The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 expired in 2004 and haven’t been renewed by the federal government. Since then, there hasn’t been any federal law regulating or prohibiting the usage and ownership of assault weapons. The law described all semi-automatic assault weapons to be one of the 19 weapons and their facsimiles, or a shotgun, pistol, or a rifle that fulfills specific characteristics. That law also banned the sale or ownership of large capacity ammunition magazines.

Now assault weapons regulation merely takes place at local and state level. Seven states, including District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Hawaii, Connecticut, and California, banned the high capacity magazines and assault weapons. All these laws are based on the 1994 expired act, apart from certain differences and a more comprehensive list of banned firearms.

Virginia and Minnesota regulates but doesn’t ban the possession and usage of assault weapons. However, both these states prohibits the ownership of guns for anyone aged 18 and under. None of the other states regulates or bans the assault weapons. A few of the municipalities and counties forbids the assault weapons, including Chicago’s Cook County.

Colorado bans high capacity magazines but doesn’t ban assault weapons. Maine and Virginia restricts assault weapons to certain degree but they are legal in all other states.