Minimum Age to Buy a Gun by State (2026)
The minimum age to buy or possess handguns and long guns under each state's law.
| State | Age to buy a gun |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama law bars selling, giving or lending a pistol to any minor (fine of $50 to $500) and delivering a pistol to anyone the transferor has reasonable cause to believe is a minor; a minor may not own or possess a pistol (Class A misdemeanor). These rules cover all transfers, including private ones. The firearm statutes do not define 'minor'; Alabama's general age of majority is 19. No separate state minimum age for long guns was found. Ala. Code 1975 §§ 13A-11-57, 13A-11-76, 13A-11-72(b), 26-1-1 |
| Alaska | Knowingly selling a firearm or a defensive weapon to a person under 18 is misconduct involving weapons in the fourth degree, a class A misdemeanor; this applies to any seller, not only dealers. Selling or transferring a switchblade or gravity knife to someone under 18 without a parent's or guardian's prior written consent is the same crime. An unemancipated minor under 16 who possesses a firearm without the consent of a parent or guardian commits a class B misdemeanor. Alaska has no state law that sets a higher minimum age (such as 21) to buy a handgun or long gun. AS 11.61.210(a)(5), (a)(6), (d); AS 11.61.220(a)(3), (j) |
| Arizona | A person who sells or gives a firearm (or ammunition or a toy pistol) to a minor without the written consent of the minor's parent or legal guardian commits a class 6 felony; this applies to private transfers. Temporary transfers by safety instructors, coaches, or an adult accompanying a minor on a hunt or target outing, with parental consent, are allowed. Unemancipated persons under 18 may not carry or possess a firearm in public places or on others' private property unless accompanied or within listed exceptions. § 13-3109 does not itself define 'minor'. A.R.S. §§ 13-3109(A), (C), 13-3111(A)-(B) |
| Arkansas | No person in Arkansas under 18 may possess a handgun (Class A misdemeanor; Class D felony for some repeat or prior-felony cases). Exceptions include being in one's own dwelling, place of business or property; lawful hunting or travel to or from hunting; approved firearm safety courses or school-approved activities; and marksmanship competition, practice or recreational shooting supervised by a parent, guardian or an adult 21 or older in loco parentis. No separate state minimum age for buying long guns was found in the sections read. Ark. Code Ann. § 5-73-119 |
| California | A California licensed dealer may not sell, deliver or transfer any firearm to a person under 21 (Pen. Code § 27510). The exemptions apply only to firearms that are not handguns, for persons 18 or older who hold a valid hunting license, are active peace officers or federal officers authorized to carry, are active members of the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard or reserves, or are honorably discharged members. Because private-party sales must go through a dealer, the same age rules apply to private sales. Handgun buyers must also show proof of California residency and hold a Firearm Safety Certificate. Cal. Pen. Code §§ 27510, 26800-26850, 27545; CA DOJ Public FAQs |
| Colorado | 21 for all firearms. 'It is unlawful for a person who is less than twenty-one years of age to purchase a firearm' (class 2 misdemeanor), and a licensed dealer may not sell to anyone under 21 (class 1 misdemeanor). Exceptions: active-duty U.S. armed forces members on duty, on-duty peace officers, and P.O.S.T.-certified individuals; antiques and curios or relics are excluded. Possession: a person under 18 may not knowingly possess a handgun (class 2 misdemeanor; class 5 felony for a second offense), with exceptions for safety courses, target ranges, organized competitions, licensed hunting, travel to these with an unloaded handgun, and property of a parent, guardian or grandparent with permission. C.R.S. §§ 18-12-112.5(1)(a.3)-(c), (2), 18-12-108.5 |
| Connecticut | Handguns: no person may sell, give or otherwise transfer a pistol or revolver to anyone under 21 (except temporary use at a range under supervision); the handgun eligibility certificate or carry permit needed to buy one is available only at 21. Long guns: no retail sale or transfer to anyone under 18, and no sale or transfer of a semi-automatic centerfire rifle that has or accepts a magazine of more than five rounds to anyone under 21. The long gun eligibility certificate is available at 18. Because every buyer must hold a permit or certificate, these ages also apply in private sales. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 29-34(b), 29-36f(a), 29-37a(b), 29-37p(a) |
