Castle Doctrine Laws

When discussing self-defense, most people instinctively understand that if they’re attacked, they generally have a right to defend themselves. But as you go down the path of mastery, you will soon find out that matters are anything but simple depending on where you live. Each and every state in the US has its own requirements […]

Castle doctrine is an important concept in modern self-defense law. Although rarely called as such by name in state statutes, the working concept of such laws is that a person’s home is their “castle,” and that they should have every right and expectation to safety while within their own home. Accordingly, if attacked inside their

Throughout the nation, castle doctrine laws are an idea or a standard to aspire to, not necessarily a specific text to be copied and pasted into a state’s law books. Put another way, all states that can be said to have castle doctrine laws word them a little bit different but the effect is broadly

If you must use lethal force in self-defense, it is imperative that the law is on your side, and more than that, that you know it. In some states, what should be open and shut, clear-cut cases of self-defense can be turned into legal circuses for the beleaguered defender who will have every action that

Castle doctrine laws are one of the most hotly contested, but also most popular, concepts in the United States regarding self-defense. Presently, about three-quarters of the states in the US have some form of castle doctrine law, and Louisiana is among them. Happily, Louisiana doesn’t make any bones about it when it comes to defending

West Virginia is yet another state that has dependable self-defense laws on the books, including the functional equivalent of castle doctrine laws. However, compared to other states that we have covered in this series West Virginia does not have one or two specific sections that codify its castle doctrine. Instead, West Virginia laws generally spread

In recent years, Washington is a state that has become increasingly known for draconian governmental policies on everything from taxation to land use, and it is no wonder that many defensively minded folks have such a negative opinion of the place. However, as it turns out Washington has surprisingly solid laws concerning self-defense, and even

Montana has some of the best all-around self-defense laws in the nation, including a formidable and clearly codified castle doctrine statute. Broadly, citizens may use force including lethal force, in self-defense of an occupied structure so long as they are doing so to prevent the commission of any forcible felony to any occupant of the

North Dakota is a state with a well-deserved reputation for rugged inhabitants and an attitude of individualism, what’s surprisingly the state has not always possessed stalwart laws of self-defense. That isn’t the case today, though, and though they are a little bit lengthy in sections North Dakota has one of the stronger versions of castle

Virginia is a state with a proud pro 2A history, but one that has been increasingly beleaguered and infiltrated by anti-gun and anti-self-defense sentiment, political action groups, and politicians in recent years. Despite this, the state still maintains a functional and recognizable set of castle doctrine laws, but they only really operate as a set