State Gun Laws

Alabama state law says that the following people cannot have a firearm:

1. anyone who is subject to a valid protection order for domestic abuse, issued after notice to the abuser and a hearing;
2. anyone who has been convicted in Alabama or in another state of committing or attempting to the following crimes:
   • a crime of violence,¹ which is defined as:
     • murder;
     • manslaughter;
     • rape;
     • mayhem;
     • assault with intent to rob, ravish, or murder;
     • robbery;
     • burglary;
     • kidnapping; and
     • any Class A felony or any Class B felony that has as an element serious physical injury, the distribution or manufacture of a controlled substance, or is of a sexual nature involving a child under the age of 12;²
   • a misdemeanor offense of domestic violence;¹
   • one of 51 violent offenses listed in the law, including stalking, domestic violence, domestic violence by strangulation or suffocation, and more;³ (Note: You can read the whole list of 51 crimes on our Selected Alabama Statutes page, sub-section 15 of section 12-25-32);
3. someone who is of “unsound mind,” which is defined in sub-section f of section 13A-11-72 of the law;
4. someone who is addicted to drugs;
5. someone who is an “illegally or unlawfully” in the United States or who has a nonimmigrant visa;
6. a minor, unless the minor is being supervised by a parent and following the rules explained in sub-section f of section 13A-11-72 of the law; and
7. someone who regularly abuses alcohol, known in the law as a “habitual drunkard”.⁴

Federal laws, which apply to all states and territories, also restrict a person’s right to have a gun under certain circumstances. Go to Federal Gun Laws to get more information.

¹ Alabama Code § 13A-11-72(a), (h)(8)
² Alabama Code § 13A-11-70(4)
³ Alabama Code §§ 13A-11-72(a); 12-25-32(15)
⁴ Alabama Code § 13A-11-72(a), (b), (c)