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Which states require prohibited domestic abusers to turn in any guns after a conviction?

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

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

California has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
Yes

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Colorado has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
No

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Connecticut has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
No

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Delaware has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Florida has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Hawaii has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
No

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Illinois has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
No

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Indiana has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Iowa has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
No

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Louisiana has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
No

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Maine has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Maryland has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
Yes

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
Yes

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Michigan has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Minnesota has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
No

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Montana has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Nevada has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
No

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

New Jersey has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
Yes

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

New York has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
Yes

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Ohio has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Oregon has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
No

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Pennsylvania has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
Yes

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
Yes

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Tennessee has adopted this policy

Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
No

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Texas has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Utah has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Vermont has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Virginia has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Washington has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

What It Does

Requiring abusers to turn in guns after a conviction ensures they can’t keep weapons they already have at home—and use them to do more harm. While federal law bars these abusers from having guns, this additional policy adds an actual removal process. The best states don’t allow surrender to third parties such as friends or family, avoiding the danger that an abuser can subsequently try to take the firearms back. A full discussion on Domestic Abusers and Intimate Partner Violence is here. 

The Impact

Every month, an average of 76 women in the US are shot and killed by an intimate partner—and roughly 5.5 million women alive today have been threatened with a gun or had a gun used against them by an intimate partner.

Relinquishment for Convicted Domestic Abusers

Policy adopted? Does the state bar the surrender of firearms to third parties?
Alabama —
Alaska —
Arizona —
Arkansas —
California Yes
Colorado No
Connecticut No
Delaware —
Florida —
Georgia —
Hawaii No
Idaho —
Illinois No
Indiana —
Iowa No
Kansas —
Kentucky —
Louisiana No
Maine —
Maryland Yes
Massachusetts Yes
Michigan —
Minnesota No
Mississippi —
Missouri —
Montana —
Nebraska —
Nevada No
New Hampshire —
New Jersey Yes
New Mexico —
New York Yes
North Carolina —
North Dakota —
Ohio —
Oklahoma —
Oregon No
Pennsylvania Yes
Rhode Island Yes
South Carolina —
South Dakota —
Tennessee No
Texas —
Utah —
Vermont —
Virginia —
Washington —
West Virginia —
Wisconsin —
Wyoming —
Show Citations and Footnotes 
Source: Cal. Penal Code §§ 29805, 29810; Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-6-801(8)(a)(I)(B); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-36K(a); Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 134-7(g), 134-7.3(b); 730 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 5/5-6-3(a)(9); Iowa Code § 724.26(4); 2018 LA S 231; Md. Code Ann., Crim. Proc. § 6-234(D); Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, §§ 129B(1)(i)(F), (4), 129D, 131(d)(i)(F), (f); Minn. Stat. §§ 609.2242, subd. 3(f), (g), (h), 609.749, subd. 8(d); 2017 NV SB 124; N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:25-27(c); N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law §§ 370.15, 370.25; 2019 OR HB 2013, Sec. 3; 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 6105.2; 11 R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-5.4; Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-111(c)(6).

76: Everytown Research analysis of CDC, National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), 2021. Analysis includes firearm homicides involving an intimate partner and women ages 18–85+.

5.5: Everytown Research analysis of the National Violence Against Women Survey (Patricia Tjaden and Nancy Thoennes, “Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey,” November 2000, https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/183781.pdf) and US Census 2020.

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