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Vermont Gun Laws

STATE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION - Chapter 1, Article 16.

“That the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military should be kept under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power.”

Gun Laws Overview

RIFLES & SHOTGUNS HANDGUNS
Permit to Purchase No No
Registration of Firearms No No
Licensing of Owners No No
Permit to Carry No No*

* No permit necessary to carry concealed. The state of Vermont does not issue permits nor require a permit for law-abiding citizens to carry concealed in the state of Vermont.

The list and map below are included as a tool to assist you in validating your information.  We have made every effort to report the information correctly, however reciprocity and recognition agreements are subject to frequent change.  The information is not intended as legal advice or a restatement of law and does not include:  restrictions that may be placed on non-resident permits, individuals under the age of 21, qualifying permit classes, and/or any other factor which may limit reciprocity and/or recognition.  For any particular situation, a licensed local attorney must be consulted for an accurate interpretation.  YOU MUST ABIDE WITH ALL LAWS: STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL.

STATE STATUS
Castle Doctrine No Law
No-Net Loss No Legislation
Right to Carry Confidentiality No Provisions
Right to Carry in Restaurants Legal
Right To Carry Laws No Permit Required
Right To Carry Reciprocity and Recognition Outright Recognition
Right to Keep & Bear Arms State Constitutional Provisions With Provisions
Concealed Carry Reciprocity
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Click on a State to see the Gun Law Profile

 

Laws on Purchase, Possession and Carrying of Firearms

Purchase

No permit is required to purchase a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

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Dealers are required to keep a record of all handgun sales, and used handgun purchases. This record must include the date of the transaction, the marks of identification of the handgun, including manufacturer’s name, caliber, model and serial number, the purchaser’s or seller’s name, address, birthplace, occupation, age, height, weight, and color of eyes and hair. The purchaser or seller shall sign his name to the record and the dealer must keep such records in a book for six years after the date of the last entry and shall permit law enforcement officers to inspect the book at all reasonable times.

It is unlawful to sell or offer to sell a zip gun.

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Possession

No state permit is required to possess a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

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It is unlawful for a child under 16, without consent of his parent or guardian, to possess or control a handgun.

It is unlawful to possess a zip gun. It is generally agreed that a zip gun is a crude homemade firearm.

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Carrying

It is lawful to carry a firearm openly or concealed provided the firearm is not carried with the intent or avowed purpose of injuring a fellow man. It is unlawful to carry a firearm within any state institution or upon the grounds or lands owned or leased by such institution.

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It is unlawful to carry or possess a firearm in a school bus or school building or on school property.  The board of school directors may authorize the use of firearms for instructional purposes when facilities for such instruction are available.

It is unlawful to carry or possess a loaded rifle or shotgun in or on a motor vehicle within the right of way of a public highway. Exempt are law enforcement officers and hunters who are paraplegic or have a severe physical disability and have been issued a permit by the fish and game commissioner.

It is unlawful, without authorization from the court, to carry or possess a firearm while within a courthouse.

It is unlawful to possess a deadly weapon on the grounds of a state institution, without the permission of the Warden or superintendent of that institution. 

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Preemption

VT. STAT. ANN. tit. 24 § 2295 (2011)
Authority of municipal and county governments to regulate firearms, ammunition, hunting, fishing and trapping.

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VT. STAT. ANN. tit. 24 §  2295 (2011)

§  2295. Authority of municipal and county governments to regulate firearms, ammunition, hunting, fishing and trapping

Except as otherwise provided by law, no town, city or incorporated village, by ordinance, resolution or other enactment, shall directly regulate hunting, fishing and trapping or the possession, ownership, transportation, transfer, sale, purchase, carrying, licensing or registration of traps, firearms, ammunition or components of firearms or ammunition.  This section shall not limit the powers conferred upon a town, city or incorporated village under section 2291(8) of this title.  The provisions of this section shall supersede any inconsistent provisions of a municipal charter. 

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Machine Guns

It is lawful to possess, purchase, or sell a machine gun that is legally registered and possessed in compliance with all federal laws and regulations.

Antiques and Replicas

Vermont laws are silent on the subject of antiques and replicas. However, an opinion of the Attorney General holds that handguns defined as antiques or replicas under the 1968 Gun Control Act need not be entered in the sales records as long as they do not fire conventional ammunition.

Range Protection

VT. STAT. ANN. tit. 10 §5227 (2011)
The owner or operator of a sport shooting range, and a person lawfully using the range, who is in substantial compliance with any noise use condition of any issued municipal or state land use permit otherwise required by law.

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VT. STAT. ANN. tit. 10 §5227 (2011)

§ 5227. Sport shooting ranges; municipal and state authority

(a) “Sport shooting range” or “range” means an area designed and operated for the use of archery, rifles, shotguns, pistols, skeet, trap, black powder, or any other similar sport shooting.

