State Gun Laws

In the CNMI, guns can only be legally bought through a licensed firearms vendor. All sales must occur in person, and the buyer must show a current Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID) to the vendor. Even for private sales or transfers between individuals, the gun owner must either:

• take the gun to a licensed firearms vendor who will perform the necessary background and records checks; or
• complete the sale or transfer at the Department of Public Safety, following very specific requirements laid out in the law, which you can find in section (b) of 6 CMC §10803.¹

To learn more about the FOID and its requirements, go to I am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that illegal in the CNMI?

In addition, it is illegal to borrow, rent, loan, or give a weapon to another person in the CNMI.²

Note:Just because someone was able to buy a gun, this doesn’t always mean it is legal for him/her to have one. If you believe that the abuser cannot legally have a gun but has one anyway, you can report it to the police. You can ask them to take the abuser’s gun away. Hopefully, the police will investigate the situation. You may also want to consider making a safety plan, which might include filing for an order of protection. An advocate at your local domestic violence organization may be able to help you design a personalized safety plan

¹ 6 CMC §§ 10802; 10803
² 6 CMC § 10201