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, An Ordinance to Prevent Shooting With Guns, or Other Fire-Arms, Georgetown Ordinances (1811)(1801)"[I]t shall not be lawful for any person to shoot with any gun, or other fire-arm, within any of the inhabited parts of Georgetown or its additions; and if any person shall, contrary to this ordinance, shoot any gun or other fire-arm, such person shall forfeit and pay five dollars for every offence, to be recovered as other fines are now by law recoverable, the one half to the use of the Corporation, and the other half to the use of the informer."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, Laws of the Town of Alexandria § 3 (1800)(1800)To prevent accidents... Sec. 3, No person to discharge any fire arms: "Sec. III. No person shall discharge any Musket, Fowling-piece, Pistol, or other Fire Arms, within the limits of the corporation, unless in defence of his or her person or proprety, under the penalty of One Dollar for each offence."Item type:Item, 1818 Vt. Acts & Resolves 64-65(1818)An Act Regulating and Governing the Militia of This State, § 42: No noncommissioned officer, private or citizen shall unnecessarily fire a gun, single musket or pistol, in any public road, or near any house or place of parade, on the evening preceding, on the day or evening of the same, on which any troop company, battalion or regiment shall be ordered to assemble for military dutyItem 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, Ordinances of the City Council of Charleston 114 (1802)(1802)No. 117, § 9: And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That no person or persons, shall fire any squibs, crackers, or other fireworks, except at times of public rejoicing, and at such places as the intendant for the time being may permit, by license under his hand; nor burn any chips, shavings, or other combustible matters, in any of the streets, lanes, wharves, alleys, or open or enclosed lots of the city, nor fire any gun, pistol, or fire arms, within the limits of the city, except on occasion of some military parade, and then by the order of some officer having the command, under the penalty of ten dollars, for every such offense; nor shall any person or persons, raise or fly any paper or other kite, within the said city, under the said penalty of ten dollars.]Item type:Item, 1819-21 R.I. Pub. Laws 289(1819)An Act To Prevent Certain Disorders In The Town Of Bristol, § 3: And be it further enacted, That if any person or persons shall, at any time hereafter, fire any gun or pistol in any of the streets, roads, lanes, buildings, or from any of the walls or fences thereto contiguous, and within the compact part of said town, without justifiable cause, such person or persons shall upon complaint and conviction thereof as aforesaid, pay a fine not less than two dollars nor more than four dollars for the first offense, and the sum of four dollars for each and every subsequent offence, to be paid and appropriated as aforesaid.Item 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 99 (1828)(1816)Ch. 16, § 1: That if any person or persons shall, within the said city, beat a drum, or without lawful authority, ring any public bell, after sunset, or at any time except in lawful defence of person or property, discharge any gun or fire arms, or play at or throw any metal or stone bullet, or make a bon-fire, or raise or create any false alarm of fire, he, she or they so offending, shall for every such offence, on conviction thereof, forfeit and pay the sum of four dollars32…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, A DIGEST OF ACTS OF ASSEMBLY, RELATING TO THE INCORPORATED DISTRICT OF THE NORTHERN LIBERTIES, at 94, Ordinance of Nov. 6, 1815, § 7 (1847)(1815)Prohibited discharge of any cannon, artillery, small arms, or prove any pistol, gun, musket barrels, cannon, or illuminate any house. Violators forfeit the weapons and fined two dollars.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, Act Incorporating the City of Cincinnati, and the Ordinances of Said City Now in Force 44 (1828)(1818)That each and every person who shall shoot , or fire off, any rifle, musket, fowling piece, pistol, or any other fire arms, or discharge squibs, crackers, or any other fire works within the bounds of the Corporation, he or she shall, on conviction thereof before the Mayor forfeit and pay to the said Mayor for the use of the Corporation, for each and every such offence, a sum not less than Two Dollars, nor more than Ten Dollars,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, Edward Livingston, Laws and Ordinances, Ordained and Established by the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City of New York 83-84 (1803)(1803)Ch 23, § 1: That no person shall hereafter be permitted to fire or discharge any gun, pistol, fowling piece, or fire-arm, at any place on the island of New York, within the distance of four miles from the City Hall, under the penalty of five dollars upon each offender, to be recovered with costs.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.