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, Laws, Statutes, Ordinances, and Constitutions 11 (John Holt ed., 1763)(1763)Prohibited the discharge of firearms within the city of New York.Item type:Item, 1788-1801 Ohio Laws 42, An Act for Suppressing and Prohibiting Every Species of Gaming for Money or Other Property, and for Making Void All Contracts and Payments Made in Furtherance Thereof,§ ch. 13, § 4.(1788)[I]f any person shall presume to discharge or fire,§or cause to be discharged or fire, any gun or other fire arms at any mark or object, or upon any pretence whatever, unless he or she shall at the same time be with such gun or fire-arms a the distance of at least one quarter of a mile from the nearest building of any such city, town, village or station, such person shall for every such offense, forfeit and pay to the use of the county in which the same shall be committed, a sum not exceeding five dollars, nor less than one dollar.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, 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, 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 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, 1740 S.C. Acts 174(1740)An Act for the Better Ordering and Governing of Negroes and other Slaves in this Province, § 41: And Whereas an ill custom has prevailed in this Province, of firing guns in the night time; for the prevention thereof for the future, be it enacted that if any person shall fire or shoot off any gun or pistol in the night time after dark and before day-light without necessity every such person shall forfeit the sum of 40s. current money for each gun so fired as aforesaidItem type:Item, 1762 R.I. Pub. Laws 132(1762)An Act of June 1762: That every person who shall import gunpowder into the town of Newport aforesaid shall cause the same to be conveyed immediately to the powder house at the North Easterly part of town, before the vessel in which the said Powder shall be imported, be brought to any Wharf; upon the penalty of paying into the Town-Treasury of the said Town of Newport, a Fine of Ten Shillings Lawful Money, for every cask which shall not be conveyed to the Powder House as aforesaidItem type:Item, 1636-1748 R.I. Pub. Laws 31(1679)That if any person or persons shall presume to sport game or play at any manner of game or games or shooting out any gun or shall set tipling & drinking in any tavern alhouse ordinary or vitling house on the first day of the week more than neccesity requireth and upon examination of the fact it shall be judged by any Justice of the Peace and the Person or Persons so offending as aforesaid. Upon conviction before one Justice of Peace Shall by the said Justice of the Peace be sentenced for every the aforesaid offences to set in the stocks three hours or pay five shillings in money for the use of the poor of the town or place where the offence was committed.Item type:Item, 1731 R.I. Pub. Laws 240-241(1731)Restricted the firing of any gun, pistol, squib, rocket, or firework on any street or in any tarvern after dark. Violators fined five shillings on first offense, ten shillings on second offense, twenty shillings for offenses beyond the second.Item type:Item, By-Laws and Ordinances of the City of Pittsburgh 28-29 (1828)(1774)Ch. 703, § 1 : Prohibited on any thirty-first day of December, or first or second day of January, in every year, wantonly, and without reasonable occasion, discharge and fire off any hand-gun, pistol or other fire-arms, or shall cast, throw or fire any squibs, rockets or other fire-works, within the inhabited parts of this province, to the disturbance of any of his majesty's subjects there inhabiting and beingItem type:Item, 3 Stat. at Large of Pa. 253-254, ch. 245, § IV(1721)Restricted the firing of guns or other firearms within the city. Violators fined five shillings or two days jail time.Item type:Item, 8 Stat. at Large of Pa. 410-12, ch. 705, § 1 (1902)(1774)Restricted the firing of handgun, pistol, or other firearms, as well as squibs, rockets, or other fireworks on New Years Eve or the two days following. Violators fined ten shillings.Item type:Item, The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1801, at 108, ch. 388, § 1 (Vol. 5, 1898)(1751)"That if any persons or persons whatsoever, within any county town, or within any other town or borough, in this province, already built and settled, or hereafter to be built and settled . .. shall fire any gun or other fire-arm, or shall make or cause to be made, or sell or utter, or offer or expose for sale, any squibs, rockets or other fire-works, within any of the said towns or boroughs without the Governor's special license for the same, every such person or persons, so offending shall be subject to the like penalties and forfeitures, and to be recovered in like manner, as in and by an act, passed in the eighth year of the reign of King George the first, entitled, "An act for preventing accidents that may happen by fire, are directed to be levied and recovered."Item type:Item, The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1801, at 108, ch. 388, § 1 (Vol. 5, 1898)(1750)That if any persons or persons whatsoever, within any county town, or within any other town or borough, in this province, already built and settled, or hereafter to be built and settled . .. shall fire any gun or other fire-arm, or shall make or cause to be made, or sell or utter, or offer or expose for sale, any squibs, rockets or other fire-works, within any of the said towns or boroughs without the Governor's special license for the same, every such person or persons, so offending shall be subject to the like penalties and forfeitures, and to be recovered in like manner, as in and by an act, passed in