Title 13, Title 13: Crimes and Criminal Procedure

§ 4005. While committing a felony (a) Except as otherwise provided in 18 V.S.A. § 4253, a person who carries a dangerous or deadly weapon, openly or concealed, while committing a felony shall be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than $500.00, or both. (b)(1) C…

§ 4006. Record of firearm sales All pawnbrokers and retail merchants dealing in firearms shall keep a record book in which they shall record the sale by them of all revolvers and pistols, and the purchase by them of all secondhand revolvers and pistols. Such record shall include …

§ 4007. Furnishing firearms to children A person, firm, or corporation, other than a parent or guardian, who sells or furnishes to a minor under the age of 16 years a firearm or other dangerous weapon or ammunition for firearms shall be fined not more than $50.00 nor less than $1…

§ 4008. Possession of firearms by children A child under the age of 16 years shall not, without the consent of his or her parents or guardian, have in his or her possession or control a pistol or revolver constructed or designed for the use of gunpowder or other explosive substan…

§ 4009. Negligent use of gun A person who carelessly or negligently wounds another person by gunshot shall be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (Amended 1971, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 15.)

§ 4010. Gun suppressors (a) As used in this section: (1) “Gun suppressor” means any device for muffling or diminishing the report of a portable firearm, including any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a gun suppressor,…

§ 4011. Aiming gun at another Any person who shall intentionally point or aim any gun, pistol, or other firearm at or towards another, except in self-defense or in the lawful discharge of official duty, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $50.00. Any person who shall discharg…

§ 4012. Reporting treatment of firearm wounds (a) Every physician attending or treating a case of bullet wound, gunshot wound, powder burn, or any other injury arising from or caused by the discharge of a gun, pistol, or other firearm, or whenever such case is treated in a hospit…

§ 4013. Zip guns A person who possesses, sells, or offers for sale a weapon commonly known as a “zip” gun shall be imprisoned not more than 90 days or fined not more than $100.00, or both. (Added 1959, No. 151, eff. May 5, 1959; amended 1981, No. 223 (Adj. Sess.), § 23; 2025, No.…

§ 4014. Purchase of firearms in other states Residents of the State of Vermont may purchase rifles and shotguns in another state, provided that such residents conform to the applicable provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968, and regulations thereunder, as administered by the U…

§ 4015. Purchase of firearms by nonresidents Residents of a state other than the State of Vermont may purchase rifles and shotguns in the State of Vermont, provided that such residents conform to the applicable provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968, and regulations thereunder…

§ 4016. Weapons in court (a) As used in this section: (1) “Courthouse” means a building or any portion of a building designated by the Supreme Court of Vermont as a courthouse. (2) “Dangerous or deadly weapon” means any firearm, or other weapon, device, instrument, material, or s…

§ 4017. Persons prohibited from possessing firearms; conviction of violent crime (a) A person shall not possess a firearm if the person has been convicted of a violent crime. (b) A person who violates this section shall be imprisoned not more than two years or fined not more than…

§ 4017a. Fugitives from justice; persons subject to final relief from abuse or stalking order; persons charged with certain offenses; prohibition on possession of firearms (a) A person shall not possess a firearm if the person: (1) is a fugitive from justice; (2) is the subject o…

§ 4018. Drones (a) No person shall equip a drone with a dangerous or deadly weapon or fire a projectile from a drone. A person who violates this section shall be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (b) As used in this section: (1) “Drone” …

§ 4019. Firearms transfers; background checks (a) As used in this section: (1) “Firearm” shall have the same meaning as in subsection 4017(d) of this title. (2) “Immediate family member” means a spouse, parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, sibling, stepsibling, grandparent, step…

§ 4019a. Firearms transfers; waiting period (a) A person shall not transfer a firearm to another person until 72 hours after the licensed dealer facilitating the transfer is provided with a unique identification number for the transfer by the National Instant Criminal Background …

§ 4020. Sale of firearms to persons under 21 years of age prohibited (a) A person shall not sell a firearm to a person under 21 years of age. A person who violates this subsection shall be imprisoned for not more than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (b) This s…

§ 4021. Large capacity ammunition feeding devices (a) A person shall not manufacture, possess, transfer, offer for sale, purchase, or receive or import into this State a large capacity ammunition feeding device. As used in this subsection, “import” does not include the transporta…

§ 4022. Bump-fire stocks; possession prohibited (a) As used in this section, “bump-fire stock” means a butt stock designed to be attached to a semiautomatic firearm and intended to increase the rate of fire achievable with the firearm to that of a fully automatic firearm by using…

§ 4023. Possession of firearms in hospital buildings prohibited (a) A person shall not knowingly possess a firearm while within a hospital building. (b) A person who violates this section shall be fined not more than $250.00. (c) This section shall not apply to a firearm possesse…

§ 4024. Negligent firearms storage (a)(1) A person who stores or keeps a firearm within any premises that are under the person’s custody or control, and who knows or reasonably should know that a child or prohibited person is likely to gain access to the firearm, shall be: (A) im…

