Federal law establishes a baseline national standard regarding individuals’ eligibility to acquire and possess firearms. Under federal law, people are generally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms if they have been convicted of a felony or some domestic violence misdemeanors, or if they are subject to certain court orders related to domestic violence or a serious mental condition. However, federal law merely provides a floor, and has notable gaps that allow individuals who have demonstrated significant risk factors for violence or self-harm to legally acquire and possess guns.
Mississippi state law is weaker but incorporates some of the federal prohibitions as state offenses. Mississippi generally prohibits the possession of a firearm by any person who has been convicted of a felony under federal law or the laws of any state.1 Mississippi also prohibits transferring to any person who is known to be intoxicated any of the following:
- A deadly weapon;
- A weapon the carrying of which concealed is prohibited; or
- A pistol cartridge.2
For information on the background check process used to enforce these provisions, see the Mississippi Background Check Procedures section.
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