Stun Gun Laws
An all-inclusive guide on stun gun laws in several U.S. states. These states include Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. Below are the rules in each state about owning, using, and carrying these self-defense weapons. It talks about who can own them, how much you’ll pay if you don’t follow the rules, and what the rules are for carrying them. This information is vital to ensure you follow local laws about stun weapons.
Visit our Laws and Restriction page to learn more about the legal status of other self-defense products.
STATES WHERE STUN GUNS ARE RESTRICTED:
- ILLINOIS – Can be purchased with a FOID Card
- MASSACHUSETTS
- MICHIGAN
- RHODE ISLAND
- WISCONSIN – Can be purchased with a CCW permit
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CITIES WHERE STUN GUNS ARE RESTRICTED:
CHICAGO, IL – Not even with a FOID card
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COUNTRIES THAT STUN GUNS ARE RESTRICTED:
- AUSTRALIA
- BELGIUM
- CANADA
- DENMARK
- HONG KONG
- INDIA (POLICE USE ONLY)
- ITALY
- JAPAN
- NEW ZEALAND
- NORWAY
- SWEDEN
- SWITZERLAND
- UNITED KINGDOM
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PENAL CODES AFFECTING AIR TASER, STUN GUNS & STUN BATONS.
STATE RESTRICTIONS:
ILLINOIS: Restricted
To possess a Taser or stun gun, an individual must have a valid FOID card, as is currently required for firearms.
Sellers of Taser or stun guns must check the buyer’s FOID card and keep the record of sale for ten years, the same requirements for firearms sales. When a licensed firearms dealer sells a Taser or stun gun, they must request a background check of the buyer. The 24-hour waiting period required for long guns, shotguns, and rifles, will also apply to taser and stun gun purchases.
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MASSACHUSETTS: Illegal
Massachusetts State Law. Ann. Laws of Massachusetts. Chapter 140. Sale of Firearms. Section 131J: Sale or possession of electrical weapons; penalties. Section 131J. No person shall sell, offer for sale, or possess a portable device or weapon from which an electric current, impulse, wave or beam may be directed, which current, impulse, wave, or beam is designed to incapacitate temporarily, injure, or kill. Whoever violates this provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than two years in a jail or house of correction, or both.
SUMMARY: Possession and sale of Stunning Devices are banned in Massachusetts.
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MICHIGAN: LEGAL
After a Michigan court ruled that the state’s ban on stun guns was illegal, the state legislature amended the law to require a concealed pistol license for civilian possession and use of Tasers, not stun guns.
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RHODE ISLAND: Illegal
General Laws of Rhode Island. Title 11, Chapter 47. Statute Subsection 11-47-42. Weapons other than firearms prohibited. – (A) No person shall carry or possess or attempt to use against another, any instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as a *** stun gun ***. Any person violating the provisions of this subsection, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, or both such fine and imprisonment, and the weapon so found shall be confiscated.
SUMMARY: Possession and use of Stunning Devices are banned.
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WISCONSIN: Legal with restriction
Under the CCW (Carrying Concealed Weapons) laws, the prohibition against possessing or going armed with an electric weapon does not apply to any of the following:
- A CCW licensee or an out-of-state licensee.
- An individual who goes armed with an electric weapon in his or her dwelling or place of business or on land that he or she owns, leases, or legally occupies.
Wis. Stat. § 941.295(2g).
The prohibition against transporting an electric weapon does not apply to any of the following:
- A licensee or an out-of-state licensee.
- An individual who is not a licensee or out-of-state licensee who transports an electric weapon if the electric weapon is enclosed within a carrying case.
Wis. Stat. § 941.295(2r).
If you are not specifically allowed to carry an electric weapon (see above) you are only allowed to carry an electric weapon in your dwelling or place of business or on land that you own, lease, or legally occupy. Wis. Stat. § 941.295(2g). You may also transport the weapon if it is enclosed within a carrying case. Wis. Stat. § 941.295(2r). The possession or carrying of an electric weapon in any other situation is a felony. Wis. Stat. § 941.295(1m).
Electric weapons cannot be sold to persons in Wisconsin who are not law enforcement, armed forces on official duty, or persons without a recognized out-of-state CCW license or a Wisconsin CCW license. Wis. Stat. § 941.295(2)(d). A violation of this statute is a felony. Wis. Stat. § 941.295(1m).
SUMMARY: You need a CCW license or recognized out-of-state license to legally carry stun guns in Wisconsin. However, you can have a stun gun in your home or business and even carry it in your vehicle if it’s in a closed case. The catch-22 is that no one can sell to you if you don’t have a CCW license.
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CITY/COUNTY RESTRICTIONS:
CHICAGO: Illegal
Publisher’s Note: The following jurisdictions require waiting periods or notifications to law enforcement officials before weapons may be delivered to purchasers:
Chicago – application approval/denial for:
(1) Registration: 120 days
(2) Re-registration: e.g., by an heir, 365 days)
SUMMARY: Possession and sale of Stunning Devices are banned in Chicago. (More information required on the City of Chicago Ordinance)