How Old You Have to Be to Buy a Gun

How Old You Have to Be to Buy a Gun

Depending on what you do, you can use a gun in different situations. Some use them for sport while others keep them tucked away for emergencies. They have become the topic of heated debates over the past few years, especially when it boils down to the age of consent. It’s common practice to set legal ages for certain activities, such as drinking, driving, and voting, and keeping a firearm is definitely one of them.

As per Federal law in the United States, those under the age of 18 cannot possess a handgun nor handgun ammunition. Similarly, licensed gun dealers aren’t allowed to sell handguns to anyone below the age of 21. However, there is no minimum age for possessing long guns or long gun ammunition. That said, anyone over the age of 18 can legally buy long guns, such as shotguns or rifles, from dealers.

Rules do differ in certain states, though, as it’s legal to sell a handgun or rifle to someone over 16 in Vermont. Meanwhile, you can sell a rifle to anyone over 16 in Maine, Alaska, Minnesota, or New York State. And in Minnesota, you can sell a rifle to a 14-year-old without parental consent as long as the deal isn’t done in the city.

For other information on similar rules, make sure to search for Twinfinite.