• Shotgun laws are not terribly strict due to the weapon's praticality.man shooting a shotgun image by caraman from Fotolia.com
  
  A shotgun is commonly defined in the United States as a long gun or shoulder arm, a weapon braced against the shoulder when fired. These guns have a number of practical uses. Farmers use long guns to protect livestock from natural predators and kill sick or feral animals. In many states where hunting is a way of life, long guns are commonplace and not a public menace in the same way easily concealed weapons like handguns are.
  
  

Federal Laws

• The Gun Control Act of 1968 is the primary legal document for federal gun regulation. A few provisions in the document pertain specifically to shotguns. By the terms of the Gun Control Act, it is illegal for persons under the age of 18 to buy shotguns and rifles. Dealers selling weapons in violation of this law will face a fine of up to $5,000 and a maximum prison sentence of up to five years. Sawed off, or short, shotguns, are legal only upon approval by the Attorney General of the United States, and must be registered with the federal government.
  
  

Short Barrel Shotguns

• While federal law stipulates, as per Title II of the Gun Control Act of 1968, that sawed off, or short-barrel, shotguns are permissible only upon approval from the attorney general, most of American states have banned these weapons outright. Alaska’s prohibitive law, which states that “it is illegal to manufacture, possess, transport, sell, or transfer a…short-barrel shotgun,” is a standard example of the laws in each state which forbid these weapons. Unlike standard shotguns, which are often used in hunting, the short-barrel shotgun has no practical purpose, and is considered an assault weapon.
  
  

State Regulations

• Only six states--California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York--and the District of Columbia, require long gun owners to register the guns with the state. Another six states--Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York--as well as the District of Columbia, require long gun owners to have gun licenses and permits before purchasing shot guns. For a full chart of state gun laws, follow the NRA link below.