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.
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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 525 (1809)(1659)"That every man able to beare armes have in his house a fixt gunn two pounds of powder and eight pound of shott at least"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, 1 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 525 (1809)(1659)"That every man able to beare armes have in his house a fixt gunn two pounds of powder and eight pound of shott at least"Item type:Item, 3 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1636-1667, at 345 (reprint 1965)(1658)Required that captains make "a perfect list" of "all persons able to beare Armes within theyr respective divisions that is of all men betweene 16 and 60 yeares of Age."Item type:Item, 1 Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly of Maryland 347 (William Hand Browne ed., 1883)(1654)All persons from 16 yeares of age to Sixty shall be provided with Serviceable Armes & Sufficient Amunition of Powder and Shott ready upon all occasions.Item type:Item, 1657, Va. Acts 434(1657)Act 3: That the Lord's day be kept holy, and that no journeys be made except in case of emergent necessity on that day, that no goods be laden in boats nor shooting in guns . . . the party delinquent to pay one hundred pounds of tobacco or laid in the stocks . . .Item type:Item, 1651 Va. Acts 365(1651)Articles At The Surrender Of The Country, art. 13: That all ammunition, powder and arms, other than for private use shall be delivered up, security being given to make satisfaction for it.Item type:Item, 1655 Va. Acts 401(1655)Act 12: What persons or persons soever shall, after publication hereof, shoot any guns at drinking (marriages and funerals only excepted) that such person or persons so offending shall forfeit 100 lb. of tobacco to be levied by distress in case of refusal and to be disposed of by the militia in ammunition towards a magazine for the county where the offence shall be committed.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, 1657, Va. Acts 437(1657)Act 13: If any planter or person shall hunt or shoot upon or within the limits or precincts of his neighbor or others' dividends 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 offense four hundred pounds of tobacco . . .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 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large; Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 441 (1823) (enacted 1632)(1657)Prohibited the giving or selling piece, powder, or shot to "any Indian," subject to imprisonment and seizure of property.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 234-35 (1868); N.Y. Col. MSS, VIII 56(1656)Prohibited admission of "any Indians" in possession of a gun or other weapon into Fort Amsterdam or in the Flatland.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 128 (1868); N.Y. Col. MSS, XI. 53, 54(1652)Prohibited sale of powder, lead, and guns. The exact text is lost but the intention is to restrict sale of arms, especially ammunition, "to the Indians."Item 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, E.B. O'Callaghan, Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, 1638-1674, at 138 (1868); N.Y. Col. MSS, XVI. 31(1652)Ordinance Of The Director And Council Of New Netherland Against Firing At Partridges Or Other Game Within The Limits Of New Amsterdam: Therefore the Honorable Director General and Council, in order to prevent accidents, expressly forbid and interdict all persons henceforward firing within the jurisdiction of this city or about the Fort, with any guns at Partridges or other Game that may by chance fly within the city, on pain of forfeiting the gun and a fine at the discretion of the Judge, to be applied one-third to the Poor, one-third to the Church and one-third to the Officer.Item type:Item, The Compact with the Charter and Laws of the Colony of New Plymouth 102 (William Brigham ed., 1836)(1657)Required the militia of every township to bring arms during Sunday church services. Violators fined twelve pence for every default.Item type:Item, Records Of The Colony Of New Plymouth In New England 66 (Daniel Pulsifier ed., 1861)(1656)Laws of Plymouth Colony (1656). And likewise that no Indian shall discharge any gun on the Lords day at any thing to the breach of the Sabbath and disturbance of the English; as they will answer it at their peril.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, The Compact with the Charter and Laws of the Colony of New Plymouth 115 (William Brigham ed., 1836)(1658)Required that one quarter of each militia to be armed during Sunday church services. Each militia member required to have a firearm, sword, three charges of powder and bullets. Violators fined two shillies and six pence for each day's neglect.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, 1 Archives of Maryland 343(1654)"Noe work shall be done on the Sabboth day but that which is of Necessity and Charity to be done no Inordinate Recreations as fowling, fishing, hunting or other, no shouting of Gunns be used on that day Except in Case of NecessityItem 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, 1650 Md. Laws 273(1650)§ 5: Banned carry of weapons in the House of Assembly, while the Assembly was sitting.Item type:Item, 1883 Md. Acts 273-74(1650)§ 5: Prohibited entering either chamber of legislature with any gun or weapon "upon perill of such fine or censure as the howses shall thinke fitt."