FRC Jurisdictions Portal
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This top community organizes Firearms Research Center holdings by jurisdiction. It provides separate collections for U.S. states, territories, the District of Columbia, and the federal jurisdiction, spanning the territorial period to the present.
Scope of Content
- Legal sources: statutes and session laws, administrative code, attorney general opinions, appellate decisions, and selected municipal ordinances.
- Historical materials: newspapers, photographs, maps, catalogs, company records, and oral histories tied to specific places and periods.
- Research outputs: FRC reports, datasets, and interpretive materials that contextualize legal and technical developments.
How to Use
- Browse: open a jurisdiction collection to view items for that state, territory, DC, or the federal jurisdiction.
- Search: use keywords and filter by Jurisdiction, Date Issued, and Category. Record any Exceptions noted for applicability.
- Cite: use the item’s identifier and provided links (Original Source and Duke reference) when available.
Metadata & Standards
Items are described using Dublin Core with standardized fields for Jurisdiction, Date Issued, Category, and Exceptions to support precise discovery and comparison.
Questions
For questions about coverage, rights, or submissions, contact the Firearms Research Center (firearmsresearchcenter.org).
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Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 263 (1809)(1643)"Masters of every family shall bring with them to church on Sundays one fixed and serviceable gun with sufficient powder and shott"Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 292 (1809)(1645)"all negro men and women, and all other men from the age of 16 to 60" could be drafted to carry on war against the IndiansItem type:Item, 2 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England 99 (Nathaniel B. Shurtleff ed., 1853)(1645)Mandated that "all youth within this jurisdiction, from ten yeares ould to the age of sixsteen yeares, shalbe instructed, by some one of the officers of the band, or some other experienced souldier…upon the usuall training dayes, in the exercise of armes, as small guns, halfe pikes, bowes & arrows."Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 292 (1809)(1645)"all negro men and women, and all other men from the age of 16 to 60" could be drafted to carry on war against the IndiansItem type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 263 (1809)(1643)"Masters of every family shall bring with them to church on Sundays one fixed and serviceable gun with sufficient powder and shott"Item type:Item, 1642 Va. Acts 261(1642)Act 35: Be it further enacted and confirmed, for the better observation of the Sabbath and for the restraint of diverse abuses committed in the colony by unlawful shooting on the Sabbath day as aforesaid, unless it shall be for the safety of his or their plantations or corn fields or for defense against the Indians, he or they so offending shall forfeit for his or their first offense being thereof lawfully convicted . . . the quantity of twenty pounds...Item type:Item, 1642 Va. Acts 263(1642)Act 41: It is enacted and confirmed that masters of every family shall bring with them to church on Sundays one fixed and serviceable gun with sufficient powder and shot upon penalty of ten pound of tobacco for every master of a family so offending to be disposed of by the churchwardens who shall levy it by distress, and servants being commanded and yet omitting shall receive twenty lashes on his or their bare shoulders, by order form the county courts where he or they shall live.Item type:Item, 1642 Va. Acts 255(1642)Act 23: Be it also enacted and confirmed, that what person or persons soever shall sell or barter with any Indian or Indians for piece, powder and shot and being thereof lawfully convicted, shall forfeit his whole estateItem type:Item, 1642 Va. Acts 248(1642)Act 11: Whereas the rights and interests of the inhabitants are very much infringed by hunting and shooting of diverse men upon their neighbors lands and dividends contrary to the privileges granted to them by their patents, whereby many injuries do daily happen to the great damage of the owners of the land whereon such hunting or shooting is used, It is therefore enacted and confirmed that if any planter or person shall hunt or shoot upon or within the precincts or limits of his neighbor or other divident without leave first obtained for his so doing, and having been warned by the owner of the land to forbear hunting and shooting as aforesaid, he or they so offending shall forfeit for every such offence four hundred pounds of tobacco . . .Item type:Item, 1 Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England 