# Legality of posessing potasium nitrate? (Saltpeter) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 27, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115 "2005-06-27T23:54:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/1 "2005-06-27T23:54:54Z")
Just a quick legal and chemistry question…is it currently legal to buy or own large quantities of potassium nitrate? Would you need a licence, or a background check, or anything? And no, before anyone asks, I don’t have any saltpeter myself, and I don’t plan on trying to get any. Well, thanks for your patience, Ranchoth ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/2 "2005-06-28T00:04:50Z")
It would help in answering this if you told us exactly where you live. Canada? Nigeria? ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/3 "2005-06-28T02:49:15Z")
:smack: I live in the U.S.—though I’d be interested in knowing what the situation would be in Japan as well, as a matter of fact. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/4 "2005-06-28T03:43:58Z")
I’m pretty sure I can buy this stuff by the kilo without any questions being asked, but this _is_ through a university lab. I’m not sure how I could order it on my own. I’ll check when I bother to go back to work again (if someone else hasn’t answered.) ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/5 "2005-06-28T04:31:34Z")
[This page](http://contest2.thinkquest.jp/tqj2003/60532/yakuhin/syoukari.htm) says that saltpeter can be bought at Japanese pharmacies, and [this Japanese on-line reagent store](http://www.siyaku.com/) sells it in sizes up to 20 kg, so I think that it is legal to possess in large quantities in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/6 "2005-06-28T04:47:46Z")
Saltpeter makes black powder, which is kinda anemic for explosives in this modern period. I know it’s legal to have tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate, but after a certain amount they do checks and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/7 "2005-06-28T05:52:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Saltpeter makes black powder, which is kinda anemic for explosives in this modern period. > > I know it’s legal to have tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate, but after a certain amount they do checks and stuff. Although ammonium nitrate is a component in some of the world’s most prominent terrorist bombings, the stuff is stored out in the open. It’s a common farm fertilizer, so it’s not hard to find. The security issue came to light because of the meth lab problem. Ammonium nitrate is a component of a homebrew recipe for methamphetamine, so addle-pated speed freaks are raiding the local farm co-op. There were rumblings of chainlink fences around the ammonia tanks, but nothing came of it. Timothy McVey taught us nothing. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/8 "2005-06-28T10:50:28Z")
aah the joys of homemade gunpowder. Used to buy the saltpetre and sulfur from our local pharmacist (NZ). I am sure he knew but as long as we only blew up small inanimate objects he didn’t care. Made me the chemist I am today ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/9 "2005-06-28T11:50:35Z")
I don’t know what US law actually says, but before restricting saltpetre you should first restrict: fireworks - already contain gunpowder ammunition of all types - contain smokeless powder matches - head are a fast-burning pyrotechnic sparklers - ditto caps - ditto Having said that, legislation is frequently nonsensical. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that you could legally have a bunch of firecrackers containing ready-mixed gunpowder in your home, but possession of the saltpetre in the firecrackers on its own is prohibited. Makes about as much sense as restricting lab glassware, and that’s been done. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/10 "2005-06-28T13:25:26Z")
> [@matt](#): > > I don’t know what US law actually says, but before restricting saltpetre you should first restrict: > > fireworks - already contain gunpowder > ammunition of all types - contain smokeless powder > matches - head are a fast-burning pyrotechnic > sparklers - ditto > caps - ditto > > Having said that, legislation is frequently nonsensical. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that you could legally have a bunch of firecrackers containing ready-mixed gunpowder in your home, but possession of the saltpetre in the firecrackers on its own is prohibited. Makes about as much sense as restricting lab glassware, and that’s been done. Lab glassware restricted??? What part of the world is this in? Scotland? It cant be the USA, they all walk around with guns and stuff. As a chemist, restricting glassware sounds absurd. ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-posessing-potasium-nitrate-saltpeter/310115/11 "2005-06-28T13:50:56Z")
> [@antechinus](#): > > Lab glassware restricted??? What part of the world is this in? Scotland? It cant be the USA, they all walk around with guns and stuff. As a chemist, restricting glassware sounds absurd. You’d think, wouldn’t you? But no. Texas. Here’s an old gripe about it: [http://www.sas.org/E-Bulletin/2002-03-29/feedback/feedback.html](http://www.sas.org/E-Bulletin/2002-03-29/feedback/feedback.html) Here’s the legislation in question (PDF). Section lists the equipment in question. Don’t know if it’s still in force, but it certainly was. [http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ftp/forms/nar-121.pdf](http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ftp/forms/nar-121.pdf)