the eighth year of the reign of King George the first, entitled, "An act for preventing accidents that may happen by fire, are directed to be levied and recovered."Item type:Item, John C. Lowber, Ordinances of the Corporation of the City of Philadelphia, at 15-16, Ordinance No. 3, § 4 (1812)(1721)That if any person or persons, of what sex, age, degree or quality soever, from and after publication hereof, shall fire any gun or other fire-arms, or shall make, or cause to be made, or sell or utter, or offer to expose to sale, any squibs, rockets or other fire works, or shall cast, throw or fire, any squibs, rockets, or other fire works, within the city of Philadelphia, without the governor's special license for the same, of which license due notice shall first be given to the mayor of the said city, such person or persons so offending, and being thereof convicted before any one justice of the peace of the said city, either by confession of the party so offending, or by the view of any of the said justices, or by the oath or affirmation of one or more witnesses, shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the sum of five shillingsItem type:Item, Samuel Hazard, Pennsylvania Archives. Selected And Arranged From Original Documents In The Office Of The Secretary Of The Commonwealth, Conformably To Acts Of The General Assembly, February 15, 1851, & March 1, 1852, at 160, As to the Act for the better Govemnt[sic] of the City iof Phila. (1852)(1713)§This Act inflicts 5s penalty on persons riding a gallop and 10s for persons trotting, with Drays or their Teams in the streets, and 5th for suffering a Dog or a Bitch going at large; or firing a Gun without licenseItem type:Item, Ordinances of the Corporation of the District of Southwark and the Acts of Assembly Relating Thereto, at 49, Firing of Guns, § 1 (1829)(1750)§That if any person shall fire any gun or other fire-arm, or shall make, or cause to be made, or sell or utter, or offer to expose to sale, any squibs, rockets or other fire-works, or shall cast, throw or fire any squibs, rockets or other fire-works, within any of the said towns or boroughs, without the Governor's special license for the same, every such person or persons, so offending, shall be subject to the like penalties and forfeitures, and to be recovered in like manner, as in and by an act, passed in the eighth year of the reign of King George the first, entitled, " An Act for Preventing Accidents, EtcItem type:Item, 2 Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1801 420 (1896)(1712)"And that no master or commander of any merchant ship or vessel shall fire, or suffer to be fired, on board his vessel, any ordnance or other gun after eight o'clock in the evening, nor before daylight in the morning, without license from the governor first had, under the penalty of ten shillings for every of fense. Nor shall any person presume to fire any gun, guns or small arms within the built part of the said city, without special license from the governor, or some magistrate of the said city for so doing, under the penalty of two shillings and six pence for every offense."Item type:Item, Stat. of Ohio & N.W. Terr. 106, ch 14, § 4 (Vol. 1, 1833)(1790)§That if any person shall presume to discharge or fire, or cause to be discharged or fired, any gun or other fire-arms at any mark or object, or upon any pretence whatever, unless he or she shall at the same time be with such gun or fire-arms at the distance of at least one-quarter of a mile from the nearest building of any such city, town, village or station, such person shall for every such offence, forfeit and pay to the use of the county in which the same shall be committed, a sum not exceeding five dollars, not less than one dollarItem 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, Laws and Ordinances of the City of New York app. at 1 (1793)(1786)An Act to prevent the Firing of Guns and other Fire-Arms within this State, on certain days therein mentioned: If any person or persons, of what age, sex, or quality whatsoever, from and after the said first day of June next, shall fire and discharge any gun, pistol, rocket, cracker, squib or other fire-work, in any street, lane or ally, garden or other inclosure, or from any house, or in any other place where persons frequently walk, to the southward of Fresh-Water; that then every such person or persons so offending, and being thereof convicted before on or more justice or justices of the peace for the said city and county of New York, either by the confession of the party or parties so offending, or the oath of one or more witness or witnesses, (which oath the said justice or justices of the peace is and are hereby empowered and required to administer) shall, for every such offense, forfeit the sum of twenty shillings...Item type:Item, 5 Colonial Laws of New York 244-246 (1894)(1773)Ch. 1501: Restricted the firing of guns, pistols, rockets, crackers, squibs, or other fireworks on New Years Eve or the days following. Violators fined twenty shillings.Item type:Item, The Documentary History Of The State Of New York 222-223 (1849)(1690)Prohibited the discharge of pistols and firearms in AlbanyItem type:Item, 1802 N.Y. Laws 41-42(1785)Ch. 81: Whereas great dangers have arisen, and mischief been done by the pernicious practice of firing guns, pistols, rockets, squibs, and other fire-works, on the eve of the last day of December, and first and second days of January: For prevention whereof for the future: Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in the Senate and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, that if any person or persons whomsoever, shall fire or discharge any gun, pistol, rocket, squib or other fire-work, within a quarter