State rankings

Waiting Period for Guns by State

Minnesota has the highest Gun Purchase Waiting Periods (30), followed by Hawaii (14) and California (10). Vermont has the lowest (3).

LawPolitics & Government14 states · 2 metricsUpdated Aug 25, 2024Original page
3 sources
Gun Purchase Waiting PeriodsBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
14 of 51 states
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Gun Purchase Waiting Periods

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All 14 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
7
Middle half 3 – 10
Average
8.36
14 states
Highest
30
Minnesota
Lowest
3
Vermont

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

14 states · # = rank by Gun Purchase Waiting Periods
#
1Minnesota30Wait applies to handguns and assault weapons
2Hawaii14Wait applies to all firearms
3California10Wait applies to all firearms
3Washington10Wait applies to all firearms. Duration is 10 days for semiautomatic rifles, the lesser of 3 days or until background check completes for other gun types
3District of Columbia10Wait applies to all firearms
6New Jersey7Wait applies to handguns only
6Maryland7Wait applies to handguns only
6New Mexico7Wait applies to all firearms
6Rhode Island7Wait applies to all firearms. Wait is waived for law enforcement officials. After seven days, sale must be completed unless background check disqualifies it.
10Florida3Wait applies to all firearms. Duration is three days or the time it takes to complete required background checks, whichever is longer
10Illinois3Wait applies to all firearms
10Colorado3Wait applies to all firearms
10Maine3Wait applies to all firearms
10Vermont3Wait applies to all firearms

What correlates with Gun Purchase Waiting Periods?

Pearson r against 2,038 other state metrics sharing at least 10 states. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Gun Purchase Waiting Periods tend to score higher on these

  1. Rye ProductionRye Production by State
    r = +0.91 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot
  2. Oat Acres HarvestedOat Production by State
    r = +0.90 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot
  3. Weekly OT HoursOvertime Laws by State
    r = +0.87 · very strong · n = 14
    Plot
  4. Share of Minimum Wage Workers IncomeChild Care Cost by State
    r = +0.82 · very strong · n = 14
    Plot
  5. Obesity Rate - AsianMost Obese States
    r = +0.82 · very strong · n = 12
    Plot
  6. AreaLargest Mall by State
    r = +0.81 · very strong · n = 13
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Gun Purchase Waiting Periods tend to score lower on these

  1. ADHD Rate Ages 0-14Mental Health Statistics by State
    r = −0.78 · very strong · n = 14
    Plot
  2. ADHD RateMental Health Statistics by State
    r = −0.76 · very strong · n = 14
    Plot
  3. Maximum Single Axle WeightTruck Axle Weight Limits by State
    r = −0.75 · very strong · n = 14
    Plot
  4. Minimum Age for CasinosGambling Age by State
    r = −0.72 · very strong · n = 12
    Plot
  5. Death RateHeart Disease by State
    r = −0.71 · very strong · n = 13
    Plot
  6. Mental Disorders Rate Ages 0-14Mental Health Statistics by State
    r = −0.68 · strong · n = 14
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Gun Purchase Waiting Periods?
Minnesota has the highest Gun Purchase Waiting Periods, at 30, followed by Hawaii (14) and California (10).
Which state has the lowest Gun Purchase Waiting Periods?
Vermont has the lowest Gun Purchase Waiting Periods, at 3.
What is the median Gun Purchase Waiting Periods across US states?
The median is 7 across the 14 US states with data.
Where does this waiting period for guns by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Waiting Periods - Giffords Law Center; Which states require a waiting period before gun purchases? - Everytown Research; When it comes to gun purchases, just 9 states and D.C. have waiting periods. Among those who don’t: the federal government - Fortune.

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