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EspañolI am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that illegal in the CNMI?
In the CNMI, anyone who wants a gun must get a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID) first. There are a few exceptions to this requirement, such as if a person is working in law enforcement or a member of the military.1 You can read the full list of exceptions on our Selected CNMI Statutes page.
In order to qualify for the FOID, a person must:
- complete safety training;
- pass a written safety test; and
- pass a background check.2
The FOID can be denied or taken away (revoked) for lots of reasons.3 Some of the reasons include:
- being subject to an order of protection;
- intentionally lying on the FOID application;
- currently facing charges for, or having been convicted of, any felony;
- currently facing charges for, or having been convicted of, certain crimes involving guns, stalking, domestic violence, or other acts of violence;
- being convicted of certain drug offenses or driving under the influence within the last ten years;
- being addicted to a controlled substance;
- being a patient in a mental health facility within the last five years;
- having a mental condition that poses a danger to the applicant or to others;
- being less than 21 years of age; or
- being unlawfully present in the United States.3
You can read the full list of reasons for denial or revocation on our Selected CNMI Statutes page.
If you get a domestic violence order of protection against the abuser, the court will notify the Department of Public Safety (DPS) within 24 hours.4 DPS has the authority to revoke the abuser’s FOID if s/he already has one.4 Once the FOID has been revoked, the abuser will have 24 hours to surrender his/her card to DPS, along with all of his/her firearms. If s/he doesn’t do that, s/he can be arrested.5
All individual firearms must be registered with the Department of Public Safety (DPS). It is illegal to borrow, rent, loan, or give a weapon to another person in the CNMI.6
Also, federal laws, which apply to all states and territories, may restrict an abuser’s right to have a gun. Go to our Federal Gun Laws page for more information.
1 6 CMC § 10601
2 6 CMC §§ 10602; 10603; 10609
3 6 CMC § 10610
4 8 CMC § 1916(d)
5 6 CMC § 10614
6 6 CMC §§ 10701; 10201