| Delaware | Under 21 for all firearms, with exceptions. It is a crime to sell, give or otherwise transfer a firearm or ammunition to a person under 21 unless permitted by § 1448. Persons under 21 are prohibited from possessing firearms except a shotgun or shotgun ammunition, a muzzle-loading rifle, and firearms used under the direct supervision of a person 21 or older for hunting, instruction, sporting or recreation; a person 18 or older who holds a CCDW license is also excepted. Licensed deadly weapons dealers may not sell to a person under 21. A handgun qualified purchaser permit may not be issued to a person under 21. 11 Del. C. §§ 1445(a)(4), 1448(a)(5), 1448D(f)(1); 24 Del. C. § 903 |
| District of Columbia | 21. Every firearm possessed in the District must be registered, and a registration certificate generally requires the applicant to be 21 or older. The Chief may register a firearm to an otherwise qualified applicant aged 18 to 20 if a parent or guardian files a notarized statement agreeing to the ownership and accepting civil liability; that certificate expires on the applicant's 21st birthday (MPD describes this as applying to long guns). Purchases must go through a federally licensed dealer. D.C. Code §§ 7-2502.01(a), 7-2502.03(a)(1), 7-2505.02(a) |
| Florida | A person younger than 21 may not purchase any firearm, and licensed importers, manufacturers and dealers may not sell or transfer a firearm to a person under 21 (third-degree felony); law enforcement and correctional officers and servicemembers may buy rifles and shotguns. The under-21 purchase ban applies to all purchasers, including in private sales. Possession: a minor under 18 may not possess a firearm except an unloaded firearm at home, or in listed situations such as supervised or lawful hunting, target practice or firearm training. Fla. Stat. ss. 790.065(13), 790.22(3) |
| Georgia | Handguns: it is unlawful to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly sell or furnish a pistol or revolver to a minor (under 18), though a parent or guardian may permit a minor's possession for listed purposes; persons under 18 may not possess or control a handgun except during hunter or firearms safety courses, target shooting at a range, competitions, lawful hunting or fishing, travel to or from those activities with the handgun unloaded, on property controlled by a parent, guardian or grandparent with permission, or at home with permission for self-defense. Long guns: no Georgia statute setting a minimum age to buy or possess a long gun was found. O.C.G.A. §§ 16-11-101.1(b), 16-11-132(b)-(c) |
| Hawaii | 21 for all firearms. A permit to acquire is required to obtain ownership of any firearm, and citizens, nationals and lawful permanent residents must be 21 or older to receive it (certain aliens may receive permits at 18 for rifles and shotguns for hunting). Because the permit covers purchases, gifts, inheritance and every other manner of acquisition, the age rule applies to private transfers too. HRS § 134-2(a), (d) |
| Idaho | It is a misdemeanor to sell, directly or indirectly, any pistol, revolver or gun (or dirk, bowie knife or dagger) to a minor under eighteen (18) without the written consent of the minor's parent or guardian; selling or giving any firearm to a minor under sixteen (16) without written parental consent is also a misdemeanor. A person under eighteen (18) may not possess a handgun (except under listed exceptions such as hunting, ranges and safety courses), and providing a handgun to a minor in violation of that rule is a misdemeanor. The same rules apply to private sellers; state law sets no higher purchase age. Idaho Code §§ 18-3302A, 18-3308, 18-3302F, 18-3302G |
| Illinois | A FOID card is required to receive any firearm or ammunition (or a concealed carry license, which requires age 21). A FOID applicant must be 21 or older, or, if under 21, have never been convicted of a misdemeanor other than a traffic offense or adjudged delinquent and either have written consent from a parent or legal guardian who is not barred from holding a FOID card or be an active-duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces or Illinois National Guard. It is a crime to sell or give a firearm of a size that may be concealed on the person to anyone under 18; to sell or give any firearm to anyone under 18 who does not have a valid FOID card; or to sell or give any firearm to a person under 21 who has been convicted of a misdemeanor other than a traffic offense or adjudged delinquent. These rules apply to private sellers as well as dealers. 430 ILCS 65/3(a), 65/4(a)(2)(i), (i-5); 720 ILCS 5/24-3(A)(a), (b), (i) |