79–80 (John Russell Bartlett ed., 1856)(1643)reiterated an earlier order "for every man to have so much powder, and so many bullets, and so the forwarning is to stand still in force; and also that every man do come armed unto the meeting upon every sixth day"Item type:Item, Acts and Orders of 1647, in Colonial Origins of the American Constitution: A Documentary History 183–84 (Donald S. Lutz ed., 1998)(1647)Every inhabitant above sixteen or under sixty years of age shall be provided a musket, one pound of powder, twenty bullets, two fathoms match, sword rest, and bandaleers.Item type:Item, Acts and Orders of 1647, in Colonial Origins of the American Constitution: A Documentary History 39 (Donald S. Lutz ed., 1998)(1647)Prohibited the giving, selling, repairing guns, ammunition, or weapons to or for "the Indians."Item type:Item, E.B. O'Callaghan, Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, 1638-1674, at 47 (1868); N.Y. Col. MSS, IV. 216(1645)Prohibited the selling and bartering of firearms and ammunition with "the Indians."Item type:Item, E.B. O'Callaghan, Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, 1638-1674, at 23 (1868)(1640)Ordinance of the Director and Council of New Netherland, Providing for the Arming and Mustering of the Militia in Case of Danger: each provide himself with a good gun and keep the same in good repair and at all times ready and in order; and as they live at a distance from one another, every warned person is placed under his corporal in order that in time of danger he may appear at his post with his gunItem type:Item, E.B. O'Callaghan, Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, 1638-1674, at 33 (1868)(1642)Ordinance Of The Director And Council Of New Netherland Against Drawing A Knife And Inflicting A Wound Therewith: No one shall presume to draw a knife much less to would any person, under the penalty of fl.50, to be paid immediately, or, in default, to work three months with the Negroes in chains; this, without any respect of person. Let every one take heed against damage and be warned.Item type:Item, E.B. O'Callaghan, Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, 1638-1674, at 35 (1868)(1643)Ordinance of the Director and Council of New Netherland Regulating the Burgher Guard, § 4: After the watch is duly performed, and daylight is come, and the reveille beaten, whosoever discharges any gun or musket, without orders of his Corporal, shall pay one guilder.Item type:Item, E.B. O'Callaghan, Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, 1638-1674, at 101 (1868); N.Y. Col. MSS, IV. 411(1648)Renewed the 1645 prohibition of trade of "any munitions of War with the Indians." Punishable by death.Item type:Item, The Colonial Laws of Massachusetts 186 (Rockwell & Churchill 1889) (Passed 1645).(1645)Powder, § 2, MASS ACTS: That no Person (except for the defence of themselves and their vessels at Sea) shall transport any§Gunpowder§out of this jurisdiction, without License first obteined, from some two of the Magistrates, upon penalty of forfeiting all such powder as shall be transporting or transported, or the value thereof;"Item type:Item, 1647: Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts, reprinted in The Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts 28 (Harvard Univ. Press 1929)(1647)Prohibited the repairing, selling, and giving of "any Indian" a gun, ammunition, or armour, punishable by fine.Item type:Item, 2 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 134 (Nathaniel B. Shurtleff ed., 1853)(1645)Required "all inhabitants" to obtain arms for defense of themselves and the country. Muskets are to be full musket boare or basterd musket. No rifles should be under three foot nine inches in length, nor above four foot three inches.Item type:Item, 3 Archives of Maryland 103 (1642)(1642)All housekeepers to provide an arm, sufficient powder, and ammo for each person able to bear arms. No man able to bear arms shall attend church or chappell or travel any considerable distance from home without an arm and at least one charge of powder and shott.Item type:Item, 3 Archives of Maryland 255(1648)licenses previously issued for "killing of Wild Hoggs [e]mploying Indians to kill deere with Gunnes" both to residents and non-residents of Maryland "hath occasioned some inconvenience & hath given great offence to divers of the Inhabitants of this Province," all existing licenses were repealedItem type:Item, 1647 Md. Laws 216, § 6(1647)Banned carry of weapons in the House of Assembly, while the Assembly was sitting.Item type:Item, 1 Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut 113-14 (J. Hammond Trumbull ed., 1850) (enacted 1644)(1644)§ 130: Prohibited selling or trading "to the Indeans," nor any Dutch or Frenchman any guns, pistols, and