Legal Age To Buy A Gun -

It is important to distinguish between buying and possessing. Federal law generally prohibits anyone under from possessing a handgun (with exceptions for ranching, hunting, or military service), but it does not set a minimum age for the possession of long guns. International Snapshot Outside the U.S., legal ages vary significantly: Minimum Age - Giffords.org

: States like California , Colorado , Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont generally require a buyer to be 21 for both handguns and long guns. legal age to buy a gun

: Washington and Massachusetts require buyers to be 21 for semiautomatic rifles, while allowing 18-year-olds to purchase other long guns. It is important to distinguish between buying and possessing

States can raise these minimum ages but cannot lower them below the federal standard. As of 2026, several states have stricter rules: : Washington and Massachusetts require buyers to be