| Indiana | 18 for handguns. No one may sell, give or otherwise transfer a handgun to a person under 18, except within a parent-child or guardian relationship or otherwise in compliance with IC 35-47-10 and federal law. A child under 18 who possesses any firearm (handgun or long gun) commits dangerous possession of a firearm unless an exemption applies, such as a hunter or firearms safety course, supervised target shooting, licensed hunting, or being on family-controlled property with a parent's or guardian's permission. It is also a crime to transfer a handgun to someone the transferor knows is ineligible, for reasons other than age, to receive one from a dealer or who intends to commit a crime, and to make a straw purchase. Article 47 sets no separate minimum age for buying a long gun. IC 35-47-2-7(b), (d), (e); IC 35-47-10-1, 35-47-10-3, 35-47-10-5 |
| Iowa | A person under eighteen may not acquire a pistol or revolver. Selling, loaning, giving or making available a pistol or revolver or its ammunition to a person under 18 is a serious misdemeanor (class D felony for repeat offenses), except that a parent, guardian or adult spouse may allow supervised possession or instruction. Selling or giving a rifle or shotgun or its ammunition to a minor is likewise a serious misdemeanor, except that a parent, guardian or adult spouse (or another person with their express consent) may allow a minor to possess one. A person under 21 may not be issued a permit to acquire a handgun, and a permit to carry held by someone under 21 does not count for a dealer handgun purchase. These rules apply to private sellers. Iowa Code §§ 724.15(1), (2)(a); 724.22(1)-(4) |
| Kansas | It is a class A nonperson misdemeanor to sell, give or otherwise transfer any firearm with a barrel less than 12 inches long (handguns) to a person under 18, and a person under 18 may not possess one except in listed situations (hunter or safety courses, ranges, competitions, licensed hunting, family property with permission, home self-defense with parental permission). These rules apply to private sellers. Kansas statutes reviewed set no separate minimum age for long guns. K.S.A. 21-6301(a)(7), (a)(14), (b), (l) |
| Kentucky | A person under 18 may not possess, manufacture or transport a handgun except in listed situations (Class A misdemeanor first offense, Class D felony after). Knowingly or recklessly providing a handgun to a person known or believed to be under 18 in violation of those rules is a Class D felony, as is a parent providing a handgun when there is a substantial risk the juvenile will commit a felony. These rules apply to private transfers. No Kentucky statute reviewed sets a minimum age for long guns. KRS 527.100, 527.110 |
| Louisiana | It is a crime to sell or otherwise deliver for value any firearm to any person under the age of eighteen (lack of knowledge of the minor's age is not a defense); this applies to any seller, not only dealers. A person under eighteen may not knowingly possess a handgun on his person, with exceptions for safety courses, target ranges, licensed hunting or trapping, travel to and from those activities with an unloaded gun, property with parental and owner permission, at home with parental permission, or with written parental permission carried on the person. La. R.S. 14:91; R.S. 14:95.8 |
| Maine | Handguns: it is a crime to knowingly transfer (sell, give, lend or otherwise provide) a handgun to a person under 18, with exceptions such as temporary transfers with a parent's written consent or for employment, target practice, hunting or safety instruction. Long guns: a non-parent may not knowingly transfer a firearm other than a handgun to a person under 16 (Class D crime), and may not sell one to a person 16 or 17 (civil violation up to $500 for a first offense); the parent's approval is an affirmative defense. These rules apply to private sellers as well as dealers. 17-A M.R.S. §§554-A, 554-B |
| Maryland | Handguns and other 'regulated firearms' (handguns and listed assault weapons): a dealer or any other person may not sell, rent, loan or transfer one to a person under 21 (except a loan to a borrower allowed to possess it under §5-133(d)), and a person under 21 may not possess a regulated firearm, with exceptions such as supervised use with parental permission, marksmanship training, hunting and military duty. Rifles and shotguns: a person may not sell, rent or transfer a firearm other than a regulated firearm, or ammunition, to a minor (Maryland's general definition of minor is under 18); ammunition designed solely for a regulated firearm may not be sold to anyone under 21. These rules cover private sellers too. Md. Code, Pub. Safety §§5-133(d), 5-134(b)(1), (d); Gen. Prov. §1-103(b) |
