Pepper Spray in New York: What You Need to Know

Are you thinking about buying pepper spray to feel safer in New York? It’s a great non-lethal self-defense tool that levels the playing field. You might be confused if you try to order pepper spray online and can't ship it to a New York address. Especially because it is legal to have and use pepper spray in New York.

Here’s what you need to know about pepper spray in New York state.

Legality 

• Pepper spray is totally legal to have in all 50 states. In New York, even though it's legal to own and carry pepper spray, there are laws in place that make it difficult to purchase.

New York's Pepper Spray Laws

• The big issue in New York is where you can buy pepper spray. Unlike most other states, you can’t simply order pepper spray online.
• Instead, you have to purchase it from a physical location that is licensed to sell it. This includes hardware stores, pharmacies, and gun shops.
• We would love to snap our fingers and change this outdated law! It shouldn’t be hard to buy pepper spray, which is such an effective self-defense accessory.

A Non-Lethal Defense Tool

• Pepper spray is a great non-lethal self-defense accessory, designed to incapacitate an attacker temporarily. 
• It's made of oleoresin capsicum, which comes from hot chili peppers. When someone is sprayed, it intensely irritates their eyes, nose, and mouth, so you can get away.
• Pepper spray can be so useful, especially for people who don’t want to or can't defend themselves physically from an attacker. By leveling the playing field, pepper spray can provide a sense of security and empowerment.

The Need for Accessibility

• As concerns about safety and security continue to grow in New York, we have to make self-defense tools like pepper spray more accessible. By making pepper spray easier to purchase (online - hello, 2024), we can actually protect ourselves and feel safer when we’re navigating the city.