These States Enforce Assault Weapon Restrictions

24/7 Wall St. Key Points:

• Civilian ownership of assault-style weapons has been legal at the federal level for over two decades. 
• These firearms remain controversial, however, and several states have passed laws that effectively ban assault weapons.
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Gun laws in the United States vary widely from state to state, especially when it comes to assault weapons. While federal law stipulates that certain baseline rules apply across the country, individual states have the authority to impose stricter regulations. These can include outright bans on the possession, sale, or manufacture of specific firearms classified as assault weapons. Laws like these often define restricted weapons based on features, models, or ammunition capacity.

In this article, we look at the states where owning an assault weapon is banned and explain how those laws work in actuality. These bans span different approaches to gun regulation, from long-standing restrictions to newer legislation passed in response to modern safety concerns. Knowing where and how these restrictions apply is important for residents, gun owners, and anyone interested in firearm policy.

Using data from the gun control advocacy group Giffords Law Center, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states that have banned assault-style weapons. Washington, D.C. is included in our analysis. Specifics on what types of firearms are banned and how these bans are implemented vary among the 11 states on this list. Gun laws noted are current as of December 2024. They are not exhaustive, however, and are only broad guidelines. Supplemental data on firearm fatality rates are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Giffords Law Center assigns each state a letter grade rating the strength of their gun control laws. Grades range from “A,” for the states with the strongest laws, to “F,” for the states with the weakest. All but three of the 13 states with a letter grade of “A-” or “A” rank on this list. (Here is a look at every state’s gun law grade in 2025.)

This post was updated on February 7, 2026.

Why It Matters

Assault weapon bans have significant legal, social, and practical implications. They affect everything from individual gun ownership rights to law enforcement practices and public safety discussions. Because penalties for violating these laws can be severe (and because definitions and exemptions vary widely), knowing which states enforce bans is critical for informed travel and general decision-making. Beyond legality, these policies also play a major role in national conversations about gun violence, constitutional rights, and how to find a balance between freedom and safety.

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
• Overall gun law strength grade: A
• Annual firearm fatality rate: 8.6 per 100,000 people — 7th lowest of 50 states (3,484 total deaths)

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
• Overall gun law strength grade: A
• Annual firearm fatality rate: 6.9 per 100,000 people — 6th lowest of 50 states (252 total deaths)

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
• Overall gun law strength grade: A-
• Annual firearm fatality rate: 11.9 per 100,000 people — 12th lowest of 50 states (124 total deaths)

District of Columbia

• Year ban first went into effect: Assault weapons have always been effectively banned
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, manufacture, sale, import
• Exceptions to ban: None
• Assault weapon definitions: Specific models and firearms with one or more specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols
• Overall gun law strength grade: N/A
• Annual firearm fatality rate: N/A

Hawaii

Waikiki, Honolulu (BY 2.0) by Edmund Garman

• 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
• Overall gun law strength grade: A-
• Annual firearm fatality rate: 4.5 per 100,000 people — 3rd lowest of 50 states (66 total deaths)

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
• Overall gun law strength grade: A-
• Annual firearm fatality rate: 14.4 per 100,000 people — 21st lowest of 50 states (1,798 total deaths)

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: Specific models and firearms with two or more specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols
• Overall gun law strength grade: A-
• Annual firearm fatality rate: 13.6 per 100,000 people — 16th lowest of 50 states (813 total deaths)

Massachusetts

• Year ban first went into effect: 1998
• Assault weapon restrictions: Possession, sale, transfer
• Exceptions to ban: License and lawful ownership prior to ban
• Assault weapon definitions: Specific models and firearms with two or more specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols
• Overall gun law strength grade: A
• Annual firearm fatality rate: 3.7 per 100,000 people — 2nd lowest of 50 states (263 total deaths)

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
• Overall gun law strength grade: A
• Annual firearm fatality rate: 5.0 per 100,000 people — 4th lowest of 50 states (468 total deaths)

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
• Overall gun law strength grade: A
• Annual firearm fatality rate: 5.3 per 100,000 people — 5th lowest of 50 states (1,044 total deaths)

Washington

Skyline Seattle (BY 2.0) by michaelrighi

• Year ban first went into effect: 2023
• Assault weapon restrictions: Sale, manufacture, import, distribution
• Exceptions to ban: Possession is lawful under certain circumstances
• Assault weapon definitions: Specific models and firearms with some specific features
• Types of banned assault weapons: Rifles, shotguns, and pistols
• Overall gun law strength grade: A-
• Annual firearm fatality rate: 12.4 per 100,000 people — 15th lowest of 50 states (1,022 total deaths)