| Massachusetts | Handguns, semiautomatic and large-capacity firearms require a license to carry, which only persons 21 or older may obtain. A firearm identification card, available to residents 18 or older (15 to 17 with a parent's or guardian's written permission), allows purchase and possession only of rifles and shotguns that are not large-capacity or semiautomatic; FID holders over 18 may buy such rifles and shotguns from dealers or private sellers. Private sellers may transfer only to properly licensed buyers. M.G.L. c. 140, §§131(d), 129B(a), (c), 128A(b), (e) |
| Michigan | A license to purchase a pistol (or, since February 13, 2024, a license for a private purchase of any firearm) may be issued to a person 18 years of age or older, or 21 years of age or older for a pistol bought from a federally licensed seller. It is a crime to knowingly sell a firearm more than 26 inches long to a person under 18 (misdemeanor up to 90 days and $500 for a first violation). Exceptions allow younger persons supervised target practice and hunting. MCL 28.422(3)(b), (12); MCL 750.223(2) |
| Minnesota | A person under 18 may not possess a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon (or ammunition), except with a parent or guardian present, for military drill, at an approved range under supervision, or after an approved safety course; violation is a felony. Furnishing a firearm or ammunition to a minor under 18 in a municipality without the prior consent of the parent/guardian or the police is a felony (up to 10 years). Transfers of pistols and semiautomatic military-style assault weapons to persons under 18 are separately penalized under the transfer-report law. No separate state minimum age to buy a long gun was found beyond these rules. Minn. Stat. §624.713, subd. 1(1), subd. 2(a); §609.66, subd. 1b; §624.7132, subd. 15 |
| Mississippi | It is unlawful to 'sell, give or lend to any minor under eighteen (18) years of age' (or, knowingly, to an intoxicated person) any deadly weapon, other weapon the carrying of which concealed is prohibited, or pistol cartridge; penalty up to $1,000 and/or up to one year in county jail. Possession of a handgun by a person under 18 is an act of delinquency except for listed activities (safety courses, target shooting, competitions, licensed hunting, adult-permitted possession on the adult's property, lawful self-defense at home). The state rule applies to private transfers as well as dealers. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 97-37-13, 97-37-14 |
| Missouri | It is a class A misdemeanor to recklessly sell, lease, loan, give away or deliver 'any firearm to a person less than eighteen years old without the consent of the child's custodial parent or guardian' (exceptions for peace officers and military on duty). It is a class E felony to knowingly transfer a firearm or ammunition to anyone not lawfully entitled to possess it under § 571.070. The rule applies to private transfers as well as dealers; the statute does not set a separate age for handguns versus long guns. RSMo § 571.060 |
| Montana | Montana has no state law that sets a minimum age to buy or possess a handgun or long gun. A parent, guardian or other person in charge of a child under 14 may not let the child carry or use a firearm in public unless the child is accompanied by a person having charge or custody of the child or is under the supervision of a qualified firearms safety instructor. MCA 45-8-301 to 45-8-377; MCA 30-20-101 to 30-20-106 (reviewed); MCA 45-8-344 |
| Nebraska | Handguns: a person must obtain a handgun purchase certificate (or hold a concealed handgun permit) to buy, lease, rent or receive a handgun, and 'An applicant shall receive a certificate if he or she is twenty-one years of age or older' and not federally prohibited. Any person under eighteen who possesses a handgun commits a Class I misdemeanor (exceptions for military/ROTC on duty and supervised instruction). Transferring any firearm to a juvenile (under 18) is a Class III felony, except that non-handgun firearms may be transferred by a close relative with parental permission, for lawful sporting purposes, or under adult supervision in an educational program. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 69-2403, 69-2404, 28-1204, 28-1204.01, 28-1201 |
