Assault weapons bans by state (2026)

By Cole Harlan, Editor·Updated Oct 29, 2026·How we verify·Editorial standards

As of October 29, 2026, our table lists 11 states and Washington, D.C. with an "assault weapon" law in force. In nine of them and D.C., simply possessing a covered gun is barred unless it was grandfathered or registered. Washington and Rhode Island ban sales but not possession. Virginia passed a sales ban in 2026 that a state court has blocked. The Supreme Court hears the first AR-15 ban case since Bruen on December 2, 2026. Each row below links to the statute it comes from.

The short answer

• Possession bans: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and D.C. bar possessing a covered firearm, with grandfathering or registration for guns owned before a cutoff date. Hawaii's ban covers only "assault pistols." New Jersey also has a possession ban, but we haven't yet checked its text against an official source.
• Sales only bans: Washington (since April 25, 2023) and Rhode Island (since July 1, 2026) ban making and selling covered guns. People who already own them may keep them.
• Blocked: Virginia's 2026 law (Acts 2026, ch. 1107) would make buying or selling an "assault firearm" a Class 1 misdemeanor. A statewide preliminary injunction has kept it from being enforced.
• Different approach: Colorado's SB25-003 bars buying "specified semiautomatic firearms" on or after August 1, 2026 unless the buyer completed state firearms safety courses. It's a purchase rule, not a ban, so it's listed separately.
• Most laws use a features test. A semiautomatic rifle that takes a detachable magazine and has one listed feature (two in Massachusetts and Maryland's "copycat" rule) is covered. Most states add a list of named models too.
• The Supreme Court case: Viramontes v. Cook County (No. 25-238) and Grant v. Higgins (No. 25-566) ask whether the Second Amendment protects AR-15 platform rifles. Argument is December 2, 2026. See our Supreme Court gun cases tracker.

Assault weapon laws by state

Rows come from each statute's text as read on the date shown. "Features (one feature)" means a semiautomatic gun that takes a detachable magazine is covered if it has any one listed feature, such as a pistol grip, folding or telescoping stock or flash suppressor. Every law exempts police and the military, and most exempt licensed dealers. "Not yet verified" means we haven't confirmed that detail from an official source, so we don't state it.

Colorado's purchase rule

Colorado's SB25-003 defines a "specified semiautomatic firearm" as a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun with a detachable magazine, or a gas operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine. On or after August 1, 2026, it bars manufacturing, selling, transferring or buying one, with exceptions. The biggest exception lets a buyer purchase after completing the state's basic or extended firearms safety course, which requires a course eligibility card from a sheriff. A first violation is a class 2 misdemeanor. It doesn't ban possession. Its section number in the Colorado Revised Statutes is not yet verified, so we cite the General Assembly's bill page.

How states define "assault weapon"

There are two basic methods, and most states use both.

• Named models. The law lists guns by name, such as the AK-47 and AR-15, often with "copies or duplicates." Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington and D.C. all have long lists.
• Features tests. The law covers any semiautomatic gun with certain features. California's § 30515, for example, covers a semiautomatic centerfire rifle without a fixed magazine that has any one of these: a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action, a thumbhole stock, a folding or telescoping stock, a grenade or flare launcher, a flash suppressor, or a forward pistol grip. New York and Rhode Island use similar one feature tests. Massachusetts requires at least two features.
• Fixed magazine and size rules. Several states also cover rifles with a fixed magazine that holds more than 10 rounds, or rifles under a set overall length.

For magazine limits, which are separate statutes, see our magazine capacity laws by state table.

Court cases that could change these laws

• Supreme Court: Viramontes v. Cook County (No. 25-238) and Grant v. Higgins (No. 25-566). The Court granted review on June 30, 2026, consolidated the cases, and set argument for December 2, 2026. Viramontes challenges Cook County, Illinois's ordinance. Grant challenges Connecticut's §§ 53-202a to 53-202d. The question presented asks whether the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect the right to possess AR-15 platform and similar semiautomatic rifles. Status and dates: Supreme Court gun cases tracker.
• Barnett v. Raoul, Illinois. On July 9, 2026, the Seventh Circuit (Nos. 24-3060 et al.) upheld Illinois's restrictions on AR-15s and 30 round rifle magazines and reversed the district court's injunction.
• Santolla v. Katz, Virginia. In a July 7, 2026 letter opinion (Washington County Circuit Court No. CL26-1139), the court applied its preliminary injunction against the 2026 "assault firearm" and magazine laws statewide. On July 29, 2026, the case was stayed by agreement until the Supreme Court decides Viramontes and Grant, with the injunction left in place.
• Massachusetts Question 9 (November 3, 2026). This is a referendum on the 2024 gun law, Chapter 135, which rewrote § 131M. A yes vote keeps the law and a no vote repeals it. Details are on our magazine laws page.

Traveling through a ban state

Federal law, 18 U.S.C. 926A, protects transporting a firearm from a place where you may lawfully have it to another such place, if it's unloaded and neither the gun nor ammunition is readily accessible from the passenger compartment. In a vehicle without a separate trunk, it must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. Check each state's law on your route before you go.

Bottom line

If you live in one of the states above, the date you bought a rifle matters as much as its features. Grandfathered owners in most states can keep what they have but face limits on selling or passing it on. The December 2 argument in Viramontes and Grant is the case to watch, because a ruling on AR-15 platform rifles would apply to every state law in this table.

Related: Supreme Court gun cases · Magazine capacity laws by state · 2026 State Gun Law Scorecard · State NFA checker

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. California Penal Code § 30515, California Legislative Information (archived copy May 31, 2025)
2. California Penal Code § 30605, California Legislative Information (archived copy Aug. 23, 2025)
3. Connecticut General Statutes ch. 943 (53-202a to 53-202d), Connecticut General Assembly (archived copy Oct. 11, 2026)
4. 11 Del. C. §§ 1465 to 1467, Delaware Code Online
5. Hawaii Revised Statutes § 134-8, Hawaii State Legislature (archived copy June 12, 2026)
6. 720 ILCS 5/24-1.9, Illinois General Assembly (archived copy Dec. 12, 2025)
7. Maryland Criminal Law § 4-303, Maryland General Assembly
8. Maryland Criminal Law § 4-301, Maryland General Assembly
9. M.G.L. c. 140 § 131M, Massachusetts Legislature
10. M.G.L. c. 140 § 121, Massachusetts Legislature
11. New York Penal Law § 265.00, NYSenate.gov (archived copy Oct. 18, 2026)
12. New York Penal Law § 265.02, NYSenate.gov (archived copy Sept. 20, 2026)
13. R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47.2-2, Rhode Island General Assembly
14. R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47.2-1, Rhode Island General Assembly
15. RCW 9.41.390, Washington State Legislature
16. D.C. Code § 7-2502.02, D.C. Council
17. D.C. Code § 7-2502.01, D.C. Council
18. Virginia Acts of Assembly 2026, ch. 1107 (SB 749), Virginia Legislative Information System
19. SB25-003, Colorado General Assembly
20. Docket No. 25-238, Supreme Court of the United States
21. 18 U.S.C. 926A, Legal Information Institute

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