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.
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Items are described using Dublin Core with standardized fields for Jurisdiction, Date Issued, Category, and Exceptions to support precise discovery and comparison.
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Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 127 (1809)(1623)24. That no man go or send abroad without a sufficient partie will armed. 25. That men go not to worke in the ground without The samL their arms (and a centinell upon them). 27. That the commander of every plantation take care that there be sufficient of powder and amunition with powder in the plantation under his command and their pieces fixt and their arms compleate.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 198 (1809)(1632)"NOE man shall goe to worke in the grounds without theire armes, and a centinell uppon them places where the commander shall require it." And "ALL men that are fittinge to beare armes, shall bringe their peices to the church"Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 226 (1809)(1639)"ALL persons except negroes to be provided with arms and ammunition or be fined at pleasure of the Governor and Council"Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 127 (1809)(1624)"That men go not to worke in the ground without their arms (and a centinell upon them)." And "That the commander of every plantation take care that there be sufficient of powder and amunition within the plantation under his command and their pieces fixt and their arms compleate."Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 173 (1809)(1632)"NOE man shall goe or send abroade without a sufficient party well armed." And "NOE man shall goe to worke in the grounds without theire armes, and a centinell uppon them" And "ALL men that are fittinge to beare armes, shall bringe their pieces to the church"Item type:Item, The Compact with the Charter and Laws of the Colony of New Plymouth 31 (William Brigham ed., 1836)(1632)"[E]very freeman or other inhabitant must provide for himselfe and each under him able to beare arms a musket and other serviceable peece with bandeleroes and other apurtanances," plus two pounds of powder and 10 pounds of bullets.Item type:Item, 1 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England 190 (Nathaniel B. Shurtleff ed., 1853)(1637)Required everyone 18 and older to "come to the publike assemblies with their muskets, or other peeces fit for servise, furnished with match, powder, & bullets."Item type:Item, 1 Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England 94 (John Russell Bartlett ed., 1856)(1639)Ordered that "no man" shall go two miles from town unarmed. Also ordered that none shall come to any public meeting without his weapon. Penalty of five shillings per violation.Item type:Item, 1 Archives of Maryland 77 (William Hand Browne ed., 1885) (enacted 1639)(1639)Required "every housekeeeper" to keep and bear one gun of "bastard muskett boare" design, bandeloors or shott bag, one pound of powder, four pounds of pistol or musket shot, sufficient quantity of matchlocks & flints, a sword, and belt.Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 127 (1809)(1624)"That men go not to worke in the ground without their arms (and a centinell upon them)." And "That the commander of every plantation take care that there be sufficient of powder and amunition within the plantation under his command and their pieces fixt and their arms compleate."Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 127 (1809)(1623)That no man go or send abroad without a sufficient partie will armed.Item 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, 1 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 198 (1809)(1632)"NOE man shall goe to worke in the grounds without theire armes, and a centinell uppon them places where the commander shall require it." And "ALL men that are fittinge to beare armes, shall bringe their peices to the church"Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 226 (1809)(1639)"ALL persons except negroes to be provided with arms and ammunition or be fined at pleasure of the Governor and Council"Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 173 (1809)(1632)"NOE man shall goe or send abroade without a sufficient party well armed." And "NOE man shall goe to worke in the grounds without theire armes, and a centinell uppon them" And "ALL men that are fittinge to beare armes, shall bringe their pieces to the church"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, 1632 Va. Acts 198(1632)Act 45: All men that are fitting to bear arms, shall bring their pieces to the church upon pain for every offence, if the default be in the master, to pay 2lb of tobacco, to be disposed by the church-wardens, who shall levy it by distress, and the servants shall be punished [ ] commander.Item type:Item, 1639 Va. Acts 226, Act 10(1639)All persons except negroes to be provided with arms and ammunition or be fined at pleasure of the Governor and Council.Item type:Item, 1631 Va. Acts 173, Acts 46-48(1631)NOE man shall goe or send abroade without a sufficient party well armed.Item type:Item, Narratives of Early Virginia 273 (Lyon G. Tyler ed., 1625)(1619)"All persons whatsoever upon the Sabaoth daye shall frequente divine service and sermons both forenoon and afternoon, and all suche as beare armes shall bring their pieces swordes, poulder and shotte. And every one that shall transgresse this lawe shall forfaicte three shillinges a time to the use of the churche, all lawful and necessary impediments excepted."Item type:Item, 1631 Va. Acts 173, Act 51(1631)All men that are fitting to bear arms, shall bring their pieces to the church upon pain of every offence, of the mayster allow not thereof to pay 2 lb. of tobacco, to be disposed by the church-wardens, who shall levy it by distress, and the servants be punished.Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large; Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 127 (1823) (enacted 1623)(1623)Ordering that no man go to work or be sent abroad without being sufficiently well-armed.Item type:Item, 1 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large; Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 173 (1823) (enacted 1632)(1632)Ordering that no man go or send abroad without being sufficiently well-armed.Item type:Item, Proceedings of the Virginia Assembly, 1619, reprinted in Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Narratives of Early Virginia, 1606-25, at 273 (1907) (enacted 1619)(1619)Required all persons attending church to bear arms, including swords, poulder, and shotte.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, 1 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 190 (1853)(1636)Ordered that no person shall travel to Plymouth without some arms.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, 1 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 85 (1853)(1631)"Further, it is ordered, that noe pson shall travell single betwixte theis plantacons & Plymouthe, nor without some armes, though 2 or 3 togeather."Item type:Item, 1 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 190 (1853)(1636)"Whearas many complaints have bene made to this Court, both formerly & at psent, of the great neglect of all sorts of people of vseing the lawfull & necessary meanes of their safety, especially in this time of so much danger great fro the Indians, it is therefore ordered, that the millitary officers in every towne shall pride that the watches bee dewely kept in places most fit for danger by In- common safetie, & also a ward on the Lords dayes, the same to begin before the end of this first month, & to bee continued vntill the end of September ; & that every pson above the age of 18 yeares (except magistrats & elders of the churches) shalbee compellable to this servise, either in pson or by some substitute, to bee alowed by him that hath the charge of the watch or warde for that time, vpon paine of 5s for every default, to bee levyed by distresse by the surveyar of the armes, & to bee implyed for light & fyer, & such necessaries, by the discretion of the millitary officers./"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, 27 Henry II, art. 3 (1181).(1181)Required all freemen to be armed with a doublet of mail, a head-piece of iron, and a lance. Let all freemen holding chattels to the value of 16 marks to have a hauberk, helmet, a shield, and lance.Item type:Item, 13 Edward 1, c. 6 (1285), in 1 Statutes of the Realm 97-98 (1800).(1285)Required all males aged fifteen to sixty in certain income groups to have at least particular quantities of arms and armor.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 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, 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 25-26 (Charles J. Hoadly ed., 1857) (enacted 1639)(1639)Itt is ordered thatt every one that beares armes shall be compleatly furnished wth armes (viz), a muskett, a sworde, bandaleers, a rest, a pound of powder, 20 bullets fitted to least, and be ready to show them in the markett place vpon Munday the 16th of this Moneth before Captaine Turner and Leivtennant Seely vnder the penaItem 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 perticulars