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Which states prohibit assault weapons?

10 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

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

California has adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Colorado has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Connecticut has adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Delaware has adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Florida has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Hawaii has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Illinois has adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Indiana has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Iowa has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Maine has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Maryland has adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Michigan has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Montana has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Nevada has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

New Jersey has adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

New York has adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Ohio has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Oregon has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Texas has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Utah has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Vermont has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Virginia has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Washington has adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

What It Does

These states prohibit the purchase and possession (or, in the case of Rhode Island and Washington, the sale and manufacture) of assault weapons—high-powered semi-automatic firearms, including AR- and AK-style rifles, that are used in most high-profile mass shootings. In addition to these states, Hawaii prohibits assault pistols, but its law does not cover assault-style rifles. While state definitions vary, assault weapons typically fire rounds with up to four times the muzzle velocity of a standard handgun round,1Peter M. Rhee et al., “Gunshot Wounds: A Review of Ballistics, Bullets, Weapons, and Myths,” Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery 80, no. 6 (June 2016): 853–67, https://doi.org/10.1097/TA.0000000000001037. inflicting greater damage on the human body. A full discussion on Assault Weapons is here and here. 

The Impact

Since 2016, nine out of the 10 highest casualty mass shootings have involved the use of at least one assault weapon.1The 10 highest casualty mass shootings from 2016 to 2025 occurred in: Las Vegas, NV (2017); Orlando, FL (2016); Highland Park, IL (2022); Sutherland Springs, TX (2017); El Paso, TX (2019); Uvalde, TX (2022); Parkland, FL (2018); Midland-Odessa, TX (2019); Lewiston, ME (2023); and Dadeville, AL (2023). The mass shooting in Dadeville, AL, is the only incident among these 10 in which the involvement of an assault weapon has not been confirmed; however, at least two of the handguns used were equipped with an auto sear/Glock switch, enabling them to fire like a fully automatic weapon. Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, “Guns Used in the Deadliest U.S. Mass Shootings,” The Smoking Gun, accessed January 7, 2026, https://smokinggun.org/guns-used-in-the-deadliest-u-s-mass-shooting/. A 2021 study found that the federal prohibition on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines was associated with a significant decrease in public mass shootings and related casualties, and prevented at least 11 public mass shootings during the 10 years it was in effect. The researchers also estimated that had the law remained in effect from 2005 through 2019, it would have prevented 30 mass shootings that killed 339 people and wounded 1,139 more.2Lori Post et al., “Impact of Firearm Surveillance on Gun Control Policy: Regression Discontinuity Analysis,” JMIR Public Health and Surveillance 7, no. 4 (2021): e26042, https://doi.org/10.2196/26042. Study defined mass shooting as four or more victims killed with a firearm at a public location. Familicides and felony killings were excluded.

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Policy adopted?
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Show Citations and Footnotes 
Source: Cal. Penal Code § 30510; Cal. Penal Code § 30515; Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-202a; Del. Code Ann. tit. 11, §§ 1465, 1466; Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-1; Md. Code Ann., Crim. Law § 4-301; Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, § 121; N.J. Stat. Ann. § 13:54-1.2; N.Y. Penal Law § 265.00; R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-47.2-1, 11-47.2-2; Rev. Code Wash. (ARCW) §§ 9.41.390, 9.41.010(2)

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