(b) The owner or operator of a sport shooting range, and a person lawfully using the range, who is in substantial compliance with any noise use condition of any issued municipal or state land use permit otherwise required by law shall not be subject to any civil liability for damages or any injunctive relief resulting from noise or noise pollution, notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary.

(c) If no municipal or state land use permit is otherwise required by law, then the owner or operator of the range and any person lawfully using the range shall not be subject to any civil liability for damages or any injunctive relief relating to noise or noise pollution.

(d) Nothing in this section shall prohibit or limit the authority of a municipality or the state to enforce any condition of a lawfully issued and otherwise required permit.

(e)(1) In the event that the owner, operator, or user of a range is not afforded the protection set forth in subsection (b) or (c) of this section, this subsection shall apply. A nuisance claim against a range may only be brought by an owner of property abutting the range. The range shall have a rebuttable presumption that the range does not constitute any form of nuisance if the range meets the following conditions:

(A) the range was established prior to the acquisition of the property owned by the person bringing the nuisance claim; and

(B) the frequency of the shooting or other alleged nuisance activity at the range has not significantly increased since acquisition of the property owned by the person bringing the nuisance claim.

(2) The presumption that the range does not constitute a nuisance may be rebutted only by an abutting property owner showing that the activity has a noxious and significant interference with the use and enjoyment of the abutting property.

(f) Prior to use of a sport shooting range after dark for purposes of training conducted by a federal, state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency, the sport shooting range shall notify those homeowners and businesses with property abutting the range that have requested such notice from the range.

(g) If any subsection of this section is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect the other subsections of this section that can be given effect without the invalid subsection, and for this purpose, the subsections of this section are severable.

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Miscellaneous Provisions

The possession, ownership, transfer, carrying, or registration or licensing of firearms or ammunition has been pre-emptied by state law.

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It is unlawful to take or attempt to take a wild animal from a motorized vehicle or within then feet of the traveled portion of a public highway.

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No permit is needed to carry concealed in Vermont.

Vermont residents can carry concealed in Alaska, Arizona, and Oklahoma on their state-issued ID.

Vermont NEWS
Vermont: Gun Free Zone Legislation To Receive Senate Vote

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Vermont: Gun Free Zone Legislation To Receive Senate Vote

Vermont has been an example for the rest of the country for decades when it comes to both ...

Vermont: Pair of Anti-Gun Bills Meet Crossover Deadline

Friday, March 12, 2021

Vermont: Pair of Anti-Gun Bills Meet Crossover Deadline

Legislators in both chambers pushed a couple of anti-gun bills across the half-way marker in order to meet ...

Vermont:  Anti-Gun Bills Moving Despite Lockdown

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Vermont: Anti-Gun Bills Moving Despite Lockdown

Vermont, like the entire country, is still in the middle of a generational pandemic, and anti-gun politicians in ...

Vermont: "Public Hearing" on Gun Bill Tomorrow

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Vermont: "Public Hearing" on Gun Bill Tomorrow

The Statehouse in Montpelier remains shuddered under the continued protocols of COVID, however the business of the Legislature forges ...

Vermont: Gun Bills Introduced as Legislature Begins Work Remotely

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Vermont: Gun Bills Introduced as Legislature Begins Work Remotely

While the Capitol in Montpelier is atypically quiet for January, the COVID situation has not prevented the Legislature ...

Vermont: Please Contact Your Representative this Week Before Crossover Deadline!

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Vermont: Please Contact Your Representative this Week Before Crossover Deadline!

Friday the 13th could be scary this week in Vermont, but it doesn't have to be. 

Vermont: Please Attend House Committee Hearing on “Red Flag” Legislation Next Week

Friday, February 14, 2020

Vermont: Please Attend House Committee Hearing on “Red Flag” Legislation Next Week

Next Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on “Red Flag” legislation, H.610, in ...

Vermont: Your Attendance is Needed at Two Upcoming Statehouse Events

Friday, February 7, 2020

Vermont: Your Attendance is Needed at Two Upcoming Statehouse Events

It is critical that Vermont gun owners have a strong showing at the Capitol during the next couple ...

Vermont: Gun Control Bills Proposed

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Vermont: Gun Control Bills Proposed

Lawmakers in Montpelier didn't wait long before trying to pass extreme gun control legislation.

Vermont: Your Action Needed – Urge Governor to Veto Waiting Period Legislation

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Vermont: Your Action Needed – Urge Governor to Veto Waiting Period Legislation

Yesterday, waiting period legislation S.169 was delivered to the desk of Governor Phil Scott for his consideration.

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.