Pepper Spray Laws

Pepper Spray is legal in all 50 states, however, certain states have placed specific restrictions such as purchasing age, canister weight, formulation and permit use.

The following six states have outlined specific restrictions for purchasing traditional pepper sprays.  Animal repellents (bear sprays and dog sprays) for protection against vicious dogs and wild bears can be shipped to all 48 contiguous states:

States with Pepper Spray Restrictions
New York: Animal repellents, including dog and bear pepper sprays can be legally sold and shipped through online retailers. Traditional pepper spray can be sold in pharmacies and by licensed firearms dealers locally. A purchaser may also need a Firearms Identification Card (FID) before acquiring traditional pepper spray.

Massachusetts: Animal repellent pepper sprays are legal and can be purchased online. Traditional pepper sprays are only available through local licensed firearms dealers and cannot be purchased through online websites.  A purchaser may also need a Firearms Identification Card (FID) before acquiring traditional pepper spray.

Michigan: Must be less than 35 grams of product and 2% or less OC concentration. OC pepper sprays only.  No UV dyes.

Wisconsin: Pepper spray only, meaning they cannot contain MACE, tear gas or UV dyes.  Cannot be stronger than 10%.  Safety features required, like a flip top cap. Weight allowed is 15-60 grams and should not contain more than 2 ounces.  Must be 18 or older to carry pepper spray.

California: Canisters must be less than 2.5 ounces.  Must be used for self-defense purposes only.  Anyone using pepper spray out of anger or for other non-self defense purposes can receive fines of $1000 and/or up to three years in prison.

Washington D.C.: Must register pepper spray possession with local law enforcement

States with No Pepper Spray Restrictions

ALABAMA (AL)  ARIZONA(AZ)   ARKANSAS(AR) COLORADO(CO)  CONNECTICUT(CT)  DELAWARE(DE) FLORIDA(FL)  GEORGIA(GA)  ILLINOIS(IL)  INDIANA(IN)  IOWA(IA) KANSAS(KS)  KENTUCKY(KY)  LOUISIANA(LA)  MAINE(ME)  MARYLAND(MD) MINNESOTA(MN)  MISSISSIPPI(MS)  MISSOURI(MO)  MONTANA(MT)  NEBRASKA(NE) NEVADA(NV)  NEW HAMPSHIRE(NH) NEW JERSEY(NJ) NEW MEXICO(NM)  NORTH CAROLINA(NC)  NORTH DAKOTA(ND)  OHIO(OH) OKLAHOMA(OK)  OREGON(OR)  PENNSYLVANIA(PA)  RHODE ISLAND(RI)  SOUTH CAROLINA(SC) SOUTH DAKOTA(SD) TENNESSEE(TN)  TEXAS(TX)  UTAH(UT)  VERMONT(VT) VIRGINIA(VA)  WASHINGTON(WA)  WEST VIRGINIA(WV)  WYOMING(WY)

Please Note: If you have a question regarding pepper spray laws, you should perform further research on comprehensive Pepper Spray Laws by checking with with your local city or state attorney's office.  Due to changes in the law, the above list may not be completely accurate and Foxlabsonline.com accepts no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.