States Banning Assault Weapons

Assault weapon sales in the United States, including the AR-15, have been on the rise, firmly establishing it as one of the country’s top firearms. Not all states endorse the possession of these kinds of firearms, however. Currently, ten states, along with Washington, D.C. have implemented bans on assault-style weapons. Washington recently became the 10th state to impose significant restrictions on these weapons.

This new law prohibits the sale, manufacture, import, and distribution of specific assault-style rifles, pistols, and shotguns. However, it’s important to note that the new law does not explicitly outlaw the possession of assault weapons and also permits Washington residents to inherit them legally or sell them to a federally licensed firearm dealer. Despite facing multiple legal challenges from gun rights advocates, efforts to block their implementation have been have been rejected by the courts.

Like other states with similar or even stricter laws, Washington’s recent legislation applies to a wide range of firearm models and specific features. These include semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines that have a pistol grip, a folding stock, a barrel shroud, or a flash suppressor. The law also prohibits semiautomatic pistols with detachable magazines that have a secondhand grip, a threaded barrel, or a shrouded barrel. 

24/7 Wall St. determined the states that have banned assault-style weapons by analyzing data compiled by the Giffords Law Center, an organization advocating for gun control. Bans on assault weapons in the states on this list were typically put in place in an attempt to reduce mass shootings. Many of the deadliest mass shootings in recent years involved the types of firearms that are now banned in the states listed. 

Giffords reports that the federal government enforced an assault weapons ban from 1994 to 2004, during which time mass shooting fatalities were 70% less frequent compared to the periods before or after the ban. In several states on this list, bans on assault weapons have been in place for decades, some even predating the federal ban.

These are states banning assault-style weapons:

California

• Year ban first went into effect: 1989
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, manufacture, sale, gifting, transport, import
• Exceptions to ban: Lawful ownership of weapon prior to ban and subsequent registration
• Assault weapon definitions: Specific models and firearms with one or more specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols

Connecticut

• Year ban first went into effect: 1993, expanded in 2013
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, sale, gifting, transport, import
• Exceptions to ban: Lawful ownership of weapon prior to bans with certification
• Assault weapon definitions: Specific models and firearms with one or more specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols

Delaware

• Year ban first went into effect: 2022
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, manufacture, sale, transfer, receipt
• Exceptions to ban: Lawful ownership prior to June 20, 2022, transfer to family member
• Assault weapon definitions: Specific models and firearms with one or more specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols

Hawaii

• Year ban first went into effect: 1992
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, manufacture, sale or other transfer, barter, trade, gift or acquisition
• Exceptions to ban: Lawful ownership prior to July 1, 1992, and subsequent registration
• Assault weapon definitions: Firearms with two or more specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Pistols only

Illinois

• Year ban goes into effect: 2023
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, manufacture, sale, purchase
• Exceptions to ban: Lawful ownership prior to ban and registration before Jan. 1, 2024
• Assault weapon definitions: Specific models and firearms with some specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols

Maryland

• Year ban first went into effect: 1994, expanded in 2013
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, sale, transfer, purchase, receipt, transport
• Exceptions to ban: Lawful ownership and registration of assault pistol prior to Aug. 1, 1994, and lawful ownership of assault long gun before Oct. 1, 2013
• Assault weapon definitions: Firearms with two or more specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols

Massachusetts

• Year ban first went into effect: 1994
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, sale, transfer
• Exceptions to ban: Lawful ownership prior to Sept. 13, 1994
• Assault weapon definitions: Specific models and firearms with one or more specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols

New Jersey

• Year ban first went into effect: 1990
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, manufacture, transport, shipping, selling, disposal of
• Exceptions to ban: Officially licensed owners, lawful ownership prior to May 1, 1990, with subsequent registration
• Assault weapon definitions: Specific models and firearms with some specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols

New York

• Year ban first went into effect: 2013
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, manufacture, transport, disposal of
• Exceptions to ban: Lawful ownership prior to Jan. 15, 2013, registered before Jan. 15, 2014
• Assault weapon definitions: Firearms with one or more specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols