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.
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- 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, The Compact with the Charter and Laws of the Colony of New Plymouth 1, 8-12 (William Brigham ed., 1836)(1620)Authorized the colony's council to appoint officials, enact laws consistent with English law, impose martial law during emergencies, recruit settlers, transport supplies duty-free, and use military force to defend the colony and exclude unauthorized inhabitants.Item type:Item, 2 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 381 (1823)(1676)"whereas by a branch of an act of assembly made in March last, liberty is granted to all persons to carry their armes wheresoever they goe, which liberty hath beene found to be very prejudiciall to the peace and wellfaire of this colony. Bee it therefore further enacted by this present grand assembly, and the authority thereof, and it is hereby enacted, that if any person or persons shall, from and after publication of this act, presume to assemble together in armes to the number of five or upwards without being legally called together in armes the number of five or upwards, they be held deemed and adjudged as riotous and mutinous, and that they be proceeded against and punished accordingly."Item type:Item, 2 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 126 (1823)(1662)"that every man able to beare armes have in his house a fixed gun, two pound of powder and eight pound of shot at least"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, 2 William Waller Hening, Stat. at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 333 (1823)(1676)"that in goeing to churches and courts in those tymes of danger, all people be enjoyned and required to goe armed for their greate security"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 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 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 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, 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, Charter to William Penn, and Laws of the Province of Pennsylvania, Passed Between the Years of 1682 and 1700, Preceded by Duke of Yorke's Laws in Force from the Year 1676 to the Year 1682, at 39 (1676)(1676)Provided that "[e]very Male within this Goverment from Sixteen to Sixty years of age, or not freed by public Allowance, shall if freeholders at their own, if sons or Servants at their Parents and Masters Charge and Cost, be furnished from time to time and so Continue well furnished with Armes and other Suitable provition hereafter mentioned ... Namely a good Serviceable Gun, allowed Sufficient by his Military Officer to be kept in Constant fitness for present Service, with a good sword bandeleers or horne a worme a Scowerer a priming wire Shott Badge and Charger one pound of good powder, four pounds of Pistol bullets or twenty four bullets fitted to the gunne, four fathom of Serviceable Match for match lock gunn four good flints fitted for a fire lock gunn." As for horsemen, their mandatory arms were "Holsters, Pistolls, or Carbine, and a good Sword." Also provided that "[e]very Town shall be provided of a Sufficient ware house and a Safe convenient place thereunto Adjoyning for keeping Powder and Ammunition; under the penalty of ten Pounds and the Constable and Overseers shall provide and maintain for a General Stock to the use of the Town in Case of necessity, one Barrell of good Pouder, English weight one hundred and fifty Pounds of Muskett or Pistell Bullets Thirty Pounds of good Match; which they shall carefully renew from yeare to yeare, or time to time as shall be needful under the Penalty of five pounds, for The want of such proportions of Bullets, Pouder, or Match as beforementioned; And where there are Artillery forts or Batteryes in any Town, The Constable and Overseers shall Mount such Guns, and fitt them with Appurtenances for Service, and the Constable and Overseers are hereby Authorized to Assess Levy or destrain upon the Inhabitants for building providing doing and maintaing the particulars before recited."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, 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 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, 1619: Laws enacted by the First General Assembly of Virginia 70, reprinted in 1 Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia 9–14 (H. R. McIlwaine and John P. Kennedy eds., 1905)(1619)Prohibited selling or giving "Indians" arms or ammunition. Punishable by hanging.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, Charter to William Penn, And Laws of the Province of Pennsylvania, Passed Between the Years 1682 and 1700, at 32 (1879)(1676)Prohibited the giving, selling, or bartering guns, ammunition, armour, or boats and the repair of guns to "any Indian," punishable by fine.Item type:Item, E.B. O'Callaghan, Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, 1638-1674, at 205 (1868); N.Y. Col. MSS, VI 207, XVI 62(1665)Ordinance Of The Director General And Council Of New Netherland To Prevent Firing Of Guns, Planting May Poles And Other Irregularities Within This Province: The director General and Council expressly forbid from this time forth all firing of Guns . . .on a penalty of 12 guilders for the first offense; double for the second offense, and for the third an arbitrary correction . . .Item type:Item, 1 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 392 (1853)(1620)"For such of or nation as sell munition, gunns, or other furniture, to arme the Indians against vs, or teach them the vse of armes, wee would haue yow to apphend them and send them prisons for England, where they will not escape severe punishmt, being expressly against the proclamacon."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 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 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 381 (1823)(1676)"whereas by a branch of an act of assembly made in March last, liberty is granted to all persons to carry their armes wheresoever they goe, which liberty hath beene found to be very prejudiciall to the peace and wellfaire of this colony. Bee it therefore further enacted by this present grand assembly, and the authority thereof, and it is hereby enacted, that if any person or persons shall, from and after publication of this act, presume to assemble together in armes to the number of five or upwards without being legally called together in armes the number of five or upwards, they be held deemed and adjudged as riotous and mutinous, and that they be proceeded against and punished accordingly."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, 2 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 333 (1823)(1676)"that in goeing to churches and courts in those tymes of danger, all people be enjoyned and required to goe armed for their greate security"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, 2 William Waller Hening, The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia 126 (1823)(1662)"that every man able to beare armes have in his house a fixed gun, two pound of powder and eight pound of shot at least"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 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, 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, Laws and Acts of Her Majesties Colony of Rhode Island, and Providence-Plantations Made from the First Settlement in 1636 to 1705, at 23 (1896)(1673)Established a militia in 1673, consisting of persons from 16 to 60 years old Each militiaman was required to "at all times hereafter have on[e] good gun or muskitt Fitt for Service one pound of good powder & thirty bullits at Least." If a son or servant had no valuable estate of his own, his parents or master would be liable for any fines imposed upon him.Item type:Item, 1 The Colonial Laws of New York from the Year 1664 to the Revolution 49-54 (1896)(1665)Every Male within this Government from Sixteen to Sixty years of age, or not freed by public Allowance, shall if freeholders at their own, if sons or Servants at their Parents and Masters Charge and Cost, be furnished from time to time and so Continue well furnished with Armes and other Suitable provition hereafter mentioned: under the penalty of five Shillings for the least default therein Namely a good Serviceable Gun, allowed Sufficient by his Military Oficer to be kept in Constant fitness for present Service, with a good sword bandeleers or horne or worme a Scowerer a priming wire Shott Badge and Charger one pound of good powder, four pounds of Pistol bullets or twenty four bullets fitted to the gunne, four fathom of Serviceable Match for match lock gunn four good flints fitted for a fire lock gunn. Troopers had to "keepe and maintaine a good Horse Fitted with Sadle, bridle, Holsters, Pistolls or Carbine, and a good Sword. Further, "In defence of himself his wife Father or Mother Children or Servants a man may Lawfully use force to resist any attempt made to that purpose."Item type:Item, Charter to William Penn, and Laws of the Province of Pennsylvania, Passed Between the Years of 1682 and 1700, Preceded by Duke of Yorke's Laws in Force from the Year 1676 to the Year 1682, at 39 (1676)(1676)Every Male within this Goverment from Sixteen to Sixty years of age, or not freed by public Allowance, shall if freeholders at their own, if sons or Servants at their Parents and Masters Charge and Cost, be furnished from time to time and so Continue well furnished with Armes and other Suitable provition hereafter mentioned . . . Namely a good Serviceable Gun, allowed Sufficient by his Military Officer to be kept in Constant fitness for present Service, with a good sword bandeleers or horne a worme a Scowerer a priming wire Shott Badge and Charger one pound of good powder, four pounds of Pistol bullets or twenty four bullets fitted to the gunne, four fathom of Serviceable Match for match lock gunn four good flints fitted for a fire lock gunn." As for horsemen, their mandatory arms were "Holsters, Pistolls, or Carbine, and a good Sword.Item type:Item, Ordinances for Defence, in Duke of Yorke's Book of Laws 450 (1664)(1671)Required "every person that can bear arms from 16 to 60 years of age, be always provided with a convenient proportion of powder and bullet fit for service, and their mutual defence." This meant "at least one pound of powder and two pounds of bullet."Item type:Item, George H. Ryden, Delaware - The First State in the Union 103-04 (1938)(1671)Required " That every Person that can beare Arms from 16 to 60 years of Age, bee allways provided with a convenient proportion of Powder & Bullett fit for Service, and their mutual Defence."Item type:Item, America's Founding Charters: Primary Documents of Colonial and Revolutionary Era Governance 232 (Jon L. Wakelyn ed. 2006) (Concessions and Agreements, Jan. 11, 1664)(1664)All inhabitants and freemen of Carolina above seventeen years of age and under sixty shall be bound to bear arms and serve as soldiers whenever the grand council shall find it necessary."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."