Assault Weapons Ban States: The 2026 List (and What Counts)

Ten states — plus the District of Columbia — ban the rifles their laws call "assault weapons," and two more join them on July 1, 2026. There is no federal ban; the 1994 law expired in 2004. Because each state writes its own definition, what's restricted in California isn't identical to what's restricted in Washington. Here's the current map, what the laws actually cover, and how the bans line up with gun-rights rankings.

The short version

• 10 states plus DC have an assault-weapons ban in force in mid-2026.
• There is no federal assault-weapons ban — it lapsed in 2004.
• Rhode Island and Virginia enacted bans in 2025–26 that take effect July 1, 2026.
• Most ban states also cap magazine capacity, usually at 10 rounds.

Which states ban assault weapons?

These states restrict semi-automatic rifles defined as "assault weapons," whether by a named-model list, a features test, or both:

The District of Columbia also bans them. Colorado took a different route in 2025: rather than a flat ban, SB25-003 restricts the sale of certain detachable-magazine semi-autos unless the buyer completes a state-approved safety course and permitting step — a gate, not a prohibition, which is why it isn't in the list above.

What "assault weapon" actually means

There is no single legal definition. Each state writes its own, and they generally take one of two approaches:

• A named-model list — specific firearms (and copies of them) are banned by name.
• A features test — a semi-automatic rifle that accepts a detachable magazine and has one or more listed features (a pistol grip, a folding/telescoping stock, a flash hider, a threaded barrel) is banned.

Magazine capacity limits

Most assault-weapons-ban states pair the ban with a cap on magazine size, and a few states limit magazines without banning the rifles themselves:

Ten rounds is the most common ceiling. Colorado sets its line at 15, and Vermont splits the difference (10 for long guns, 15 for handguns). Oregon's voter-approved limit remains tied up in court and is not in force, so it's left off the list.

Bans that haven't taken effect yet

Two 2025–26 laws are on the books but not yet enforced:

• Rhode Island enacted a ban that takes effect July 1, 2026.
• Virginia enacted a restriction — including a 15-round magazine cap — that also takes effect July 1, 2026.

We list both above, flagged, so the count stays honest: 10 states enforce a ban today, and that becomes 12 in July 2026.

How states rank on gun rights

An assault-weapons ban is one input among many — carry laws, permitting, and magazine rules all factor into a state's Second Amendment score. The ban states cluster near the bottom of the gun-rights ranking, but the order below is driven by the full picture, not this one law:

1. 1NYNew York
   0.0F
2. 2NJNew Jersey
   0.2F
3. 3HIHawaii
   0.4F
4. 4CACalifornia
   0.6F
5. 5MAMassachusetts
   0.8F
6. 6CTConnecticut
   1.0F
7. 7MDMaryland
   1.2F
8. 8RIRhode Island
   1.4F
9. 9DEDelaware
   1.6F
10. 10ILIllinois
    1.8F

See all 50 states ranked on 2nd Amendment

See the full gun-rights ranking for all 50 states

Every state scored on Second Amendment freedom — carry laws, permitting, and hardware restrictions — with a color-coded map.

Do the bans cross state lines?

No. An assault-weapons ban applies only inside the state that passed it. A rifle that is legal to own in one state can be illegal to bring into a ban state — and the reverse, a banned rifle, generally can't be transported into the ban state regardless of where it was bought. If you're moving or traveling with firearms, check the destination state's specific model list and features test before you cross the line, because the definitions genuinely differ from state to state.

Key terms

• Features test — a rule that bans a semi-automatic firearm based on the presence of listed cosmetic or ergonomic features rather than a model name.
• Large-capacity magazine (LCM) — a detachable magazine that holds more than the state's limit, usually 10 rounds.
• Grandfather clause — a provision that lets owners keep (often with registration) firearms or magazines they owned before the ban took effect.