The Law on Self-Defense
The law has a lot to say on self-defense and it varies depending on where you live, where you travel, how you travel, how old you are, and the circumstances in which self-defense comes into play. It can be very confusing and unfortunately, it is up to you to know the law. There are some universal basics that you can educate yourself on pretty quickly.
Where you live and Where you travel: It’s important to consider the jurisdiction you are in at any given moment. For example, if you live and work (or attend school) in the same city, county, and state, you can educate yourself on the laws that pertain to that jurisdiction. However, if you live in one jurisdiction and travel to another for work or school, then you will need to learn the laws of both. Each time you travel for work or for pleasure, you will need to educate yourself on the laws pertaining to the location you are traveling to, which brings up the next point. Many jurisdictions have restrictions on pepper sprays, stun guns, and other self-defense tools so you will need to educate yourself before you purchase.
How you travel: How you travel is just as important as where you travel as there are certain laws that govern self-defense on modes of transportation (such as airplane restrictions). In most cases, you cannot travel with self-defense tools; however, there are some exceptions.
Age: Age comes into play when it comes to purchasing self-defense tools or using self-defense tools. Sometimes parents purchase self-defense tools for their children, who are not always of the proper age. There are a variety of justified reasons why parents do this; however, it is important that parents educate themselves and their children on these laws so their decisions are coming from a fully informed place. Age restrictions vary per jurisdiction and self-defense tool.
Circumstances: Depending on the law in your state, the circumstances in which the self-defense tool is used is important. Nearly every self-defense situation begins with a conflict that escalates to a point of violence. At some point during a conflict, either party makes a choice to escalate or de-escalate the conflict. If the defender is found to have been the person that escalated the conflict, that can create a legal issue. For example, if a defender used lethal force in a situation that did not require it, it can pose a significant threat to the justification for the self-defense. For this reason, law enforcement and litigation experts recommend everyone carry non-lethal self-defense tools.