Pepper Spray Laws

Pepper Spray Laws and Restrictions By State:

The following six states have outlined specific restrictions and laws of 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.

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. Check with local law enforcement for more information.

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. Check with your local law enforcement for more information.

Michigan: Must be less than 35 grams of product and 10% or less OC concentration. OC pepper sprays only. See our Michigan Approved Pepper sprays.

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: Must be 16 years old or older.  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

Please Note: Pepper sprays when used for self defense purposes are legal, although some states do hold restrictions. If you have a question, you should check with your local city or state attorneys office. Defense sprays should only be purchased by those 18 years of age or older. Due to constant changes in the law, the above list may not be completely accurate and Redhotpepperspray.com accepts no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.

Other U.S. states not mentioned above:

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)