One handgun a month law

A one-handgun a month law is a law which limits handgun purchases to one per 30-days, for an individual. Proponents supported such laws in the effort to keep criminals, or would be criminals from amassing large numbers of handguns in a short period of time. Supporters argued that gun traffickers frequently purchase large numbers of cheap handguns from states which lack such laws in order to transport and sell them within states with such laws.

The first law of such nature was passed in 1975 in the state of South Carolina (which has since repealed the law). The policy gained some further recognition, after the state of Virginia enacted similar legislation in 1993 (which was also repealed in 2012 ). At the time, it was claimed that 40% of the guns used in crime in New York City were reported to have been traced back to the state of Virginia.

As of 2012, three states have one-handgun a month laws, California, Maryland, and New Jersey.