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DEFINITION
Legislation regarding restrictions on firearms that can be legally purchased.
Government Statistics > Gun Laws > Prohibited firearms (most recent) by state
Showing latest available data.
| States (A to Z) |
Description |
| Alabama |
It is illegal for a person to possess, obtain, receive, sell, or use a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, except for a peace officer engaged in official duties. |
| Alaska |
It is illegal to manufacture, possess, transport, sell, or transfer a prohibited weapon, which includes a machine gun, short-barrel rifle, or short-barrel shotgun. |
| American Samoa |
It is unlawful to knowingly possess, manufacture, transport, repair, or sell a machine gun, a short barreled rifle or shotgun, or any other firearm for which a valid license from the commissioner of public safety has not been obtained. (Exceptions to these prohibitions are stated in the prohibited weapons statute.) |
| Arizona |
It is illegal to manufacture, possess, transport, sell, or transfer a prohibited weapon, which includes a machine gun or a short-barreled rifle or shotgun (unless it is registered in accordance with federal law). |
| Arkansas |
It is illegal, with limited exceptions, to use, possess, make, repair, sell, or otherwise deal in a machine gun or sawed-off shotgun or rifle, or a firearm specially made or specially adapted for silent discharge. |
| California |
Short-barreled rifles and shotguns, unsafe handguns, machine guns, assault weapons, and several other types of firearms are prohibited, with limited exceptions. |
| Colorado |
Felons and juvenile offenders can regain firearm rights if they receive a pardon from the president or the governor. Connecticut |
| Delaware |
It is illegal, with limited exceptions, to sell, transfer, buy, receive, or possess a sawed-off shotgun or machine gun or any other firearm adaptable for use as a machine gun. |
| District of Columbia |
A registration certificate shall not be issued for a sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, short-barreled rifle, or handgun not validly registered prior to September 24, 1976. Handguns cannot be purchased, except by law enforcement officers, retired District police officers, military personnel, licensed dealers, and organizations employing at least one commissioned special police officer or employee licensed to carry a firearm (where the handgun is used solely during the employee's duty hours). |
| Florida |
It is unlawful, with limited exceptions, for any person to own or have care, custody, possession, or control of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun or a machine gun which is or may readily be made operable. |
| Georgia |
It is illegal, with limited exceptions, to possess a sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, or machine gun. |
| Guam |
The manufacture, possession, sale, barter, trade, gift, transfer, or acquisition of any machine guns, submachine guns, automatic rifles, or certain short firearms is prohibited. |
| Hawaii |
Since July 1, 1992, an assault pistol cannot be brought into Hawaii and, if legally owned before that date, can only be transferred to a licensed dealer or a county chief of police. Possession, sale, or transfer of an automatic firearm or a short barrel rifle or shotgun is prohibited. It is unlawful to possess or sell a handgun made of zinc alloy with a melting temperature of less than 800 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| Idaho |
None. |
| Illinois |
It is illegal to sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, or carry a machine gun or a short-barreled rifle or shotgun. |
| Indiana |
It is illegal, with limited exceptions, to manufacture, cause to be manufactured, import, keep for sale, offer or expose for sale, give, lend, or possess a sawed-off shotgun, or to own or possess a machine gun. |
| Iowa |
It is illegal, with limited exceptions, to knowingly possess a machine gun, short-barreled rifle, short-barreled shotgun, silenced firearm, or any part or combination of parts designed or intended to be used to convert any device into a prohibited firearm. |
| Kansas |
It is a criminal use of a weapon to knowingly sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, or carry a shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches in length or any other firearm designed to discharge or capable of discharging automatically more than once by a single function of the trigger. This prohibition does not apply to certain persons. |
| Kentucky |
None. |
| Louisiana |
No person (with limited exceptions) shall sell, keep or offer for sale, loan or give away, purchase, possess, carry, or transport a machine gun. |
| Maine |
It is illegal for a person to possess a machine gun, except for law enforcement or military personnel in the discharge of official duties, or if the machine gun is possessed in accordance with the NationalFirearms Act. |
| Maryland |
It is illegal, with limited exceptions, to possess or transfer an assault pistol on or after July 1,1994, or to possess a short-barreled rifle or shotgun. Any type of handgun that is not on the Maryland handgun roster may not be manufactured for sale in the State. |
| Massachusetts |
It is illegal to possess a machine gun (with limited exceptions) or a sawed-off shotgun. A firearm cannot be sold if it does not meet certain manufacturing standards or pass a firing test. |