§ 4025. Straw purchasing of firearms (a) A person shall not purchase a firearm for, on behalf of, or at the request of another person if the purchaser knows or reasonably should know that the other person: (1) is prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm; (2) i…

§ 4026. Defacing of firearm’s serial number (a) A person shall not knowingly possess a firearm that has had the importer’s or manufacturer’s serial number removed, obliterated, or altered. (b) A person who violates this section shall be imprisoned not more than five years or fine…

§ 4027. Polling places; firearms prohibited (a)(1) A person shall not knowingly possess a firearm at a polling place or on the walks leading to a building in which a polling place is located on an election day. (2) The provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall apply …

§ 4051. Definitions As used in this subchapter: (1) “Court” means the Family Division of the Superior Court. (2) “Dangerous weapon” means an explosive or a firearm. (3) “Explosive” means dynamite, or any explosive compound of which nitroglycerin forms a part, or fulminate in bulk…

§ 4052. Jurisdiction and venue (a) The Family Division of the Superior Court shall have jurisdiction over proceedings under this subchapter. (b) Emergency orders under section 4054 of this title may be issued by a judge of the Criminal, Civil, or Family Division of the Superior C…

§ 4053. Petition for extreme risk protection order (a) A State’s Attorney, the Office of the Attorney General, or a family or household member may file a petition requesting that the court issue an extreme risk protection order prohibiting a person from purchasing, possessing, or…

§ 4054. Emergency relief; temporary ex parte order (a)(1) A State’s Attorney, the Office of the Attorney General, or a family or household member may file a motion requesting that the court issue an extreme risk protection order ex parte, without notice to the respondent. A law e…

§ 4055. Termination and renewal motions (a)(1) The respondent may file a motion to terminate an extreme risk protection order issued under section 4053 of this title or an order renewed under subsection (b) of this section. A motion to terminate shall not be filed more than once …

§ 4056. Service (a) A petition, ex parte temporary order, or final order issued under this subchapter shall be served in accordance with the Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure and may be served by any law enforcement officer. A court that issues an order under this chapter during c…

§ 4057. Procedure (a) Except as otherwise specified, proceedings commenced under this subchapter shall be in accordance with the Vermont Rules for Family Proceedings and shall be in addition to any other available civil or criminal remedies. (b) The Court Administrator shall esta…

§ 4058. Enforcement; criminal penalties (a) Law enforcement officers are authorized to enforce orders issued under this chapter. Enforcement may include collecting and disposing of dangerous weapons pursuant to section 4059 of this title and making an arrest in accordance with th…

§ 4059. Relinquishment, storage, and return of dangerous weapons (a) A person who is required to relinquish a dangerous weapon other than a firearm in the person’s possession, custody, or control by an extreme risk protection order issued under section 4053, 4054, or 4055 of this…

§ 4060. Appeals An extreme risk protection order issued by the court under section 4053 or 4055 of this title shall be treated as a final order for the purposes of appeal. Appeal may be taken by either party to the Supreme Court under the Vermont Rules of Appellate Procedure, and…

§ 4061. Effect on other laws This chapter shall not be construed to prevent a court from prohibiting a person from possessing firearms under any other provision of law. (Added 2017, No. 97 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. April 11, 2018.)

§ 4062. Annual reporting; Office of Court Administrator and Agency of Human Services (a) On or before September 1, 2022 and annually thereafter, the Court Administrator, with the assistance of the Agency of Human Services, shall report data on the use of extreme risk protection o…

§ 4071. Paramilitary training prohibited (a) A person shall not: (1) teach, train, or demonstrate to any other person the use, application, or making of a firearm, explosive, or incendiary device capable of causing injury or death, or techniques capable of causing injury or death…

§ 4072. Definitions As used in this chapter: (1) “Civil disorder” means any public disturbance involving acts of violence by an assemblage of two or more persons that causes an immediate danger of or results in damage or injury to the property or person of any other individual. (…

§ 4073. Civil enforcement; injunctive relief If the Attorney General or a State’s Attorney has reason to believe that a person is violating or is about to violate section 4071 of this title and that proceedings would be in the public interest, the Attorney General or State’s Atto…

§ 4081. Short title This subchapter shall be known as the “Vermont Ghost Guns Act.” (Added 2023, No. 120 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. February 28, 2025.)

§ 4082. Definitions As used in this subchapter: (1) “Federal firearms licensee” means a federally licensed firearm dealer, federally licensed firearm importer, and federally licensed firearm manufacturer. (2) “Federally licensed firearm dealer” means a licensed dealer as defined …

§ 4083. Unlawful conduct involving unserialized firearms, frames, and receivers (a)(1) A person shall not knowingly possess an unfinished frame or receiver unless the unfinished frame or receiver has been imprinted with a serial number by a federal firearms licensee pursuant to f…

§ 4084. Federal firearms licensees; authority to serialize firearms, frames, and receivers (a) A federal firearms licensee may imprint a serial number on an unserialized firearm or frame or receiver of a firearm pursuant to this section. (b)(1) A firearm, frame, or receiver seria…