Skip to content

Has the state raised the minimum age for purchasing firearms?

22 states have adopted this policy

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

Minimum Age to Purchase

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

California has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for all firearms

Minimum Age to Purchase

Colorado has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for all firearms

Minimum Age to Purchase

Connecticut has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns and semi-automatic centerfire rifles that has/accepts a 5+ round magazine; 18 for other rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

Delaware has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for all firearms

Minimum Age to Purchase

Florida has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for all firearms

Minimum Age to Purchase

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Hawaii has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for all firearms

Minimum Age to Purchase

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Illinois has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for all firearms

Minimum Age to Purchase

Indiana has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Iowa has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Maine has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Maryland has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

Michigan has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Montana has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Nebraska has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

Nevada has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

New Jersey has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

New Mexico has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

New York has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns and semiautomatic rifles; 18 for other rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Ohio has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Oregon has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

Pennsylvania has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for all firearms

Minimum Age to Purchase

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Texas has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Utah has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Vermont has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for all firearms

Minimum Age to Purchase

Virginia has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns

Minimum Age to Purchase

Washington has adopted this policy

What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
21 for handguns and "semiautomatic assault rifles"; 18 for all other long guns

Minimum Age to Purchase

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

Minimum Age to Purchase

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

What It Does

Federal law sets a dangerously low minimum age for buying firearms. While the law requires a person to be 21 to purchase a handgun from a licensed firearm dealer, it only requires a person to be 18 to buy a long gun, including an assault weapon, from a dealer. The law is even weaker for purchases from unlicensed sellers, with a 18-year old minimum age for handguns and no minimum age for long guns. Many states have raised the age, barring handgun sales to people under 21 and long gun sales to people under 18 — regardless of whether the purchase is from a dealer or an unlicensed seller. The strongest policies generally bar all purchases before a person turns 21. A full discussion on Prohibitors is here. 

The Impact

Firearms are the leading cause of death for young people ages 18 to 20, and the firearm suicide rate among this group has increased 41% in the last decade. Eighteen to 20-year-olds commit gun homicides at triple the rate of adults 21 years and older.

Minimum Age to Purchase

Policy adopted? What is the minimum age for gun buyers?
Alabama —
Alaska —
Arizona —
Arkansas —
California 21 for all firearms
Colorado 21 for all firearms
Connecticut 21 for handguns and semi-automatic centerfire rifles that has/accepts a 5+ round magazine; 18 for other rifles and shotguns
Delaware 21 for all firearms
Florida 21 for all firearms
Georgia —
Hawaii 21 for all firearms
Idaho —
Illinois 21 for all firearms
Indiana —
Iowa 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
Kansas —
Kentucky —
Louisiana —
Maine —
Maryland 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
Massachusetts 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
Michigan —
Minnesota —
Mississippi —
Missouri —
Montana —
Nebraska 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
Nevada 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
New Hampshire —
New Jersey 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
New Mexico 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
New York 21 for handguns and semiautomatic rifles; 18 for other rifles and shotguns
North Carolina —
North Dakota —
Ohio 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
Oklahoma —
Oregon 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
Pennsylvania 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
Rhode Island 21 for all firearms
South Carolina —
South Dakota —
Tennessee —
Texas —
Utah —
Vermont 21 for all firearms
Virginia 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
Washington 21 for handguns and "semiautomatic assault rifles"; 18 for all other long guns
West Virginia —
Wisconsin —
Wyoming —
Show Citations and Footnotes 
Source: Cal. Penal Code § 27505(a); Cal. Penal Code § 27510(a); Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-108.7(1)(a), (3); Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 29-34(b), 29-36f(a), 29-37p(a); Del. Code Ann. tit. 11, §§ 1445(a), 1448(a)(5); Fla. Stat. § 790.065(13); Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-2(d); 430 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 65/4(a)(2)(i-5); Iowa Code §§ 724.15(2)(a), 724.22(1), (2); Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety §§ 5-134(b)(1), (d)(1)(ii)(1), 5-117.1(d)(1); Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, §§ 129B(1)(iv)-(v), 130, 131(d)(iv), 131E; Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 28-1204.01, 69-2403, 69-2404, 69-2411; Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 202.300(2), 202.310; N.J. Stat. Ann. §§ 2C:58-3(c)(4), 2C:58-6.1; N.Y. Penal Law § 400.00(1)(a); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §§ 2923.21(A)(1), (A)(2), 2923.211(A), (B); Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.470(1)(a); 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. §§ 2301, 6110.1(c), 6302(a); R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-47-37, 11-47-35, 11-47-35.2; Vt. Stat. tit. 13, § 4020; Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-309(B); Wash. Rev. Code § 9.41.240(1).

Leading cause: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death, Injury Mechanism & All Other Leading Causes. Data from 2020. Young people ages 18 to 20. https://wonder.cdc.gov/controller/saved/D76/D296F182. 

Gun suicide: Everytown analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A percentage change was developed using 2011 and 2020 crude rates for young people ages 18 to 20. https://wonder.cdc.gov/controller/saved/D76/D296F178. 

Gun homicide: Everytown analysis using FBI Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) and US Census American Community Survey data 2016–2020. Analysis includes all homicide offenses (i.e., murders, non-negligent manslaughters, negligent manslaughters, and justifiable homicides) known to law enforcement and reported to SHR by participating agencies. Young people aged 18–20 committed homicides at a rate of 6.95 per 100,000 people of the same age group in the US population, compared to a rate of 2.31 per 100,000 adults aged 21 and older.

More from Keeping guns out of the wrong hands