What Are the Laws Regarding the Storage of Hunting Weapons in the Various States?

Hunting is an extremely popular hobby and activity loved by Americans across the entire United States of America. When handling firearms, it is essential that it is done correctly. This is to ensure that everyone using the firearm is as safe as possible. There are a couple of things that you should be aware of when handling your hunting rifle and storing it. One of the first things you need to get is a long gun safe to lock away the rifle when you are not using it. The laws surrounding the storage of hunting weapons vary between states, so to make it easier, below we discuss how to store your hunting rifle and the differences between the states across America.

Safe Storage of Firearms

As of February 2022, a new law came into effect that will require those who sell firearms to the general public to ensure that the buyer has somewhere at home to safely lock away the gun. This law has been announced by the Justice Department with the goal of increasing the safety around the ownership of guns. Not all states in America will have to follow this law, and depending on where you are in the US, you may not need a secure place to store your guns before you make a firearm purchase.

A secure place is described as being any of the following: a gun case, a safe, a lock box, or another kind of device that can safely store a firearm so that somebody can’t easily access it without knowledge of a password or a key. One of the main reasons this law is coming into effect is to reduce the access of firearms to minors living in the same household where guns are stored.

States with No Gun Storage Laws

There are a number of States in America that don’t have any gun storage laws. In total, 36 states do not have a safe storage or gun lock requirement installed in your house before you purchase a firearm. The 14 states that do have this law include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

This means that in the 14 states with the safe storage or gun lock requirement, you must have a dedicated place to safely store a firearm which means that it is locked away and can’t be accessed. There are also different laws between states that differ on how different types of guns should be stored, such as a handgun compared to an assault rifles. In California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York, there are special laws that have requirements for lock boxes to be approved by the state, so they meet the standards and are effective in keeping weapons secure.

States with Assault Weapon Bans

There are 8 states in the United States that have a ban on the purchase and ownership of assault weapons. This includes attachments that can be put on a gun to make it an assault rifle, as well as guns designed to be assault weapons such as assault rifles. The 8 states that have a ban on these kinds of weapons include California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. For the states that do not have a ban on assault weapons, depending on which state you are in, the requirements for safe storage of the weapons may differ. This means you should ensure you know what the specific regulations are in the state you reside in before you make a purchase of an assault rifle.

The bans on assault weapons in the states mentioned above came into effect at different times. It should be stated that these bans do not apply to those who already owned an assault rifle, which means they can continue to do so as long as it was purchased before the law came into effect. Again there is specific state legislation, so research to find out what the laws are in your area so you can use your guns safely and legally. Another important note with respect to the assault weapon ban is that it’s not just the possession and purchase of these guns that are banned. Depending on where you are, there may be restrictions on the manufacturing, distribution, transportation, shipping, and transfer of assault weapons.