The Uniform Firearms Act (UFA) is a set of statutes in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that defines the limits of Section 21 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the right to bear arms, which predates the United States Constitution and reads: "The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned."
The laws range in scope from use of force in self-defense situations, to specific categories of citizens that are ineligible to purchase or possess firearms.
UFA for Pennsylvania is generally a more libertarian interpretation of the right to keep and bear arms, in that it does not prohibit the sale and transfer of Class III NFA firearms, contains no duty for a citizen lawfully carrying a weapon to notify law enforcement, and mandates shall-issue licenses to carry firearms to eligible citizens.
[1] The Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act (Pa. UFA) follows the practice of the majority of states in prohibiting and criminalizing the carrying of concealed weapons.
[6] By way of illustration, a Philadelphia ordinance requiring a city license to transfer a firearm was held to be ultra-vires and struck down.
[19] Once a permit to carry a firearm is issued in Pennsylvania in accordance with the requirement and strictures of the law, pursuant to Sec.
However, the act states that any person may not carry a firearm in a city of the first class (Philadelphia is the only one in the Commonwealth) without a permit or falling under an exception.
Police and court officers commonly refer to the charges collectively as VUFA; or, Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act.
For example, the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania has allocated "Gun Court" sessions for defendants accused of violating certain parts of UFA.