BB guns are not illegal per the United States federal laws. The United States has laws restricting certain firearms, but BB guns are considered non-powder guns and are not subject to these laws. The United States does not have any laws restricting BB guns.
Depending on the state you live in, there may be some laws that pertain to BB guns you will need to be aware of. Even though airguns, pellet guns, and bb guns are not considered firearms by federal definition, several states still do regulate these “non-powder” guns similarly to firearms. These states include:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Illinois
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
Most of these regulations pertain to the age you must be to purchase, own or operate the BB gun and rules about firing them within city limits.
For more information on how old you must be to purchase or own a BB gun, click out our article – How Old Do You Need To Be To Purchase An Airgun
For more information pertaining to your state and local jurisdiction, check out our State Airgun Laws and Regulation Pages.