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Legal Information: Pennsylvania

State Gun Laws

Updated: 
December 15, 2023

If the abuser has been convicted of a crime, can s/he keep or buy a gun?

Under Pennsylvania state law, a person cannot have or buy a gun if s/he has been convicted of a number of felonies, including murder, assault, stalking, kidnapping, rape, arson, burglary, and robbery.1  For a full list of the felonies, go to 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 6105, section (b) on our Selected Pennsylvania Statutes page.

In addition to the felonies mentioned above, it may be illegal for a convicted criminal to have a gun if:

  • he was convicted of a crime and is a fugitive from justice;
  • he was convicted of certain drug crimes; or
  • he was convicted of driving under the influence three or more times within a five-year period.2

Federal laws, which apply to all states, also restrict a person’s right to have a gun if s/he has been convicted of certain crimes.  Go to Federal Gun Laws to get more information.

1 18 Pa. C.S.A. §6105(b)
2 18 Pa. C.S.A. §6105(c)

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