the federal database.