The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution provides for the right to keep and bear arms, and reads: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Some people believe this language creates a Constitutional, individual right for citizens of the United States to keep and bear arms, and prohibits Congress and state legislatures from prohibiting or restricting the possession of firearms.

Others believe the beginning words ("A well regulated militia being necessary”) indicate the intent of the Amendment was only to restrict Congress from limiting a state’s right to self-defense. This collective rights theory of the Second Amendment holds that citizens do not have an individual right to possess firearms, and that federal, state, and local legislative bodies may regulate the possession of firearms without implicating a Constitutional right.

At the time the First Amendment was ratified, some militia members used their own weapons, and some used weapons from their state’s militia stores.

In Vermont, the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution is upheld, providing for the individual right to keep and bear arms. Vermont has some of the most permissive gun laws in the United States, often referred to as 'Constitutional Carry,' which means that no permit is required to carry a concealed firearm for anyone legally entitled to possess one. The state does not require background checks on private gun sales, nor does it have a waiting period for gun purchases. Vermont's approach aligns with the individual rights interpretation of the Second Amendment, allowing citizens to own and carry firearms with minimal state regulation. However, federal laws still apply, including background checks required by federally licensed firearms dealers. The debate over the Second Amendment continues nationally, with interpretations varying between the individual right to bear arms and the collective rights theory that supports the regulation of firearms in the interest of public safety. Vermont's laws currently reflect a strong preference for the individual rights perspective.