| Nevada | A person who sells or barters a pistol, revolver or other firearm capable of being concealed to a child under 18, knowing or with reason to know the child's age (or in reckless disregard of it), is guilty of a category B felony (1 to 6 years and up to $5,000). A child under 18 may not handle, possess or control a firearm except under listed exceptions (for example, supervised activities, and some rifles or shotguns for children 14 or older); an adult who aids or knowingly permits a violation commits a misdemeanor for a first offense (category C felony if there is a substantial risk the child will use it in a violent act; category B felony for a second offense). NRS 202.300, 202.310 |
| New Hampshire | 'Any person who shall sell, barter, hire, lend or give to any minor any pistol or revolver shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.' Exceptions: parents, grandparents, guardians, administrators or executors giving a pistol or revolver to their children, wards or heirs; supervised firearms training with parental permission; licensed hunters accompanying a minor while lawfully hunting; and supervision during a lawful shooting event. Under RSA 21:44, adulthood begins at 18. The rule applies to private transfers as well as dealers. The state statute addresses pistols and revolvers only; no state minimum age for long guns was found. RSA 159:12; RSA 21:44 |
| New Jersey | A firearms purchaser identification card (required to acquire a rifle or shotgun) shall not be issued 'To any person under the age of 18 years', and a permit to purchase a handgun shall not be issued 'to any person under the age of 21 years'. The card or permit is required for private transfers as well as dealer sales. N.J.S. 2C:58-3(a), (b), (c)(4) |
| New Mexico | New Mexico's weapons article sets no state minimum age to buy a firearm and no state age limit for possessing a rifle or shotgun. For handguns, 'Unlawful possession of a handgun by a person' (a 'person' being 'an individual who is less than nineteen years old') consists of knowingly having or transporting a handgun, except when the person is at a hunter's safety or handgun safety course or lawful shooting activity; target shooting at an authorized range or where discharge is not prohibited; in an organized competition; in a performance by a 501(c)(3) organization; legally hunting or trapping; traveling 'with an unloaded handgun' to or from those activities; or on real property controlled by a parent, grandparent or legal guardian while supervised by one of them. Violation is a misdemeanor, and the handgun is subject to seizure and forfeiture. NMSA 1978, §§ 30-7-2.2, 30-7-2.3; NMSA 1978, Ch. 30, Art. 7 (reviewed) |
| New York | Handguns: a license is required to possess a pistol or revolver, and no license issues except to an applicant 'twenty-one years of age or older' (military exception). Semiautomatic rifles: 'A license for a semiautomatic rifle, other than an assault weapon or disguised gun, shall be issued' to purchase or take possession of one, subject to the same age-21 rule. Other rifles and shotguns: § 400.00 sets no separate age; Penal Law § 265.05 makes it unlawful for 'any person under the age of sixteen to possess' guns, except a holder of a hunting license or permit using a rifle or shotgun under the Environmental Conservation Law. N.Y. Penal Law §§ 400.00(1)(a), (2); 265.05 |
| North Carolina | Handguns: transferring a handgun to a minor (under 18) is a Class H felony, except a temporary loan where the minor's possession is lawful, a transfer to an adult custodian, or a devise distributed to a parent or guardian. 'Any minor who willfully and intentionally possesses or carries a handgun is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor' ('minor' means 'Any person under 18 years of age'), except military duty, adult-supervised educational or recreational use, an emancipated minor at home, and hunting or trapping with written parental permission. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-315(a1), 14-269.7 |
| North Dakota | 'A person under the age of eighteen years may not possess a handgun except that such a person, while under the direct supervision of an adult, may possess a handgun for the purposes of firearm safety training, target shooting, or hunting.' Anyone who 'sells, barters, hires, lends, or gives any handgun to any minor is guilty of a class A misdemeanor', except lending or giving a handgun for supervised safety training, target shooting or hunting. A parent who lets a minor 'under fifteen years of age' carry or use a loaded firearm in public without direct supervision commits a class B misdemeanor. N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-02-01(1)(d), 62.1-03-02, 62.1-02-07 |
