Body Armor Laws by State: Federal Rules, New York, Connecticut, California and Louisiana

Federal law sets one nationwide rule: persons convicted of a violent felony may not buy, own or possess body armor (18 U.S.C. § 931). Four states add their own rules. New York restricted purchase and sale to listed professions and required in-person delivery; that regime was held unconstitutional by a federal court on October 21, 2026 and is on appeal. Connecticut requires an in-person sale to a buyer holding a Connecticut firearms credential. California bars anyone prohibited from possessing a firearm under state law from possessing body armor. Louisiana prohibits wearing armor on school property and in firearm-free zones.

Scope

This article covers the federal baseline and the four states with state-specific statutes that restrict who may buy or possess body armor, or where it may be worn. It is not a 50-state survey. Several other states have felon-possession statutes or sentencing enhancements for wearing armor during a crime; those do not change who may buy armor and are outside this article.

1. Federal baseline

18 U.S.C. § 931 prohibits purchase, ownership or possession of body armor by a person convicted of a felony that is a crime of violence, with an affirmative defense for employment-related use certified in writing by the employer. Maximum penalty: three years. No federal licence, permit, background check or protection-level limit applies to anyone else. Compliance with federal law does not establish compliance with state law.

2. Summary table

3. New York

3.1 The 2022 law

New York enacted restrictions on “body vests” on June 6, 2022 and amended them on July 1, 2022 to cover “body armor.” Effective July 6, 2022, a person not engaged or employed in an eligible profession may not purchase or take possession of body armor, and no one may sell, exchange, give or dispose of body armor to such a person.

Definition. Penal Law § 270.20(2): body armor means “any product that is a personal protective body covering intended to protect against gunfire, regardless of whether such product is to be worn alone or is sold as a complement to another product or garment.” This mirrors the federal definition and covers soft panels, hard plates and inserts at every protection level. Unlike the federal bills, New York’s restriction is not limited to rifle-rated armor.

3.2 Eligible professions

Four categories are eligible by statute: police officers (CPL § 1.20), peace officers (CPL § 2.10), federal law enforcement officers (CPL § 2.15), and persons in military service. The Department of State adds professions by determination. As of the Department’s published list (latest designation August 12, 2026), the additional eligible professions are:

Members of the “unorganized militia” are expressly excluded from the definition of eligible profession (19 NYCRR § 905.1(d)).

3.3 Proof, delivery and existing armor

• No licence is required to buy or sell body armor in New York, but a buyer must prove eligibility to the seller: a government-issued professional licence, an employer-issued credential, or, in their absence, a notarized Department of State form (individual or entity version). The Department strongly recommends that buyer and seller keep a copy.

• In-person delivery is required for every sale or delivery except purchases by government agencies for their employees. An online order by an eligible buyer still requires an in-person handover (GBL § 396-eee(1); 19 NYCRR § 905.6(c)).

• Armor acquired before July 6, 2022. The Department of State directs questions about keeping or wearing it to the local police department or district attorney. The Department’s role is limited to the eligible-profession list and forms; enforcement questions go to the district attorney, and questions about the GBL marketplace prohibition go to the Attorney General.

3.4 Litigation and pending bills

On October 21, 2026, in Heeter v. James, No. 24-cv-623 (W.D.N.Y.), Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. held that body armor is an “arm” protected by the Second Amendment, granted summary judgment to the plaintiffs (Firearms Policy Coalition and two New York residents), and permanently enjoined enforcement of the purchase-and-sale restrictions, with a 14-day stay to allow an appeal. New York filed a notice of appeal on October 30, 2026. The unlawful-wearing offense (§ 270.20) was not challenged. Full analysis and the current status of the stay and appeal: New York Body Armor Ban Struck Down: What Heeter v. James Changes.

Separately, S.1450 / A.352 (2025–2026 session) would create unlawful purchase of body armor in the first degree, a class E felony for a repeat purchase. No floor action had been recorded as of this update.

4. Connecticut

Connecticut regulates the transaction and, separately, possession by certain convicted persons.

• Sale and delivery (CGS § 53-341b, as amended by Public Act 23-53 § 35; see the Office of Legislative Research summary). It is a class B misdemeanor (up to six months, fine up to $1,000, or both) to sell or deliver body armor unless (a) the transferee meets the transferor in person and (b) the transferee holds a Connecticut local gun dealer permit, pistol or revolver permit, eligibility certificate for a handgun or long gun, or ammunition certificate. Online, mail and telephone sales shipped to Connecticut residents do not satisfy the statute.

• Exemptions from the transfer rule: authorized officials and sworn members of local police departments, the State Police, the Division of Criminal Justice, the Department of Correction, the Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Department of Motor Vehicles; municipal and Department of Administrative Services officials buying for those agencies; judicial marshals, probation officers and authorized Judicial Branch purchasers; National Guard and armed forces reserve members; federal firearms licensees; and emergency medical service organization employees (ambulance drivers, EMTs, paramedics).

