Many states impose stricter rules than the federal government, often barring individuals with violent but non-domestic misdemeanors from purchasing firearms for a set period. Firearm Prohibitions - Giffords.org

Whether you can buy a gun with a misdemeanor depends on the specific nature of the crime, the potential jail time it carries, and the state where you live. While most misdemeanors do not trigger a federal ban, certain violent or domestic-related offenses result in a permanent or temporary loss of firearm rights.

Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a state crime that could have carried a sentence of more than two years from owning a gun. While most misdemeanors carry shorter sentences, some states have high-level misdemeanors that exceed this threshold, triggering an automatic federal prohibition. State-Specific Restrictions

Any misdemeanor involving the use or attempted use of physical force (or the threat of a deadly weapon) against a spouse, former spouse, parent, child, or cohabitant triggers a lifetime ban under the Lautenberg Amendment . This recently expanded to include some unmarried dating partners.

Under federal law, specifically the Gun Control Act of 1968 , a misdemeanor generally only bars you from gun ownership in two specific scenarios: