U.S. Code » Title 18 » Part PART I— CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 44— FIREARMS

18 U.S.C. § 931

Prohibition on purchase, ownership, or possession of body armor by violent felons

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(a)In General.—Except as provided in subsection (b), it shall be unlawful for a person to purchase, own, or possess body armor, if that person has been convicted of a felony that is—(1) a crime of violence (as defined in section 16); or(2) an offense under State law that would constitute a crime of violence under paragraph (1) if it occurred within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.(b)Affirmative Defense.—(1)In general.—It shall be an affirmative defense under this section that—(A) the defendant obtained prior written certification from his or her employer that the defendant’s purchase, use, or possession of body armor was necessary for the safe performance of lawful business activity; and(B) the use and possession by the defendant were limited to the course of such performance.(2)Employer.—In this subsection, the term “employer” means any other individual employed by the defendant’s business that supervises defendant’s activity. If that defendant has no supervisor, prior written certification is acceptable from any other employee of the business.(Added Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title I, § 11009(e)(2)(A), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1821.)
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 95 cases (16 in the last 5 years), 2003–2025 · leading case: United States v. Patton, 451 F.3d 615 (10th Cir. 2006).
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United States v. Patton, 451 F.3d 615 (10th Cir. 2006). · cites it 8× “Patton was charged with being a felon in possession of body armor, in violation of a recently enacted statute, 18 U.S.C. § 931 . On October 14, 2004, Mr.”
United States v. Alderman, 565 F.3d 641 (9th Cir. 2009). · cites it 10× “McKEOWN, Circuit Judge: This case of first impression in the Ninth Circuit requires us to consider whether Congress has the authority under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, art. I, § 8, cl.”
United States v. Kenneth Door, 996 F.3d 606 (9th Cir. 2021). · cites it 6× “§§ 922 (g)(1)) and a felon convicted of a crime of violence in possession of body armor ( 18 U.S.C. § 931 (a)). The panel held that in light of Rehaif v.”
United States v. Fish, 758 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2014). · cites it 3× “A federal grand jury eventually returned an indictment charging Fish with a single count of possessing body armor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 931 (a), the federal body armor statute, which prohibits any person who "has been convicted of a felony that is .”
Byrd v. United States, 138 S. Ct. 1518 (2018). “§841 (a)(1) and possession of body armor by a prohibited person in violation of 18 U. S. C. §931 (a)(1). Byrd moved to suppress the evidence as the fruit of an unlawful search.”
United States v. Bennett, 868 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2017). · cites it 2× “The defendant in Fish had been indicted under 18 U.S.C. § 931 (a), “the federal body armor statute, which prohibits any person who has been convicted of a felony that is a crime of violence as defined in section 16 from possessing body armor that has been sold or offered for…”
United States v. Lee, 612 F.3d 170 (3rd Cir. 2010). · cites it 2× “[13] While it can be illegal for a felon to possess body armor, see 18 U.S.C. § 931 (a) ("[I]t shall be unlawful for a person to purchase, own, or possess body armor, if that person has been convicted of a felony that is .”
United States v. Keith Studhorse, II, 883 F.3d 1198 (9th Cir. 2018). · cites it 2× “SUMMARY *** Criminal Law The panel affirmed (1) the district court’s denial of the defendant’s motion to dismiss a count charging him with possession of body armor by a violent felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 931 (a)(1) and 924(a)(7), and (2) its interpretation and…”
United States v. Davis, 906 F. Supp. 2d 545 (S.D.W. Va 2012). · cites it 11× “§§ 922 (g) and 924(a)(2), felon-in-possession (Count One); and 18 U.S.C. §§ 931 and 924(a)(7), felon-in-possession of body armor (Count Two).”
United States v. Troy Nolan Harkness, 305 F. App'x 578 (11th Cir. 2008). · cites it 6× “C §§ 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 924(e)(1), and possession of body armor as a convicted felon who previously had been convicted of a crime of violence (Count 2), in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 931 (a)(1) and 924(a)(7). I.”
United States v. Marler, 402 F. Supp. 2d 852 (N.D. Ohio 2005). · cites it 4× “Defendant was charged in a one-count indictment with unlawful possession of body armor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 931 (a)(1), which states, “it shall be unlawful for a person to purchase, own, or possess body armor, if that person has been convicted of a felony that is — a…”
United States v. Rosa, 507 F.3d 142 (2d Cir. 2007). “§ 922 (g)(1) (Counts One and Two), and one count of possession of body armor after having been convicted of a felony that is a crime of violence in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 931 (Count Three). A superseding indictment (the “Superseding Indictment”) was returned on January 18,…”
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