Puerto Rico gun laws

Handguns

Yes. You need a Puerto Rico weapons license (licencia de armas) from the Police Bureau's Weapons Licensing Office to buy, possess, carry or transport any firearm or ammunition (Ley 168-2019 arts. 2.02, 6.03).

Long guns

The same weapons license is required.

Yes. Every firearm and ammunition transaction by an armero (a licensed Puerto Rico gun dealer) is recorded in the Electronic Registry (art. 4.01(b)), and firearms bought outside PR must be registered on arrival (form PPR-379).

Permitless carry

No.

Concealed carry permit

Shall-issue weapons license ('expedirá ... a todo peticionario que cumpla', meaning it will be issued to every applicant who qualifies, art. 2.02). The license covers carry ('portar').

Open carry

No. With a weapons license you must carry concealed ('de forma oculta o no ostentosa'), and only one gun at a time. Carrying openly brings a $100 fine, and doing it again leads to losing your license (art. 2.02(e)(1)). Exceptions: uniformed police and licensed security guards on duty, and people at a shooting range or hunting area (art. 2.02(e)(4)-(5)).

Reciprocity

Licenses from other places aren't honored unless the holder meets Ley 168's requirements. The law allows agreements (MOUs) with states, but none were confirmed. Visitors bringing firearms must notify the Weapons Licensing Office in advance (form PPR-1062).

Yes, with a broad exception. Puerto Rico bans 'semi-automatic assault weapons' by name and by features (art. 2.16), but the ban doesn't apply to licensed persons possessing or importing assault weapons that lawfully exist in any U.S. jurisdiction under federal law (art. 2.16(a)(1)).

None. The Weapons Law (Ley 168-2019) sets no limit on magazine capacity.

None in the Weapons Law (Ley 168-2019), though you need a weapons license before you can buy, and the license and registration steps apply.

All transfers must be recorded in the Electronic Registry, and the buyer must hold a weapons license; selling to an unlicensed person is a felony (art. 6.03).

No court-ordered red flag (extreme risk protection order) process in the Weapons Law. Police may temporarily seize a licensee's guns, license and ammunition without a court order when they have good reason to believe the person may misuse them, has made threats, has expressed suicidal intent or is otherwise a serious danger (art. 2.13). A license is denied to people under certain protective orders (art. 2.02(a)(7)).

Suppressors

Prohibited (art. 2.16(c)). The federal NFA change doesn't affect this.

Short-barreled rifles and shotguns

Unclear. Ley 168 doesn't ban short-barreled rifles by name. Its definition of 'shotgun' expressly includes shotguns with barrels under 18 inches (art. 1.02(o)), and art. 6.09 punishes having one only 'without authorization under this Law', which suggests licensed owners may have them. We haven't confirmed how the Police Bureau applies this.Unverified: We haven't confirmed this against the statute yet. Check the official source. See the note below.

Yes. A weapons license is required to buy or possess ammunition, and licensees may buy only calibers usable in firearms registered to them (arts. 2.02(e)(2), 6.22-6.24). Only an armero may import ammunition, and armeros report buyers of more than 20,000 rounds a year.

Handgun purchase

21 (18 for sworn police officers)

Long gun purchase

21 (18 for sworn police officers)

Notes

The weapons license age is set by art. 2.02(a)(1).

Firearms must ship to a Puerto Rico armero, who must hold both a PR armero license and a federal FFL (art. 4.01). Only armeros may import firearms or ammunition (arts. 6.02, 6.22), so there's no direct-to-consumer ammunition. USPS won't carry ammunition, and UPS's limited-quantity ground service for ammunition doesn't reach PR, so ammunition moves as hazmat freight to an armero. Suppressors can't be sold to PR. This territory is treated as a 'State' under the federal Gun Control Act (18 U.S.C. 921(a)(2)); see the federal Territories section.

Buying a firearm online means it ships to a licensed dealer, who completes the transfer. Find one near you in the Dealer Finder. Retailers make the final call on what they'll ship, so always check their policy too.