Guarantees
of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
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Alabama :That
the great, general and essential principles of liberty and free government
may be recognized and established, we declare....That every citizen
has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state. (Art.
I, § 26) Colorado : The right
of no person to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person
and property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned,
shall be called in question; but nothing herein contained shall be
construed to justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons. (Art.
II, § 13) Delaware : A person has
the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home
and State, and for hunting and recreational use. (Art. I, § 20) Hawaii : A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. (Art. I, § 15) Idaho : The people have the right to keep and bear arms, which right shall not be abridged; but this provision shall not prevent the passage of laws to govern the carrying of weapons concealed on the person nor prevent passage of legislation providing minimum sentences for crimes committed while in possession of a firearm, nor prevent passage of legislation providing penalties for the possession of firearms by a convicted felon, nor prevent the passage of legislation punishing the use of a firearm. No law shall impose licensure, registration or special taxation on the ownership or possession of firearms or ammunition. Nor shall any law permit the confiscation of firearms, except those actually used in the commission of a felony. (Art. I, § 11) Illinois : Subject only
to the police power, the right of the individual citizen to keep and
bear arms shall not be infringed. (Art. I, § 22) Massachusetts : The people have a right to keep and bear arms for the common defence. And as, in time of peace, armies are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be maintained without the consent of the legislature; and the military power shall always be held in an exact subordination to the civil authority, and be governed by it. (Part I, Art. XVII) Michigan : Every person has a right to keep or bear arms for the defense of himself and the State. (Art. I, § 6) Mississippi : The right of every citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person, or property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall not be called in question, but the legislature may regulate or forbid carrying concealed weapons. (Art. III, § 12) Missouri : That the right of every citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person, and property, or when lawfully summoned in aid of the civil power, shall not be questioned; but this shall not justify the wearing of concealed weapons. (Art. I, § 23) Montana : The right of
any person to keep or bear arms in defense of his own home, person,
and property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned,
shall not be called in question; but nothing herein contained shall
be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons. (Art. II,
§ 12) "Militia forces shall consist of all able-bodied citizens
of the state except those excepted by law." (Art. VI, § 14) New Mexico : No
law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for
security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and
for other lawful purposes, but nothing herein shall be held to permit
the carrying of concealed weapons. No municipality or county shall
regulate in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms.
(Art. II, § 6) North Dakota : All
individuals are by nature equally free and independent and have certain
inalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending
life and liberty; acquiring, possessing and protecting property and
reputation; pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness; and to keep
and bear arms for the defense of their person, family, property, and
the state, and for lawful hunting, recreational and other lawful purposes,
which shall not be infringed. (Art. I, § 1) Oklahoma : The
right of a citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person
or property, or in aid of the civil power, when thereunto legally
summoned, shall never be prohibited; but nothing herein contained
shall prevent the Legislature from regulating the carrying of weapons.
(Art. II, § 26) Pennsylvania : The right of the citizens to bear arms in defence of themselves and the State shall not be questioned. (Art. I, § 21) Rhode Island : The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. (Art. I, § 22) South Carolina : A
well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
As, in times of peace, armies are dangerous to liberty, they shall
not be maintained without the consent of the General Assembly. The
military power of the State shall always be held in subordination
to the civil authority and be governed by it. No soldier shall in
time of peace be quartered in any house without the consent of the
owner nor in time of war but in the manner prescribed by law. (Art.
I, § 20) Tennessee : That the citizens of this State have a right to keep and bear arms for their common defense; but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime. (Art. I, § 26) Texas : Every
citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in lawful defense
of himself or the State; but the Legislature shall have power, by
law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime.
(Art. I, § 23 ) Note: The Texas Declaration of Independence stated
that "[The Mexican government] has demanded us to deliver up
our arms, which are essential to our defense -- the rightful property
of freemen -- and formidable only to tyrannical governments." Vermont : That
the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves
and the State -- and 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.
(Chapter I, Art. 16) Washington : The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men. (Art. I, § 24) West Virginia : A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home, and state, and for lawful hunting and recreational use. (Art. 3, § 22) Wisconsin : The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation, or any other lawful purpose. (Art. 1, § 25) Note: This provision was approved by Wisconsin voters in Nov. 1998 by a 3:1 margin. Wyoming : The
right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and of
the state shall not be denied. (Art. I, § 24) California, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York do not have "right to keep and bear arms" amendments in their state constitutions. Iowa's constitution (Art. I, § 1) states : All men are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain inalienable rights--among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness. New Jersey's (Art. I, § 1) states : All persons are by nature free and independent, and have certain natural and unalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and of pursuing and obtaining safety, and happiness. This information compiled & provided by: National Rifle Association of America
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