| Ohio | 'No person under eighteen years of age shall purchase or attempt to purchase a firearm', and 'No person under twenty-one years of age shall purchase or attempt to purchase a handgun' (exceptions for trained law enforcement officers and active, reserve or honorably discharged military members aged 18-20). Sellers may not 'Sell any firearm to a person who is under eighteen years of age' or 'sell any handgun to a person who is under twenty-one years of age', and may not furnish a firearm to anyone under 18 or a handgun to anyone under 21 'except for lawful hunting, sporting, or educational purposes' under adult supervision (a felony of the fifth degree). R.C. 2923.211(A)-(B), 2923.21(A)-(C) |
| Oklahoma | It is unlawful to sell or give any pistol, revolver, shotgun or rifle to anyone under eighteen (18), and unlawful for someone under 18 to possess one. A parent or guardian, or someone with their permission, may give a child a firearm for hunting, hunter safety classes, firearm safety training, target shooting, skeet, trap or other sporting events. The statute sets no separate state minimum age of 21 for buying handguns. 21 O.S. § 1273(A), (C), (E) |
| Oregon | A person may not sell, deliver or transfer any firearm to someone they know or should know is under 18. Possessing a firearm while under 18 is a crime. Exceptions: a parent or guardian, or someone with their consent, may give a minor a firearm other than a handgun, and a minor may have any firearm temporarily for hunting, target practice or another lawful purpose. Oregon statutes set no separate state minimum age of 21 for buying. ORS 166.470(1)(a), (3); 166.250(1)(c)(A), (2)(a) |
| Pennsylvania | A person under 18 may not possess or transport a firearm anywhere in Pennsylvania. Exceptions include supervised lawful activities and lawful hunting or trapping. Knowingly giving a firearm to a minor in violation of this rule is a third-degree felony. The license to carry requires age 21. The chapter sets no separate state minimum age of 21 for buying. 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 6110.1(a)-(c), 6109(b) |
| Rhode Island | No one may sell a firearm to a person under 21. Handguns, rifles and shotguns may be bought only by U.S. citizens or lawful Rhode Island residents who are 21 or older (or nonresident service members 21 or older stationed in Rhode Island). On-duty police, state marshals, correctional officers and active military are exempt from the age-21 rule. Giving any firearm to someone under 18 is a crime, except for supervised activities with a parent's or guardian's consent. Minors under 18 may possess firearms only in supervised settings such as approved ranges, hunting, or firearms education. R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-47-37, 11-47-37.1, 11-47-35(a)(1), 11-47-35.2(a), 11-47-30, 11-47-33 |
| South Carolina | It is unlawful to sell or deliver a handgun to a person under eighteen. No separate state minimum age of 21 for buying firearms was found in the statutes reviewed. S.C. Code § 16-23-30(A)(3) |
| South Dakota | No person under eighteen may knowingly possess a pistol (a Class 1 misdemeanor). Exceptions apply with written parental consent on family property, with a gun safety instructor, or for farming, ranching, hunting, trapping, target shooting or safety instruction. Transferring a firearm to a minor whom the transferor knows or reasonably believes intends to use it in a crime of violence is a Class 5 felony. No separate state minimum age for buying long guns was found. SDCL 23-7-44, 23-7-45, 23-7-46 |
| Tennessee | It is an offense to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly sell, loan or give a firearm to a minor, except a loan or gift for hunting, trapping, fishing, camping, sport shooting or other lawful sporting activity. Separately, it is an offense for a juvenile (any person under 18) to knowingly possess a handgun, with exceptions such as safety courses, target shooting at a range, organized competition, licensed hunting, instruction with a parent or guardian present, and at home with parental permission. These rules apply to all sellers, including private sellers. Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 39-17-1303(a)(1), (b); 39-17-1319(b) |
| Texas | It is an offense for any person (dealer or private seller) to intentionally or knowingly sell, rent, lease or give, or offer to, any child younger than 18 years of age any firearm. It is an affirmative defense that the minor's parent or legal custodian gave written permission for a sale (or effective consent for a non-sale transfer). The offense is a Class A misdemeanor, or a state jail felony if the weapon is a handgun. State law does not set a separate minimum age of 21 for buying a handgun; carrying a handgun outside one's own premises or vehicle requires being 21 (see permitless_carry). Tex. Penal Code § 46.06(a)(2), (c), (d) |
