Is it legal to wear bulletproof vest in public?

As we all know, firearms and ammunition are all munitions, and it is against the law to hold guns in most countries other than the United States. While bulletproof vests are also military equipment, so is it also illegal to buy a bulletproof vest privately and wear it in public? This is probably the most concerned problem for people who want to buy bulletproof vests.

Laws and regulations on the firearms vary from region to region, so does that on bulletproof vests. Therefore, you’d better to check with regional and national regulations on whether you are legally permitted to own a ballistic vest as a civilian before buying it, which can avoid you any unnecessary troubles. Here are some regulations about the use of body armor.

The United States:

It is known that adult citizens (including permanent resident green card holders) without felony records can obtain gun licenses which allow them purchasing and using firearms individually. The liberalization of guns has brought lots of shooting accidents, so the possession of body armor is also allowed in most regions of the US, except for a few states:

In Connecticut, body armor can only be purchased in person, and cannot be purchased online, over the phone, or by mail;

- In New York, a proposed ban of body armor for private citizens is currently debated;

- In Kentucky, committing a crime while wearing or even owning body armor is a crime in and of itself;

- In Louisiana, it is illegal to wear body armor on school property or on campus.

Australia:

It is illegal to possess body armor without authorization in certain territories of Australia (South Australia, Victoria, Northern Territory, ACT, Queensland and New South Wales).

Canada:

In certain Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia) a license is required to possess body armor, though there are no such restrictions in the rest of the country.

European Union:

In the European Union, ballistic protection that is considered ‘for main military usage’ is restricted to civilians.

United Kingdom:

There are currently no legal restrictions on the purchase and ownership of body armor.

Although there are no restrictions on the use of body armor in some countries and regions, wearing body armor in public places can easily attract the attention of both the public and law enforcement officials, and an explanation to the police for why you are wearing a vest is often unavoidable. Additionally, this may make other people worried and frightened as they might think there is an imminent danger. To avoid this situation, you are suggested to wear a bulletproof vest underneath your coat, which can provide you additional safety against ballistic, stab or spike attacks, and keep you out of sight to anyone else at the same time.

Above is all the clarification for the legal issues about body armor. If there are still some questions, welcome to contact us.

Newtech has been long dedicated to the development and research of bulletproof equipment, we provide quality NIJ III PE Hard Armor Plates and vests, as well as many other products. When considering the purchase of hard armor plates, you can visit the website of Newtech to find the best one for yourself.