of a mile of any building, on the said eve or days before mentioned, every such person or persons so offending and being thereof convicted before any justice of the peace of the city or county where such offense shall be committed, either by the confession of the party or parties so offending, or the oath of any one credible witness, shall for every such offence, forfeit the sum of forty shillingsItem type:Item, 1795 N.H. Laws 525(1795)An Act in Addition to an Act, Entitled, "An Act for Regulating the Militia within this State.": [E]very free, able bodied, white male citizen of this state, resident therein, who is, or shall be of the age of sixteen years and under forty years of age, under such exceptions as are made in said act, shall be enrolled in the militia, and shall in all other respects be considered as liable to do the duties of the militia in the same way and manner, as those of the age of eighteen years and upwards. Also prohibited the discharge of firearms by non-officers or private soldiersItem type:Item, Acts and Laws of His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire in New England 115-16 (1761)(1759)An Act in Addition to the Act for Regulating the Militia: No person or persons whatever in any town or garrison within this province, shall during the time of war, or of keeping a military watch in such town or garrison, presume to discharge or shoot off any gun or guns after sun-setting, or before the sun's-risingItem type:Item, The Acts and Resolves, Public and Private, of the Province of Massachusetts Bay 306 (1878)(1746)Prohibited the indiscreet firing of any gun or pistol in the town under penalty of forty shillings.Item type:Item, The Charter Granted by Their Majesties King William and Queen Mary to the Inhabitants of the Providence of the Massachussets Bay in New England 226-27 (1726)(1713)An Act To Prohibit Shooting Or Firing Off Guns Near The Road Or Highway On Boston Neck: That no person or persons, from and after the publication of this Act, may presume to discharge or fire off any gun upon Boston Neck within ten rods of the road or highway leading over the same, on pain of forfeiting and paying the sum of twenty shillings . . . And for the better conviction of persons offending against this Act, it shall be lawful, to and for any Free-holder, to arrest and take into custody any gun so fired off, and render the same to one of the next Justices in Boston, in order to its being produced at the time of trial.Item type:Item, The Charters And General Laws Of The Colony And Province Of Massachusetts Bay 343 (1814)(1700)no person or persons whatsoever in any town or garrison, shall during the time of war, or of keeping a military watch in such town or garrison, presume to discharge or shoot off any gun or guns after the sun's setting or before the sun's rising, unless in case of alarm, approach of an enemy, or other necessary defense, on pain that every person, so offending, and being thereof convicted before one or more of his majesty's justices of the peace, shall forfeit and pay the sum of twenty shillings for each gun so discharged, on moiety thereof to and for the use of the poor of the town where the offence shall be committed, and the other moiety to him or them that shall inform or prosecute for the same...Item type:Item, The Acts And Resolves, Public And Private, of The Province Of The Massachusetts Bay 268 (1869)(1697)§ 3: That no person or persons whatsoever, in any town or garrison, shall presume to discharge or shoot off any gun or guns after the shutting in of the daylight in the evening, or before daylight in the morning, unless in case of alarm, approach of the enemy, or other necessary defense, on pain that every person so offending, and being thereof convicted before one or more of his majestie's justices of the peace, shall forfeit and pay the sum of ten shillings, one moiety thereof to and for the use of the poor of the town where the offence is committed, and the other moiety to him or them that shall inform or prosecute for the same. And in case such offender shall not have wherewith to answer the said fine, or shall refuse or neglect to pay the same, then to be set in the stocks, not exceeding two hours' time: provided, that this act shall remain and continue in force during the present war, and no longer.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 Charters And General Laws Of The Colony And Province Of Massachusetts Bay 190 (1814)(1663)Colony Laws. § 4: Be it also enacted by the authority of this court, that no masters of ships, or seamen, having their vessels riding within any of our harbors in this jurisdiction, shall presume to drink healths, or suffer any healths to be drunk within their vessels by day or night, or to shoot off any gun after the daylight is past, or on the sabbath day, on penalty for every health twenty shillings, and for every gun so shot twenty shillings.Item type:Item, Records Of The Colony Of New Plymouth 177 (1856)(1675)that whoever shall shoot of any gun on any necessary occasion, or at any game whatsoever, except at an Indian or a wolf, shall forfeit five shillings for every such shot, till further liberty shall be given.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, 18 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 294-95 (1910)(1759)unlawful to fire "any great gun or shall arm in the town or harbour of Savannah after Sun Set without leave or permission from the Governor." Margin note says "small arm."Item type:Item, 1672-1714 Conn. Acts 3(1714)Prohibited falsely alarming the colony by firing any gun or guns, at any time between the shutting in the Evening or break of day. Violators fined five pounds or two months imprisonment, or other Corporal punishment.