Gun laws in Puerto Rico

[1][2] On December 11, 2019, Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced signed the Puerto Rico Weapons Act of 2020, which went into effect on January 1, 2020.

With the completed form, individuals must also provide proof of their social security number, proof of date of birth and legal presence in the territory, a copy of their drivers license or other form of non-passport identification, a recent headshot photo, certificate of negative criminal record no more than 30 days old, a $200 check, and must be fingerprinted by the Police Bureau.

[7] Additionally, the applicant must be at least 21 years of age and must not meet the definition of a prohibited person under Section 922(g) of the Gun Control Act of 1968.

Applications for gun licenses rose by 70% after Hurricane Maria in 2017 due to concerns over the widespread electrical outage and police absenteeism.

[6] In September 2016, a firearms instruction company sued the state government in federal court, arguing the unconstitutionality of several provisions of the law.