Which states prohibit assault weapons?
10 states have adopted this policy
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-15 and AK-47 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—inflicting greater damage on the human body. A full discussion on Assault Weapons is here.
The Impact
From 2009 to 2022, nine out of the 10 mass shooting incidents with the most casualties involved the use of at least one assault weapon. 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.
Assault Weapons Prohibited
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) 9/10: Las Vegas, NV, 471 people shot, 60 fatally; Orlando, FL, 102 people shot, 49 fatally; Aurora, CO, 70 people shot, 12 fatally; Highland Park, IL, 53 shot, 7 fatally; El Paso, TX, 46 people shot, 23 fatally; Fort Hood, TX, 45 people shot, 13 fatally; Sutherland Springs, TX, 45 people shot, 25 fatally; Uvalde, TX, 38 people shot, 21 fatally; San Bernardino, CA, 36 people shot, 14 fatally; and Parkland, FL, 34 people shot, 17 fatally. Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, “Mass Shootings in America,” accessed January 5, 2023m https://everytownresearch.org/maps/mass-shootings-in-america/. The mass shooting at Fort Hood is the only incident among these 10 that did not involve an assault weapon. The shooter used a handgun equipped with a high-capacity magazine. Investigators recovered multiple 30-round and 20-round high-capacity ammunition magazines at the scene. “Investigators Detail Ammo Found at Fort Hood Shooting Scene,” Dallas Morning News, October 21, 2010, https://bit.ly/3BmF1kg. 2021 study: Lori 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.