Gun Law in Puerto Rico to Respect the Second Amendment as of 1 January, 2020

AmmoLand ^ | 15 December, 2019 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

On December 11, 2019, Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced signed Act No. 168. into law. The new law totally re-writes Puerto Rico firearms law. It is the most sweeping change in firearms law in the history of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico came under the sovereignty of the United States in 1898, about the same time as Hawaii. Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States as the result of the Spanish-American war. In Puerto Rico, the possession of firearms has always been regarded as a privilege, not as a Constitutional Right.

Puerto Rico had one of the most restrictive firearms laws in the United States, arguably more restrictive than California, Hawaii, or New York. There were only about 225,000 legally owned firearms in Puerto Rico in 2016, giving it one of the lowest levels of legal firearm ownership in the United States, at about 6.6 legal firearms per 100 people.

Two things seem to have led to the massive reform of Puerto Rico firearms law.

• First, the actions of the United States Supreme Court in recognizing the Constitutional protections of the Second Amendment in the Heller and later, the McDonald, Supreme Court cases.
• Second, the utter failure of the extremely restrictive Puerto Rico gun control scheme.

While Puerto Rico has had extreme infringements on Second Amendment rights, it has had extreme crime and murder rates, far higher than any state in the United States. Puerto Rico's murder rate averages four times the murder rate of the United States as a whole.

In 2016, the FBI Uniform Crime Report shows Puerto Rico with 19.9 murders per 100,000 population. Louisiana is the closest state with 11.8 murders per 100,000 population. The District of Columbia, as a federal territory, edges out Puerto Rico with 20.4 murders per

[marktwain]

As of 1 January, 2020, Puerto Rico becomes a Shall Issue territory, which recognizes all U.S. permits.

[Lurker]

Excellent.

L

[eaglestar]

They can’t afford to police the community so police yourselves.

[NFHale]

One more win for our side.

That’s never a bad thing.

[Gay State Conservative]

Although I've always known that Puerto Ricans are US citizens I've never been certain just how the laws work there...e,g., do residents of Puerto Rico have the same Constitutional rights as do residents of NY,Texas or Hawaii?

If they do then I say that all law abiding citizens,including residents of Puerto Rico,shouldn't have any of their 2nd Amendment rights infringed.

[TMN78247]

While I APPLAUD the citizens of PR getting CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY at last, we NEED the same law in EVERY US jurisdiction.

Yours,TMN78247

[NativeSon]

I like Puerto Rico, now it’s on my “places to retire” list.

[marktwain]

It is not Constitutional Carry, it is shall issue.

Still somewhat restrictive compared to most states, but.. way better than it was.

[DCBryan1]

I haven’t done my research, but if this is true, I’d visit PR before I visit NY, NJ, CA, IL, and HI. I will never travel to a place where I can’t protect my family with whatever tool I choose.

[TMN78247]

THANKS. = Our local AM “All News” radio station here in The Alamo City is reporting “Constitutional Carry” is to be legal there.

Yours, TMN78247

[marktwain]

Alamo City, Texas?

[jimmygrace]

This makes a great test tube. Crime will plummet.

[marktwain]

Yes.

With any luck, Puerto Rico will document it.

[cll]

Almost missed this!

Puerto Rico Ping! Please Freepmail me if you want on or off the list.

[cll]

I live in Puerto Rico and we’re really not expecting murders to go down after this law. Most murders here are drug trafficking-related, between already armed gangs. Those will continue no matter what.

What we are expecting to go down are carjackings, home invasions and armed robberies.

Thanks for the article, MT.