AR-15 Magazine Capacity Laws by State (2026)

Last updated March 28th, 2026. This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.

Magazine capacity laws are a confusing patchwork that varies wildly from state to state. What’s perfectly legal in Texas will get you arrested in California. And the penalties aren’t slaps on the wrist. We’re talking felony charges in some jurisdictions for possessing a standard 30-round AR-15 magazine.

I’ve put together this complete state-by-state guide so you know exactly where you stand. These laws change frequently, so I’ll keep this updated as new legislation passes or gets struck down. Always verify current law before traveling with magazines.

Federal Law: No Capacity Limit

There is currently no federal magazine capacity restriction. The 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban included a 10-round magazine limit, but it expired in 2004 and has not been renewed. Multiple attempts to pass a new federal ban have failed in Congress.

This means magazine capacity is entirely a state-level issue. In states without specific restrictions, you can legally purchase, possess, and use magazines of any capacity. Standard AR-15 magazines hold 30 rounds, and that’s perfectly legal in most of the country.

States With Magazine Capacity Limits

As of March 2026, the following states restrict magazine capacity. Pay close attention to the details, because the specifics (grandfathering, exceptions, penalties) vary significantly.

State-by-State Breakdown

California

California’s magazine laws are the most complicated in the nation. Magazines over 10 rounds are generally prohibited from import, sale, and manufacture. However, the legal landscape has been in flux due to Duncan v. Bonta, which briefly legalized standard capacity magazines during “Freedom Week” (March 29 to April 5, 2019). Magazines legally acquired during Freedom Week may still be legally possessed, though enforcement and legal challenges continue.

If you’re a California gun owner, stay current with the case law. The Ninth Circuit and Supreme Court have been active on this issue. For AR-15 options in California, see our California-legal AR-15 guide.

Colorado

Colorado limits magazines to 15 rounds. Magazines owned before July 1, 2013 are grandfathered. The law is notoriously difficult to enforce because there’s no way to prove when a magazine was purchased. Magazines over 15 rounds are still widely available at gun shows and shops in many parts of the state, though selling them is technically illegal.

Connecticut

Connecticut limits magazines to 10 rounds. Magazines over 10 rounds owned before January 1, 2014 could be registered and kept. Unregistered large capacity magazines are illegal to possess. The registration window has closed, so you cannot newly register pre-ban magazines.

Hawaii

Hawaii prohibits magazines over 10 rounds with no grandfathering provision. Possession is a misdemeanor. Hawaii has some of the strictest gun laws in the country overall, and magazine restrictions are just one piece of a very restrictive regulatory framework.

Maryland

Maryland prohibits the manufacture, sale, and transfer of magazines over 10 rounds. However, possession of previously owned magazines is legal. You can also buy them out of state and bring them back (though the legal interpretation of this is debated). Many Maryland gun owners travel to neighboring states to purchase standard-capacity magazines.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts restricts magazines to 10 rounds unless manufactured before September 13, 1994 (the federal AWB date). Pre-ban magazines are legal and command a significant premium on the used market. Post-ban magazines over 10 rounds are a felony to possess.

New Jersey

New Jersey reduced its magazine limit from 15 rounds to 10 rounds in 2018. There is no grandfathering. If you owned 15-round magazines before the law changed, you were required to modify them (permanently block to 10 rounds), transfer them out of state, or surrender them. Possession of magazines over 10 rounds is a fourth-degree crime.

New York

New York’s SAFE Act (2013) limits magazines to 10 rounds and originally restricted loading to 7 rounds (the loading restriction was struck down by courts). Pre-2013 magazines between 10 and 30 rounds are technically grandfathered but cannot be loaded with more than 10 rounds. Magazines over 30 rounds are prohibited entirely regardless of date.

Oregon

Oregon’s Measure 114 (passed November 2022) restricts magazines to 10 rounds with grandfathering for previously owned magazines. The law has faced significant legal challenges and injunctions. Check current enforcement status before relying on this summary, as court orders have affected implementation.

Vermont

Vermont limits rifle magazines to 10 rounds and handgun magazines to 15 rounds. There is no grandfathering provision. This was a surprising development from a traditionally gun-friendly state and was passed in 2018 after a school shooting threat.

Washington

Washington prohibits the sale, manufacture, and distribution of magazines over 10 rounds as of July 1, 2022. Possession of previously owned magazines is legal (grandfathered). You can keep what you had before the ban, but you cannot buy new ones within the state.

Traveling Between States

The Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA) provides some protection for transporting firearms through restrictive states, but it has limitations. The firearms and magazines must be unloaded and not readily accessible (locked in the trunk). You must be traveling from a state where possession is legal to another state where possession is legal. You cannot stop for extended periods in the restrictive state.

FOPA is a federal defense, not a get-out-of-jail-free card. States like New York and New Jersey have historically arrested travelers despite FOPA protections, forcing them to assert the federal defense at trial. It’s expensive and stressful even when you win.

My advice: if you’re driving through a restricted state, don’t bring magazines that violate their law. Leave them at home. It’s not worth the legal risk, no matter what the federal law says. For a complete overview of state gun laws, see our gun laws by state guide.

What About Rebuild Kits and Blocked Magazines?

Some states allow magazines to be permanently modified (blocked) to comply with capacity limits. A 30-round magazine with a rivet or epoxy blocking it to 10 rounds is legal in some states but not others. “Permanently modified” means the block cannot be removed without destroying the magazine.

Magazine rebuild kits (disassembled magazine parts) are a gray area. Some states explicitly ban them as “large capacity magazine parts.” Others only regulate assembled magazines. This is an area where legal interpretation varies and enforcement is inconsistent. When in doubt, buy 10-round magazines manufactured as 10-rounders rather than trying to modify standard capacity mags.

Legal Challenges and Court Cases

Magazine capacity laws are being challenged across the country, especially after the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision, which requires gun regulations to be consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation. Since there was no historical tradition of magazine capacity limits (magazines didn’t exist in their modern form until the late 1800s), many legal scholars believe capacity bans are vulnerable to challenge.

Key cases to watch include Duncan v. Bonta (California), Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs v. Bruck (New Jersey), and various challenges in Oregon, Washington, and Illinois. The legal landscape is actively shifting, and several of these cases could reach the Supreme Court.

Regardless of legal challenges, comply with current law. “But the courts might overturn it” is not a legal defense for possession charges today. Stay legal, stay informed, and support the legal organizations fighting these cases through proper channels.

Practical Considerations

If you live in a restricted state, quality 10-round magazines are widely available and perfectly functional for most purposes. Magpul makes 10-round PMAGs, Lancer makes 10-round hybrid mags, and most manufacturers offer compliant options. For home defense, 10 rounds is still a meaningful advantage over a handgun or shotgun.

For competition shooters in restricted states, the magazine change becomes part of the game. Practice fast reloads and keep extra magazines staged. Many 3-gun competitors in restricted states are just as competitive as their unrestricted counterparts because they’ve mastered the reload.

Whatever you do, don’t ignore these laws because you disagree with them. The penalties are real, the enforcement exists, and a firearms conviction will cost you far more than the inconvenience of complying. Our best AR-15 rifles guide includes notes on state-compliant configurations.

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