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Which states prohibit people with violent misdemeanor convictions from buying firearms?

15 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

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Alabama has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
No
How long is a person prohibited?
Indefinitely

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Alaska has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Arizona has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

California has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
Yes
How long is a person prohibited?
10 years

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Colorado has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
Yes
How long is a person prohibited?
5 years; covers only purchase (and not possession)

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Connecticut has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
Yes
How long is a person prohibited?
Indefinitely

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Delaware has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
Yes
How long is a person prohibited?
Indefinitely

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Florida has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Georgia has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Hawaii has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
Yes
How long is a person prohibited?
Indefinitely

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Idaho has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Illinois has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
Yes
How long is a person prohibited?
5 years

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Indiana has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Iowa has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Kansas has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Maine has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
No
How long is a person prohibited?
Indefinitely

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Maryland has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
Yes
How long is a person prohibited?
Indefinitely

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
Yes
How long is a person prohibited?
Indefinitely

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Michigan has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Minnesota has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
No
How long is a person prohibited?
3 years

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Missouri has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Montana has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Nevada has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

New Jersey has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

New York has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
No
How long is a person prohibited?
Indefinitely

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

North Dakota has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
No
How long is a person prohibited?
5 years

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Ohio has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Oregon has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
Yes
How long is a person prohibited?
4 years; covers only purchase (and not possession)

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Pennsylvania has adopted this policy

Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes?
No
How long is a person prohibited?
10 years

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Rhode Island has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Texas has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Utah has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Vermont has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Virginia has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Washington has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

What It Does

Federal law bars nearly all people with felony convictions from having guns, but does not cover any misdemeanors other than domestic abuse. Several states have closed this gap by prohibiting gun purchases for people with violent misdemeanor offenses—often on a temporary basis. The strongest policies bar all gun possession, and not just new purchases. They also cover assault and battery crimes in particular, which are commonly charged after violent incidents. A full discussion on who should be prohibited is here. 

The Impact

State laws covering violent misdemeanor crimes are associated with a 21% reduction in intimate-partner homicide with a firearm and an 18% reduction in overall homicide rates.

No Gun Purchases After Violent Offense

Policy adopted? Does the prohibitor cover assault and battery crimes? How long is a person prohibited?
Alabama No Indefinitely
Alaska — —
Arizona — —
Arkansas — —
California Yes 10 years
Colorado Yes 5 years; covers only purchase (and not possession)
Connecticut Yes Indefinitely
Delaware Yes Indefinitely
Florida — —
Georgia — —
Hawaii Yes Indefinitely
Idaho — —
Illinois Yes 5 years
Indiana — —
Iowa — —
Kansas — —
Kentucky — —
Louisiana — —
Maine No Indefinitely
Maryland Yes Indefinitely
Massachusetts Yes Indefinitely
Michigan — —
Minnesota No 3 years
Mississippi — —
Missouri — —
Montana — —
Nebraska — —
Nevada — —
New Hampshire — —
New Jersey — —
New Mexico — —
New York No Indefinitely
North Carolina — —
North Dakota No 5 years
Ohio — —
Oklahoma — —
Oregon Yes 4 years; covers only purchase (and not possession)
Pennsylvania No 10 years
Rhode Island — —
South Carolina — —
South Dakota — —
Tennessee — —
Texas — —
Utah — —
Vermont — —
Virginia — —
Washington — —
West Virginia — —
Wisconsin — —
Wyoming — —
Show Citations and Footnotes
Source: Ala. Code §§ 13A-11-72(a), 13A-11-70, 13A-4-2(d)(4); Cal. Penal Code § 29805(a); Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-33.5-424(3); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-217c(a); Del. Code Ann. tit. 11, § 1448(d); Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 134-7, 134-2, 134-1; 430 Ill. Comp. Stat. 65/8(a), (k);  La. Rev. Stat. § 14:95.1; Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 15 § 393(1); Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety § 5-133;  Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, § 131(d); Minn. Stat. § 624.713, subd. (1)(11); N.Y. Penal Law §§ 400.00(1), 265.01; N.D. Cent. Code § 62.1-02-01(1)(b); Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.470; 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 6105.

21: Zeoli A, McCourt A, Buggs S, Frattaroli S, Lilley D, & Webster D. (2018, July 1). Analysis of the strength of legal firearms restrictions for perpetrators of domestic violence and their associations with intimate partner homicide. American Journal of Epidemiology, 187(7): 1449–55. Retrieved January 19, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29194475/

18: Siegel M, Pahn M, Xuan Z, Fleegler E, & Hemenway D. (2019). The impact of state firearm laws on homicide and suicide deaths in the USA, 1991–2016: A panel study. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34: 2021–28. Retrieved January 19, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-019-04922-x#citeas.

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