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Which states allow towns and cities to pass their own gun safety laws?

8 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

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Alabama has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Alaska has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Arizona has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

California has adopted this policy

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Colorado has adopted this policy

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Connecticut has adopted this policy

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Delaware has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Florida has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Georgia has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Hawaii has adopted this policy

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Idaho has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Illinois has adopted this policy

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Indiana has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Iowa has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Kansas has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Maine has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Maryland has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Michigan has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Missouri has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Montana has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Nevada has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

New Jersey has adopted this policy

Local Gun Laws Allowed

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

New York has adopted this policy

Local Gun Laws Allowed

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Ohio has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Oregon has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Rhode Island has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Texas has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Utah has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Vermont has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Virginia has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Washington has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Yes

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
No

What It Does

After a coordinated campaign by the gun lobby, very few states generally allow localities to have their own gun safety policy, even though there is a rich American tradition of densely populated cities having stronger local protections in place. The worst policies not only preempt local gun laws, but even seek to chill action by threatening to punish officials who make any attempt to address gun violence. A full discussion on State Firearm Preemption Laws is here. 

The Impact

Pre-emption laws are associated with increased rates of gun trafficking: States that bar local action export guns later used in crimes to other states at a rate more than four times higher than states that allow towns and cities to protect their residents.

Local Gun Laws Allowed

Policy adopted? If not, does the state also threaten to punish localities that regulate firearms?
Alabama Yes
Alaska No
Arizona Yes
Arkansas No
California —
Colorado —
Connecticut —
Delaware No
Florida Yes
Georgia Yes
Hawaii —
Idaho No
Illinois —
Indiana Yes
Iowa Yes
Kansas No
Kentucky Yes
Louisiana No
Maine Yes
Maryland No
Massachusetts —
Michigan No
Minnesota No
Mississippi Yes
Missouri No
Montana No
Nebraska No
Nevada Yes
New Hampshire No
New Jersey —
New Mexico No
New York —
North Carolina Yes
North Dakota No
Ohio Yes
Oklahoma Yes
Oregon No
Pennsylvania No
Rhode Island No
South Carolina No
South Dakota No
Tennessee Yes
Texas Yes
Utah No
Vermont No
Virginia Yes
Washington No
West Virginia Yes
Wisconsin No
Wyoming No
Show Citations and Footnotes 
Source: Ala. Code § 13A-11-61.3(b)(5), (f); Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13-3108(H)-(K); Fla. Stat. § 790.33(3); Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-173; Ind. Code §§ 35-47-11.1-5, 35-47-11.1-6, 35-47-11.1-7; Iowa Code § 724.28; Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 65.870(4), (6); Me. Stat. tit. 25, § 2011(5)(B)-(D); Miss. Code Ann. § 45-9-53(5); R.R.S. Neb. § 18-1703; Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 268.418(7), (9)(d), 244.364(7), (9)(d), 269.222(7), (9)(d); N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-409.40(h), 14-415.23(e); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 9.68; Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 1289.24(D); Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1314(g)-(i); Tex. Gov't Code Ann. § 411.209; Va. Code Ann. § 15.2-915(C); W. Va. Code § 8-12-5a(f).

Mayors Against Illegal Guns. (2010). Trace the guns: The link between gun laws and interstate trafficking. Retrieved from https://gunviolence.issuelab.org/resource/trace-the-guns-the-link-between-gun-laws-and-interstate-gun-trafficking.html.

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