| Utah | Selling a firearm to a minor (under 18) who is not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian is a third degree felony. Transferring a handgun to a minor where that would cause the minor to violate the minor-possession law is a class B misdemeanor (class A for later offenses). A minor may possess a firearm only within exceptions: under 14 with parental permission and accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult; 14 to 17 with parental permission; plus listed activities such as safety courses, ranges, competitions and licensed hunting. Possession of a handgun by a minor outside the exceptions is a third degree felony. Adults 18 and older may buy any firearm under state law. Utah Code §§ 76-11-211; 76-11-212; 76-11-215 |
| Vermont | A person may not sell a firearm to a person under 21 (up to one year or $1,000), except to a law enforcement officer; an active or veteran member of the Vermont National Guard, another state's National Guard or the U.S. Armed Forces; or a buyer who gives the seller a certificate of completing a Vermont-approved hunter safety course (or an approved course in another state or a Canadian province). Separately, anyone other than a parent or guardian who sells or furnishes a firearm, dangerous weapon or ammunition to a minor under 16 may be fined $10 to $50 (instructors furnishing firearms for instruction and drill are exempt), and a child under 16 may not possess a pistol or revolver without parental or guardian consent. These rules apply to private sellers as well as dealers. 13 V.S.A. §§ 4020; 4007; 4008 |
| Virginia | It is unlawful for anyone younger than 21 to knowingly and intentionally purchase a handgun or an assault firearm (Class 1 misdemeanor); this under-21 purchase rule was added in 2026 (cc. 1102, 1106, 1107). Persons under 18 may not knowingly and intentionally possess or transport a handgun or assault firearm, except at home or on a parent's, grandparent's or guardian's property with their consent, at a range or firearms class or while hunting accompanied by an adult, or in official training or duties. Selling, giving or furnishing a handgun to a person one has good cause to believe is a minor is a Class 6 felony, except transfers between family members or for a sporting event or activity. Long guns: no separate state minimum purchase age appears in these sections. Va. Code §§ 18.2-308.7(B)-(E); 18.2-309(B) |
| Washington | A person under 21 may not purchase a pistol or a semiautomatic assault rifle, and no one may sell or transfer a semiautomatic assault rifle to a person under 21. People 18 to 20 may possess a pistol only at home, their fixed place of business or real property they control (unless an exception applies), and may possess a semiautomatic assault rifle only in those places or, unloaded and locked, while moving, traveling between those places, or selling it. Possession by people under 18 is limited to the situations listed in RCW 9.41.042 (such as hunting, ranges and supervised activities). These rules apply to all sales, private and dealer. RCW 9.41.240(1)-(3); 9.41.042 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia has no state law that sets a general minimum age to buy handguns or long guns. A person under 18 who is not married or otherwise emancipated may not possess or carry any deadly weapon (with exceptions for family or permitted property and lawful hunting). It is a felony (3 to 10 years, fine up to $100,000) to knowingly sell, rent, give or lend a firearm to a person prohibited by any provision of the article or by 18 U.S.C. § 922. W. Va. Code §§ 61-7-8(a), 61-7-10(c), (d); W. Va. Code ch. 61, art. 7 (reviewed) |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin's rule is age 18 for all firearms: a person under 18 may not possess or go armed with a firearm, and anyone who intentionally sells, loans or gives a firearm to a person under 18 commits a Class I felony (Class H felony if the minor's discharge of the firearm causes death). Exceptions cover adult-supervised target practice or instruction, military duty, and rifles or shotguns where the minor complies with hunting rules and the short-barreled firearm law. The same rule applies to private sales. Wis. Stat. § 948.60(2), (3) |
| Wyoming | Wyoming has no state law in its weapons chapter that sets a general minimum age to buy or possess handguns or long guns. The only state purchase-age rule found is in the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act, which applies only to firearms manufactured in Wyoming and kept exclusively in the state: a buyer must be at least 21 for a handgun and 18 for a shotgun or rifle. W.S. 6-8-402(b), 6-8-404(d)(i); W.S. tit. 6, ch. 8 (reviewed) |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.