Is It Illegal to Have a Laser on Your Gun? Legality, Tips & FAQs

Last Updated on Mar 14 2024

With so many different gun laws that vary from state to state, it’s always best to verify what you put on your gun before you simply strap it on and hope for the best.

But when it comes to guns and lasers, it’s quite simple. It’s currently legal to put a laser on your gun in all 50 states — but that’s only part of the story.

We break it all down for you here and even give you a few safety tips for when you mount that great laser sight onto your weapon.

Is It Illegal to Have a Laser on Your Gun?

No, it is currently not illegal to have a laser on your gun. The standard laser for a gun has 5 mW of power, and this is what you can find on most gun lasers.

However, even if you find a more powerful laser to put on your gun, it’s still not illegal. The burden falls on manufacturers to properly label and sell their lasers, so if they make a mistake, that’s on them, not you as the consumer.

Are All Lasers Legal On Guns?

Since there are no federal or state regulations on lasers as they pertain to guns, if the gun is currently legal in the state you are in, it is also legal to put a laser on it.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t potentially do illegal things with the laser once you put it on your gun. You can’t point the laser at an aircraft, and you should follow all standard laser safety tips in addition to all standard gun safety tips.

The 5 Safety Tips for Lasers On Your Gun

Now that you know you can put a laser on your gun, it’s time to learn how to do so safely. Here are five basic safety tips that you should follow after putting a laser on your gun.

1. Don’t Look at the Beam

When it comes to lasers, you should never look directly at the beam. It doesn’t take long for the concentrated light to damage your eyes. If you want to see if the laser is working, simply point it at something or take a look at the laser from the side. Never look directly into the beam.

2. Don’t Shine the Beam at People

Just like you shouldn’t look into the beam, you shouldn’t shine the beam at other people either. While you might not try to aim at their eye, it’s too easy to accidentally move it too high and hurt them. A laser might be fun, but it’s not a toy and you need to treat it responsibly.

3. Don’t Look at a Laser Through a Scope

Scopes magnify the intensity of light, and the light from a laser is already intense. It won’t take much for a light from a laser to severely damage your eye if you’re looking at it through a scope. If you see a laser when you’re looking through a scope, protect your eyes by immediately looking somewhere else.

4. Keep Away From Kids

While lasers are fun for everyone, children aren’t exactly the most responsible. It falls on the adults to ensure that kids only use lasers when they have direct supervision from an adult, and the adult needs to ensure that the child stays safe when they’re using the laser.

5. Get the Right Laser

It can be tempting to try to find the most powerful laser on the market to put on your gun. But the truth is that a more powerful laser won’t make you a better shot, and the standard lasers are more than enough for a gun.

Use the right powered laser for your gun, and it’s far less likely that someone will get hurt if an accident with the laser does happen.

Conclusion

While there might be many rules about guns and those rules and laws might change from place to place, when it comes to lasers and guns, it’s quite simple. As long as you have everything else squared away with your gun, there’s no reason that you can’t add a laser sight for even more functionality.

So, start shopping, and then plan a trip to the range to sight in your new laser before you need to use it for real!

Featured Image Credit: SD-Pictures, Pixabay