| Michigan |
A person shall not manufacture, sell, offer for sale, or possess a machine gun or a short-barreled shotgun or rifle, with limited exceptions. |
| Minnesota |
It is illegal, with limited exceptions, to own or possess a machine gun or short-barreled shotgun. A "Saturday Night Special Pistol" cannot be sold by a licensed dealer or manufactured or assembled by any person. |
| Mississippi |
None. |
| Missouri |
It is illegal, with limited exceptions, to knowingly possess, manufacture, transport, repair, or sell a machine gun or a short-barreled rifle or shotgun. |
| Montana |
It is an offense, except under certain circumstances, to possess a sawed-off rifle or a sawed-off shotgun. |
| Nebraska |
It is an offense, except under certain circumstances, to possess a sawed-off rifle or a sawed-off shotgun. |
| Nevada |
It is illegal to knowingly or willfully possess, manufacture, or dispose of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, or to possess or use a machine gun. |
| New Hampshire |
None. |
| New Jersey |
It is unlawful, with limited exceptions, to possess, manufacture, cause to be manufactured, transport, ship, sell, or dispose of a sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, or assault firearm. |
| New Mexico |
None. |
| New York |
It is illegal to possess a short barrel rifle or shotgun, a machine gun, a disguised gun, or an assault weapon, with limited exceptions. |
| North Carolina |
It is unlawful to manufacture, possess, sell, purchase, or acquire a fully automatic firearm, a short-barrel rifle or shotgun, or certain other firearms; or to manufacture, sell, give away, or possess machine guns, sub-machine guns, or other like weapons, except in limited circumstances. |
| North Dakota |
No person may possess, obtain,receive, sell, or use a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, or purchase, sell, have, or possess a machine gun or fully automatic rifle, unless the person is within one of the limited exceptions. |
| Ohio |
No person shall knowingly acquire, have, carry, or use any dangerous ordnance, which includes any automatic or sawed-off firearm or zip-gun.Certain exceptions are allowed. |
| Oklahoma |
It is illegal to possess or control a sawed-off shotgun or a sawed-off rifle, unless the firearm has been registered pursuant to Federal law. |
| Oregon |
It is unlawful to knowingly possess a machine gun, short-barreled rifle, or short-barreled shotgun, unless the firearm is registered as required under Federal law. |
| Pennsylvania |
It is illegal to sell or possess a machine gun, a sawed-off shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches, or a firearm made or adapted for concealment or silent discharge, except when in compliance with the National Firearms Act. |
| Puerto Rico |
It is unlawful to sell or keep for sale, or offer, give, lease or otherwise dispose of or transport any automatic firearm, or to possess a machine gun, carbine, rifle, sawed-off shotgun or any other modification of these, or any other firearm that may be fired automatically. |
| Rhode Island |
No person shall manufacture, sell, purchase, or possess a machine gun, or possess or control a sawed-off shotgun or sawed-off rifle unless the person is within one of the limited exceptions. |
| South Carolina |
It is unlawful, with limited exceptions, for a person to transport, store, keep, possess, sell, rent, or give away a machine gun, military firearm, or sawed-off shotgun or rifle. No licensed retail dealer may hold, store, handle, sell, offer for sale, or otherwise possess a pistol or other handgun with a die-cast, metal alloy frame or receiver which melts at a temperature of less than 800 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| South Dakota |
It is illegal, with limited exceptions, to knowingly possess a controlled weapon, which includes a machine gun or short shotgun. |
| Tennessee |
It is an offense to intentionally or knowingly possess, manufacture, transport, repair, or sell a machine gun or short-barrel rifle or shotgun, except in limited circumstances. |
| Texas |
It is an offense to intentionally or knowingly possess, manufacture, transport, repair, or sell a machine gun, a short-barrel rifle or shotgun, or a zip gun except in limited circumstances. |
| US Virgin Islands |
It is illegal to have, possess, bear, transport or carry any machine gun or sawed-off shotgun. |
| Utah |
None. |
| Vermont |
A person who possesses, sells, or offers for sale a zip gun shall be imprisoned or fined or both. |
| Washington |
It is unlawful, with limited exceptions, for any person to manufacture, own, buy, sell, loan, furnish, transport, or have in possession or under control any machine gun, short-barreled shotgun, or short-barreled rifle. |
| West Virginia |
It is unlawful for any person to carry, transport, or possess any machine gun, submachine gun, or any other fully automatic weapon, except in compliance with Federal law. |
| Wisconsin |
No person, with limited exceptions, may sell, possess, use, or transport any machine gun or other fully automatic weapon, or sell, offer to sell, transport, purchase, or possess a short-barreled shotgun or short-barreled rifle. |
| Wyoming |
None. |
DEFINITION: Legislation regarding restrictions on firearms that can be legally purchased.
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