Legal Reference
Stun Gun Laws by State 2026
What's legal in your student's state — and what their campus actually allows. Every state includes verified statute citations and campus policies at major universities.
Important: campus policy overrides state law
Even in states where stun guns are broadly legal, most college campuses ban them on campus property. A personal alarm and pepper spray (where legal) are the universally permitted alternatives. See our alarm vs pepper spray guide for what actually works.Alabama
Alabama Code § 13A-11-60 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a state permit. One excepti…
Alaska
Alaska Statutes § 11.81.900 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Alaska has bro…
Arizona
Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-3118 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Arizona…
Arkansas
Arkansas Code § 5-73-119 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. All major Arkansa…
California
California Penal Code 22610 permits adults 18+ to purchase, possess, and carry stun guns and Tasers …
Colorado
Colorado Revised Statutes § 18-12-106 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. All …
Connecticut
Connecticut treats stun guns like firearms — a pistol permit or eligibility certificate is required,…
Delaware
Delaware Code § 11-1442 permits open carry of stun guns for adults 18+ without a permit. Concealed c…
Florida
Florida law explicitly carves out an exception for stun guns on college campuses — but only for non-…
Georgia
Georgia is one of the most permissive states for campus stun gun carry. Georgia Code § 16-11-127.1 e…
Hawaii
Hawaii legalized civilian stun gun possession on January 1, 2022 after a federal court ruling found …
Idaho
Idaho permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Idaho Code § 18-3325 specifically re…
Illinois
Illinois treats stun gun purchases similarly to firearms — a valid FOID card is required. The FOID c…
Indiana
Indiana draws a legal distinction between contact stun guns (no permit, age 18+) and Tasers or elect…
Iowa
Iowa Code § 724.8 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. One local ban: Denison a…
Kansas
Kansas Statutes § 21-6301 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. All major Kansas…
Kentucky
Kentucky Revised Statutes § 527.020 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. All ma…
Louisiana
Louisiana Revised Statutes § 14:95 permits adults 17+ to possess stun guns without a permit — one of…
Maine
Maine Revised Statutes § 17-A Part 2 Chapter 42 § 1047 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns witho…
Maryland
Maryland permits adults 18+ to purchase stun guns after a background check at point of sale. No ongo…
Massachusetts
Massachusetts treats stun guns like firearms under MGL Ch. 140 § 131J — an FID card is required, whi…
Michigan
Michigan draws a legal distinction between Tasers (projectile devices requiring a CPL) and contact s…
Minnesota
Minnesota Statutes § 624.731 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns and Tasers without a permit. A …
Mississippi
Mississippi is unique — a carry license (minimum age 21) is required to carry a stun gun, treating i…
Missouri
Missouri Revised Statutes § 571.010 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Missou…
Montana
Montana is one of the most permissive states for campus carry. A 2021 law permits concealed carry at…
Nebraska
Nebraska Revised Statutes § 28-1202 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Notabl…
Nevada
Nevada Revised Statutes § 202.357 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Standard…
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Revised Statutes § 159:15 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Ne…
New Jersey
New Jersey legalized civilian stun gun possession in 2022 following federal court rulings. Adults 18…
New Mexico
New Mexico Statutes § 30-7-2 treats stun guns similarly to handguns — open carry is permitted withou…
New York
New York's stun gun laws are in legal flux. A 2019 federal court ruling invalidated the state's blan…
North Carolina
North Carolina law permits stun gun ownership without a permit for adults 18+. However, NC General S…
North Dakota
North Dakota Century Code § 62.1-04-01 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. A n…
Ohio
Ohio permits adults 18+ to purchase and possess stun guns without a permit. However, Ohio Revised Co…
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Statutes Title 21 § 1289.6 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. All ma…
Oregon
Oregon permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Portland has local carry restrictio…
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania permits adults 18+ to purchase and possess stun guns for self-defense without a permit.…
Rhode Island
Rhode Island's stun gun law is in legal limbo. The state statute still bans them, but a 2022 federal…
South Carolina
South Carolina Code § 16-23-430 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Major Sout…
South Dakota
South Dakota Codified Laws § 22-18-15 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. All …
Tennessee
Tennessee Code § 39-17-1309 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. However, the s…
Texas
Texas Penal Code 46.01 explicitly excludes stun guns and Tasers from firearm restrictions. Adults 18…
Utah
Utah Code § 76-10-501 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. All major Utah unive…
Vermont
Vermont Statutes § 13 V.S.A. § 4013 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Vermon…
Virginia
Virginia permits stun gun ownership for adults 18+ without a permit. However, Virginia Code prohibit…
Washington
Washington state permits adults 18+ to purchase and possess stun guns without a permit. One local ju…
West Virginia
West Virginia Code § 61-7-9 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. All major West…
Wisconsin
Wisconsin classifies stun guns as 'electric weapons' and prohibits possession without a Concealed Ca…
Wyoming
Wyoming Statutes § 6-8-104 permits adults 18+ to possess stun guns without a permit. Wyoming has ver…