# Illegal Possession of Body Armor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 16, 2004, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036 "2004-11-16T10:09:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/1 "2004-11-16T10:09:48Z")
In a [recent article](http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/13/obit.odb.ap/index.html) about the death of rapper O.D.B. there is mention of some of his past run-ins with the law. > [@](#): > > Over the years, he was wounded in shootings and arrested on a veritable laundry list of charges, including menacing security officers, **illegally possessing body armor** , driving with a suspended license, shoplifting and threatening a former girlfriend. (Bolding mine) How and why is the possession of body armor regulated. It isn’t a weapon in itself, it surprises me to learn that there are restrictions placed on possession. Not looking for a debate, just looking for factual answers as to: What are the various regulations concerning possession of body armor in different jurisdictions of the United States? What is the rationale behind the call for such regulations? ---
**Author:** ![Club\_33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/2 "2004-11-16T10:51:50Z")
I’m assuming it stems from an incident that occured in LA quite a few years ago. A few guys robbed a bank and wore complete body armor, making it extremely difficult for the police to stop them. Here is a [link](http://www.cnn.com/US/9702/28/shootout.update/) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/3 "2004-11-16T11:25:23Z")
[US code Title 18 Section 931](http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/18/parts/i/chapters/44/sections/section_931.html) > [@](#): > > (a) In General. - Except as provided in subsection (b), it shall be unlawful for a person to purchase, own, or possess body armor, if that person has been convicted of a felony ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/4 "2004-11-16T11:40:22Z")
He was on probation at the time and was the first person charged the then-new law prohibiting felons from having body armor. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/5 "2004-11-16T11:48:53Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > **US code** Title 18 Section 931 (bolding mine) Sorry, I haven’t read much Law. Does this (“US code”) mean that this is a federal law applying in every State in the same way? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/6 "2004-11-16T11:54:08Z")
IANAL etc, but yes, you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/7 "2004-11-16T21:12:12Z")
So a non-felon _can_ possess and wear body armor? ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/8 "2004-11-16T21:30:35Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > So a non-felon _can_ possess and wear body armor? I dunno about that. I get my crossing guard uniform stuff at a place that sells police uniform paraphanelia, and I’m pretty sure that you need some sort of ID/Permit or something. I’m pretty sure they sell body armor there, but the only people who were buying it were police officers. If anybody could buy it, I would think there would be a lot of nutcases/paranoid people waiting in line there 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/9 "2004-11-16T21:52:39Z")
If I’m a felon, and I dress in a suit designed to make me look like the Master Chief, and it just happens to be made of metal or bullet-resistant composite, am I in violation? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/10 "2004-11-16T23:22:59Z")
All that matters is the Federal definition of body armor: > [@](#): > > ``` > (35) The term ''body armor'' means any product sold or offered > for sale, in interstate or foreign commerce, as personal protective > body covering intended to protect against gunfire, regardless of > whether the product is to be worn alone or is sold as a complement > to another product or garment. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/11 "2004-11-17T00:15:25Z")
Provided you’re not a fellon, there is no systematic prohabition against an average citizen purchasing, owning, and wearing body armor. At least not in the US. Some local juristictions may restrict it, but most do not. Anyone recall all the stories of families buying commercial-grade body armor and sending it to the troops over in Iraq…? Those people making the purchases were civilians. Now, that said, I believe many juristictions have penalties for _using_ body armor in the course of commiting a crime, even if the user wasn’t previously prohibited from owning said armor. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/12 "2004-11-17T00:30:11Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > All that matters is the Federal definition of body armor: Whew, what a reli…eeah, I mean, Oh, thanks, that’s really interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-possession-of-body-armor/275036/13 "2004-11-17T02:38:23Z")
> [@Tranquilis](#): > > Provided you’re not a fellon, there is no systematic prohabition against an average citizen purchasing, owning, and wearing body armor. At least not in the US. Some local juristictions may restrict it, but most do not. > > Anyone recall all the stories of families buying commercial-grade body armor and sending it to the troops over in Iraq…? Those people making the purchases were civilians. > > Now, that said, I believe many juristictions have penalties for _using_ body armor in the course of commiting a crime, even if the user wasn’t previously prohibited from owning said armor. About 10 years ago, _Harpers_ had a piece that talked about parents buying their **school children** body armor. There’s even body armor that’s tailored like street clothes.