• Definition for the transfer rule: any item designed to provide bullet-penetration resistance and to be worn on or under clothing, such as a vest or other article of clothing.

• Criminal possession (CGS § 53a-217d). Class A misdemeanor (up to 364 days, fine up to $2,000, or both) for a person convicted of a capital felony, most class A, B and C felonies, listed class D felonies (for example second-degree assault, third-degree burglary, third-degree robbery) or a serious juvenile offense to possess body armor, defined as any material designed to be worn on the body and to provide bullet-penetration resistance.

Connecticut’s credential requirement is routinely omitted from online summaries, which describe only the in-person rule. Since 2023 both conditions apply.

5. California

• Penal Code § 31360(a). A person convicted of a violent felony who purchases, owns or possesses body armor commits a felony (pre-existing law).

• Penal Code § 31360(b), added by AB 92 (Connolly), Stats. 2023 ch. 232, effective January 1, 2024. A person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm under California law and who purchases, owns or possesses body armor commits a misdemeanor, unless authorized. The disqualifying categories therefore include every state firearm prohibition (certain misdemeanor convictions, restraining orders, mental-health prohibitions), not only violent felonies.

• Court advisement. AB 92 also requires courts to advise a person of the body armor prohibition when advising them of a firearm prohibition; the Judicial Council updated its criminal and restraining-order forms accordingly.

• Definition (Penal Code § 16288): any bullet-resistant material intended to provide ballistic and trauma protection for the person wearing it.

• No purchase formality. California imposes no in-person, licence or eligibility requirement on buyers who are not prohibited persons.

6. Louisiana

• R.S. 14:95.9. Wearing or possessing body armor, by a student or non-student, on school property, at a school-sponsored function, or in a firearm-free zone (the campus, school buses and the area within 1,000 feet of school property) is unlawful. Lack of knowledge that the conduct occurred within 1,000 feet of a school is not a defense.

• Exceptions include a person who notified the principal in writing at least 24 hours in advance; concealed handgun permit holders under R.S. 40:1379.1; armor contained entirely within a motor vehicle; conduct entirely on private property or within a private residence; students in classes or activities that require armor; and, since 2018 (Act 523), a student carrying a backpack containing bullet-resistant material.

• Penalty: fine up to $1,000, imprisonment without hard labor for six months to one year, or both. Seized armor is delivered to law enforcement.

• Louisiana imposes no purchase restriction beyond federal § 931.

7. Pre-purchase checklist

1. Confirm you are not a prohibited person under 18 U.S.C. § 931 (any violent-felony conviction).

2. Confirm the law of the state where you live and where the armor will be delivered. For California, confirm you are not prohibited from possessing a firearm under state law.

3. In Connecticut: arrange an in-person transfer and bring a qualifying Connecticut credential.

4. In New York: check the current status of the Heeter injunction; if the restrictions are enforceable, bring proof of an eligible profession and arrange in-person delivery.

5. In Louisiana: do not wear or carry armor on school property or within 1,000 feet of a school without an exception.

6. Check the retailer’s shipping policy; many sellers apply their own state restrictions.

7. Check again before you resell, give away or move the armor to another state.

8. Frequently asked questions

Is body armor legal in all 50 states?

Ownership by a person without a violent-felony conviction is lawful under federal law everywhere. Purchase and possession rules differ in New York, Connecticut and California, and Louisiana restricts where armor can be worn.

Can anyone buy body armor in New York?

Under the 2022 law, only persons in eligible professions, with in-person delivery. A federal court enjoined those restrictions on October 21, 2026; the order was stayed for 14 days and is on appeal. Check the current status.

Do New York buyers need a body armor licence?

No. The Department of State states that no separate licence is required, but eligibility must be proven to the seller.

Can I order body armor online in Connecticut?

Not for shipment to you. Connecticut requires an in-person transfer to a buyer holding a Connecticut firearms credential, unless an exemption applies.

Does S.4553 replace state laws?

No. The federal bills, if enacted, would add a federal restriction on RF1-or-better armor. State laws would continue to apply. See Is Body Armor Being Banned in the United States in 2026?

Sources

• 18 U.S.C. § 931: law.cornell.edu

• New York Department of State, Body Armor (statutes, Part 905, eligible professions table, FAQ): dos.ny.gov/body-armor

• New York Senate, S.1450 (2025-2026): nysenate.gov

• Heeter v. James filings: firearmspolicy.org/heeter

• Connecticut Office of Legislative Research, Body Armor and Connecticut Law, 2023-R-0301 (Dec. 12, 2023): cga.ct.gov (PDF); CGS § 53-341b: cga.ct.gov

• California AB 92 (2023), chaptered text: legiscan.com; Penal Code § 31360 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)

• Louisiana R.S. 14:95.9: legis.la.gov; 2018 SB 178 (Act 523): legis.la.gov

• Congress.gov, S.4553: congress.gov