Laws imposing minimum age requirements for the possession and purchase of firearms are intended to reduce access to firearms by young people. These laws are also on the books to lower the number of suicides, homicides, and unintentional shootings among America’s youth.
Young people are at serious risk of becoming involved in violent acts against themselves or others. According to data from Giffords Law Centers, gun suicides among minors have soared 81% between 2012 and 2021. Data also suggests that young people disproportionately commit gun homicides. According to Giffords, which extrapolated statistics from FBI reports and U.S. Census, 18-to-20-year-olds, who represent just 4% of the U.S. population, account for 17% of known homicide offenders. (These are the 24 states where gun-related crimes are surging.)
To find out the ages at which you can buy and own a gun in every state (plus D.C.), 24/7 Tempo consulted data compiled by the Giffords Law Centers, the National Rifle Association, TheHill, and the gun enthusiast website Pew Pew Tactical. State minimum age laws distinguish between purchasing a handgun or a long gun and possessing one. In many cases, there are no age requirements for the possession of a long gun (rifle, shotgun).
Although federal law prohibits licensed dealers from selling long guns (shotguns, rifles) to those under 18 years old, there is no federal regulation of the sale of long guns by unlicensed dealers or individuals to minors. Similarly, while federal law prohibits handgun sales by licensed dealers to people under 21, unlicensed dealers or individuals are prohibited only from selling handguns to people under 18. Federal law aside, however, many states have imposed a minimum age for the purchase of all firearms, including both handguns and long guns, regardless of where they are purchased.
Exceptions are granted in many places for those under the minimum age who are police officers, members of the National Guard or active military, and holders of concealed-carry permits.
Click here to see the age at which you can buy or own a gun in every state (plus D.C.)
Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Washington, and the District of Columbia all have minimum-age requirements for the possession of handguns that are stricter than the federal minimum age limit of 18. (These are the states with the strictest gun control laws.)
Alabama
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: None for purchase or possession
> Total population: 5,039,877
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Alaska
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 16 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 16 for possession
> Total population: 732,673
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Arizona
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 7,276,316
Arkansas
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 3,025,891
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California
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 21 for purchase, 18 for possession (effective July 2023)
> Total population: 39,237,836
Colorado
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase (effective August 2023), 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 21 for purchase (effective August 2023), none for possession
> Total population: 5,812,069
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Connecticut
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 3,605,597
Delaware
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession (exceptions for recreation and hunting and for people with concealed carry permits)
> Long gun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession of rifles (not including shotguns or muzzle-loading rifles; exceptions for recreation and hunting and for people with concealed carry permits)
> Total population: 1,003,384
District of Columbia
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 21 for possession (18 with parental consent)
> Total population:
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Florida
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 21 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 21,781,128
Georgia
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: None for purchase or possession
> Total population: 10,799,566
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Hawaii
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Total population: 1,441,553
Idaho
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 1,900,923
Illinois
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Total population: 12,671,469
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Indiana
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: None for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 6,805,985
Iowa
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 3,193,079
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Kansas
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 2,934,582
Kentucky
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 4,509,394
Louisiana
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 17 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 4,624,047
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Maine
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Long gun legal age: 16 for transfers, 18 for most sales, none for possession
> Total population: 1,372,247
Maryland
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 21 for possession of semi-automatic rifles
> Total population: 6,165,129
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Massachusetts
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession (15 with parental consent)
> Total population: 6,984,723
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Michigan
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchases from dealers, 18 for private sales, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 10,050,811
Minnesota
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 in cities and 14 outside cities for purchase; 14 (with firearms safety certificate) or 16 for possession
> Total population: 5,707,390
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Mississippi
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 2,949,965
Missouri
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 6,168,187
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Montana
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, none for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 1,104,271
Nebraska
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 1,963,692
Nevada
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 (14 with a hunting license and parental permission) for possession
> Total population: 3,143,991
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New Hampshire
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, none for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 1,388,992
New Jersey
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 9,267,130
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New Mexico
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 19 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Total population: 2,115,877
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New York
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 for possession
> Total population: 19,835,913
North Carolina
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession (but a child under 12 must have permission from parent or guardian to possess or use a firearm, whether loaded or unloaded, or be under the supervision of an adult)
> Total population: 10,551,162
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North Dakota
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 774,948
Ohio
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, none for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 11,780,017
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Oklahoma
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 3,986,639
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Oregon
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 4,246,155
Pennsylvania
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 12,964,056
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Rhode Island
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 21 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 1,095,610
South Carolina
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, none for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 5,190,705
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South Dakota
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 895,376
Tennessee
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 6,975,218
Texas
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 29,527,941
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Utah
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 3,337,975
Vermont
> Handgun legal age: 21 (without a hunting safety certificate) for purchase, 16 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 21 (without a hunting safety certificate) for purchase, 21 for possession
> Total population: 645,570
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Virginia
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 8,642,274
Washington
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, 21 (outside private property) for possession (applies also to semi-automatic rifles)
> Long gun legal age: 18 (for semi-automatic rifles) for purchase, 18 (for possession of semi-automatic rifles outside private property) for possession
> Total population: 7,738,692
West Virginia
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 1,782,959
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Wisconsin
> Handgun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, 18 for possession
> Total population: 5,895,908
Wyoming
> Handgun legal age: 21 for purchase, none for possession
> Long gun legal age: 18 for purchase, none for possession
> Total population: 578,803
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