The bulletproof vest worn by Ohio gunman Connor Betts is legal to own in all 50 states — unless you’re a convicted criminal.
And anyone who wants to buy body armor can do so online or by phone anywhere except Connecticut, which requires that purchases made in person.
Federal law has banned felons convicted of violent crimes from buying, owning or possessing body armor since 2002, and violating that law carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.
In addition, anyone who wears body armor during a crime involving violence or drug trafficking faces an enhanced sentence under federal guidelines, which add up to four levels on the scale that ranks the severity of offenses on scale of 1 to 43.
A majority of states also make it illegal to wear a bulletproof vest while committing a crime, according to the criminaldefenselawyer.com website run by the Nolo legal-information company.
In New York, it’s a felony punishable by up to four years in prison to wear body armor while committing a violent crime and carrying a firearm.
A bill introduced in March by Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Long Island) would strengthen that law by expanding the underlying offenses to any misdemeanor or felony.
It would also mandate that the sentence for violating the law run consecutively to any related convictions.
In 2009, legislation was proposed to restrict the sale of body armor to law-enforcement officials, but it never became law.
Other restrictions in place across the country include a ban on wearing body armor on school grounds or at school-sponsored events in Kentucky, according to Nolo.