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Legal Information: Pennsylvania

State Gun Laws

Laws current as of December 15, 2023

I have a PFA order against the abuser. Can s/he keep a gun or buy a new gun?

According to Pennsylvania state law, as part of a PFA order, the judge can:

  • make the abuser give his/her guns to the sheriff or the appropriate law enforcement agency;
  • prohibit the abuser from getting any firearms for the time that the PFA order is in effect; and
  • order the abuser to temporarily give up any other weapons and ammunition if they were used or threatened to be used in an incident of abuse against you or your children.1

Also, federal laws, which apply to all states, restrict a person’s right to have a gun under certain circumstances such as when the abuser has been convicted of certain crimes or if you have an order of protection against the abuser that meets certain requirements. Go to Federal Gun Laws to get more information.

1 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 6108(a)(7)

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