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The USA allows local ordinances for gun laws. This means that cities, counties, and municipalities can be in charge of gun control. Many cities have strict gun laws, some even stricter than the state laws.

Some of the cities with strict gun laws in the USA include the following:

New York

New York is one of the most restrictive cities with respect to firearms and the 2md amendment in the US. The largest city in the country has an assault weapons ban. This ban prohibits semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines, pistol grips, folding stocks, muzzle brakes, etc,. New York City law drags many modern and some not so modern semi-automatic sporting rifles into the penumbra of assault weapons.

The city also has magazine limits. Semi-automatic rifles and handguns were previously limited to ten rounds or fewer. However, a new law was passed where the magazine capacities were further reduced to a maximum of seven rounds.

Also, high-capacity magazines will have to either sell their magazines out of the city or surrender them with respect to ammunition under laws. All sales of ammunition will subject the buyer to a background check through NICS. This means that there are no internet or mail-order sales in New York. New York gun laws allow the scrutinization of the sale of large quantities of ammunition.

Another provision of New York gun law changes the doctor-patient confidentiality rules. So if a mental health professional reasonably believes that a patient poses a danger to either himself, herself, or a third party, that mental health professional is now required to turn that information over to the state. With the information, the city will be able to use its discretion in either suspending or revoking such an individual’s gun permit. In most cases, they will also seize the citizen’s weapons.

Any assault weapon owner in New York must register each and every weapon with the state.

Philadelphia

You can only carry a firearm in Philadelphia if you have a permit to carry. It is the only place in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania that requires it. Pennsylvania is otherwise an open-carry state meaning that you can have a firearm on display on your hip.

You can carry a rifle on the back of your truck anywhere else in Pennsylvania other than Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, people may get pulled over or arrested for what is called FUFA violations of the uniform firearm act which is codified under 61.05 6105-6106.

The legislature has intended that they do not want people carrying guns in Philadelphia. So in Philadelphia, in order to carry a gun, you have to conceal it. However, in the state of Pennsylvania, you cannot carry a concealed weapon, only an open weapon.

The way the law works, in order to carry a gun in Philadelphia you must have a concealed weapons permit. Additionally, that weapon has to be concealed at all times on the streets.

Baltimore

In Baltimore, if you want to get a concealed permit you are going to need 16 hours of training. You must pass the shooting portion with a 70 percent proficiency rate. The city also has requirements for people that can use a firearm, and you have to fall into this group.

Furthermore, you must have a good and substantial reason to carry a firearm in the city. You also have to get through an interview conducted by an investigator or a trooper, then wait about 90 days for the result.

Upon getting your gun permit, the city also requires that you put a little article in the newspaper about you being a permit holder.

NB: Have it in mind that you will spend a lot of money on the training.

Chicago

Chicago’s gun laws are some of the strictest in the country. There are still no legal gun shops or shooting ranges within city limits. A University of Chicago study said more than fifteen hundred guns traced to crimes in Chicago in the previous five years came from shucks far more than any other local dealer.

Although gun advocates dispute the study. They claim that authorities should focus on illegal gun supply not penalizing lawful gun sellers.

A lot of people on the gun control side would say that the problem Chicago and Nevada are facing is that there are more guns on the streets. Automatically, more guns equal more violence.

However, second amendment fanatics claim that the gun control the city imposes on a law-abiding citizen does nothing to stop the violence.

The city of Chicago has laws that could be used federally to prosecute anyone that is a felon. However, the Second Amendment cause is being taken up by a younger and more diverse demographic in the city. This turning-point conference is getting young conservatives together to discuss what matters to them.

There are those that believe that Chicago’s problems are not going to be fixed for the tightening or loosening of gun laws. To them, the issues go much deeper than that. They believe the problems are not going to be solved by the politicians but by the hard work and dedication of the people.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas has a relatively robust set of laws protecting gun ownership. Before, no state permit is required to buy or own a gun. And there is a ban on assault weapons or high-capacity magazines. Also, no age restrictions on owning a long gun in the state.

However, these laws were repealed in 2015, and city residents require the registration of firearms with police. Also, nearly all private gun sales or transfers first undergo a background check. These checks were typically run by a federally licensed firearms dealer. Some exemptions do apply including transfers between close family members for antique guns, transfer between law enforcement, and in cases of immediate danger.

Failure to comply with the law results in a gross misdemeanor with repeat offenses. This is punishable by a category C felony charge. The bill is an attempt to move forward with a stall valve initiative approved by voters of Nevada state in 2016. But was never implemented amid the FBI’s refusal to process the background checks.

However, the new law took effect on January 2nd, 2020, and required the state to process the checks. The delay to the law was because any bill amended or approved by voters will remain untouched for at least three years.

Background checks for guns purchased from federally licensed sellers have already been in place since 1998. A typical check can take anywhere between five to fifteen minutes and is processed by the state Department of Public Safety.

For NICS, the DPS checks the state and federal criminal records as well as mental health records.

People not allowed to purchase a gun in Las Vegas include:

  • Those who have served a year-plus prison sentence
  • People not legally in the country and
  • People with a misdemeanor or domestic violence conviction

An attempted buyer whose background check is denied can request more information about why their application was denied.

Las Vegas prohibits guns from being carried to schools or colleges, a private childcare facility, government buildings, or libraries that prohibit firearms. The City only allows people over the age of 21 to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon, as long as they meet the necessary requirements.

Applicants must complete an 8-hour permit course and submit an application to the county sheriff. The Sheriff on the other hand is required to issue the license within 120 days or deny it for lawful reasons.

Open carry and concealed firearms are prohibited in federal buildings. This includes national parks, military bases, airports, public schools, childcare facilities, or in a public building with a no-gun sign or metal detector.

As with the law of Nevada state, Las Vegas will recognize concealed carry weapon permits from about two dozen other states.

San Francisco

The state of San Francisco has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Concealed carry permits are difficult to get. Some semi-automatic weapons are illegal. And since July 2019, buying ammo will require background checks

The gun law in the city classifies some semi-automatic guns as “assault weapons” and ban magazines with the capacity that hold more than 10 rounds. San Francisco was one of the cities to first implement this law in the US, even before the federal government banned assault weapons.

Also, a center-fire rifle with a forward pistol grip and a detachable magazine is illegal in the city. However, building guns for personal use is not illegal in the city. But owners have to get a serial number from the state and etch it into the firearm.

San Francisco being in California means that their strict gun control is not going away anytime soon because the state government is investing a lot of money into their control laws. This means more money to seize guns from ineligible residents, enforce gun sales laws, and support the Firearms Violence Research Center.

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