other warlike instruments. Violators fined "twenty for one" and corporal punishment at the court's discretion.Item type:Item, 1 Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut 529-30 (J. Hammond Trumbull ed., 1850) (enacted 1650)(1642)"It is Ordered that no man wthin this Jurisdictn shall, directly or indirectly, amend, repaire, or cause to be amended or repaired, any gun smale or greate, belonging to any Indean, nor shall indeavor the same, nor shall sell nor giue to any Indean, directly nor indirectly, any such gun, or any gunpowder or shott or lead or shott mould, or any millitary wepons, armor or arrowe heads, nor sell nor barter any such, vppon payne of ten pownd fyne for euery offence att lest, and the Court shall [have] power to [increase] the fine or to impose corporal( punishement where a fyne cannot be had, at their discretion."Item type:Item, 1 Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut 138 (J. Hammond Trumbull ed., 1850) (enacted 1646)(1646)("The Court [desires] that the Comissio[ners] should be [moved] that noe ]Ammuition] should be traded wth any that [live] out of the Jurisdictions in combination, whereby [it] might supply the Indeans. and that some consideration be taken to [restrain] Roade lland fro[m] trading w[i]th the in such kynd." [some antique spelling modernized])Item type:Item, 1 The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut 95-96 (J. Hammond Trumbull ed., 1850) (enacted 1643)(1643)Required each family to bring arms to church every Sabbath and lecture day.Item type:Item, 1 The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut 196 (J. Hammond Trumbull ed., 1850) (enacted 1646)(1646)"It is ordered, that no man within this iurisdiction shall, directly or indirectly, amend, repair, or cause to bee amended or repaired, any gun, small or greate, belonging to any Indian, nor shall endevour the same, nor shall sell or give to any Indian, directly or indirectly, any such gun, or any gunpowder, or shott, or leade, or shot moulde, or any millitary weopons, or armour, vpon paine of ten pound fine for ev'y offence at least,& that the Court of Assistants shall have power to increase the fine or to impose corporall punishment wheare a fine cannot bee had, at their discretion."Item type:Item, Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven: From 1638 To 1649, at 201-02 (Charles J. Hoadly ed., 1857) (enacted 1646)(1646)"ho shall dwell or sojourne wthin this plantation, or any part of the bownds & limitts of it for a month together,shalbe &. continew at all times compleatly furnished wth armes, vizd a good serviceable gunne, a good sword,bandeleeres, a rest, all to be allowed by the military officers, one pownd ofgood gun powder, fower pownd of bullets, either fitted for his gunne or pistollbulletts, wth fower faddome of match fit for service wth every matchlocke, & 4 or5 good flints fitted for every firelock peece, all in good order & ready for any suddayne occassion, service or veiw, vnder the penaltie of10s fine, tobe paid by or for euery person, so oft as he shalbe fownd defective & faulty; each master or governour paying not only forhimselfe,but for all such as are vnder his chardge, for whome he should provide, & others to payfor themselues."Item type:Item, Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven: From 1638 To 1649, at 131-32 (Charles J. Hoadly ed., 1857) (enacted 1644)(1644)One quarter of each plantation's militia will attend church services with "arms compleat" with five to six charges of powder, firelocks, and shot. Penalty of two shillings for neglect and one shilling for late arrival.Item type:Item, Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven: From 1638 To 1649, at 96-97 (Charles J. Hoadly ed., 1857) (enacted 1643)(1643)Itt is ordered thatt every male, fr? 16 yeares olde to sixty, wthin this jurisdict?, shall be forthwth furnished of a good gun or muskett, a pound of good pouder,4 fathom of match 97 for a match-lock, and 5 or 6 good flints, fitted for every fyre lock, and 4 pound of pistoll bulletts, or 24 bulletts fitted to their guns, and so continue furnished fromtime to time,vnder the penalty of 10s fine vpon every defect in any of the forenamed perticularsItem type:Item, Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven: From 1638 To 1649, at 132 (Charles J. Hoadly ed., 1857) (enacted 1646)(1646)"Itt was ordered, thatt a 4th part of the trayned band in every plantati? shall come to the publique worps of God att the beating of the 2d drum att furthest, wth their armes compleat, their guns ready charged, wth their match for their matchlocks and flints ready fitted in their firelocks, & shott & pouder for att least 5 or 6 charges, (besides their charge in their guns ) vnder the penalty of 2s fine for neglect or defect in furniture,"