Skip to content

Which states require reporting of lost and stolen guns?

17 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

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

California has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Colorado has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Connecticut has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Delaware has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Florida has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Hawaii has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Illinois has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Indiana has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Iowa has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Maine has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Maryland has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Michigan has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Montana has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Nevada has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

New Jersey has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

New York has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Ohio has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Oregon has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

South Carolina has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Texas has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Utah has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Vermont has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Virginia has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Washington has adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

Lost and Stolen Reporting

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

What It Does

Gun thefts occur at staggering rates. These stolen guns are often diverted to people prohibited from having guns and end up being used in crimes. Several states require that lost or stolen guns be promptly reported to law enforcement, enabling them to investigate and to identify gun trafficking rings. A full discussion on Gun Thefts is here. 

The Impact

One study found that lost and stolen reporting laws reduced illegal gun movement by 46%.

Lost and Stolen Reporting

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 §§ 25250, 25255, 25260, 25270; Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-113; Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-202g; Del. Code Ann. tit. 11, § 1461; Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-29; 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 5/24-4.1; Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety § 5-146; Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, § 129C; Mich. Comp. Laws § 28.430; N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:58-19; N.Y. Penal Law § 400.10(1); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2923.20(A)(7); Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.397; 11 R.I. Gen Laws § 11-47-48.1; S.C. Code § 23-31-215(K); Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.5; WA House Bill 1903 (2023) (to be codified).

46: Kahane LH. (2012, May 24). Understanding the interstate export of crime guns: A gravity model approach. Contemporary Economic Policy, 31(3): 618–34. Retrieved January 19, 2022 from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1465-7287.2012.00324.x.

More from Sales and permitting