Yes, night vision goggles are legal to own for most U.S. civilians — owning a device like the ATN PS31-3HFW is not restricted the way owning a firearm or suppressor is. What gets complicated is how and where you're allowed to use one, and that answer changes depending on your state, what you're hunting, and whether you plan to take the device across a border. This article covers the general legal landscape; it is not legal advice, and you should confirm current rules with your state wildlife agency before you use night vision in the field.
What "night vision goggles" means legally
Legally, a night vision goggle is treated as an optical device, not a weapon — it's a consumer electro-optic product, similar in classification to a rifle scope or a pair of binoculars. That distinction matters because it means ownership generally isn't regulated by the same laws that cover firearms. The legal questions that actually come up fall into three separate buckets: owning the device, using the device for a specific activity like hunting, and moving the device across international borders. Each of those has its own rule set, and conflating them is where most confusion starts.
How ownership and use are regulated differently
Here's how those three legal questions actually get answered, one at a time:
- Ownership. For most adult U.S. residents, buying and owning a civilian night vision device is legal with no special license required, the same way buying a spotting scope is legal. This applies whether the device uses an image-intensifier tube, like the PS31-3HFW, or digital sensor technology.
- Use for hunting. This is where the rules diverge sharply and change often. Some states allow night vision for hunting certain species — commonly nuisance or invasive animals like feral hogs or coyotes — while restricting or banning it entirely for game species like deer or elk. Other states regulate it by season, by land type (private versus public), or by whether you're also using an infrared illuminator alongside the device. Because these rules are updated regularly and vary by state and by species, we're not listing a state-by-state breakdown here — treat any list you find online, including this article, as a starting point, not a final answer.
- Interstate travel. Crossing a state line with night vision gear for a hunting trip means you're subject to the laws of the state you're hunting in, not the state you bought the device in or where you live. A device that's fully legal to use at home can be restricted or banned the moment you cross into a neighboring state's hunting unit.
- International export. Taking night vision equipment out of the United States is a separate and much stricter question, covered below, because it falls under federal export control rather than state wildlife law.
What you can use night vision goggles for
Outside of hunting, night vision goggles are commonly used for property and livestock monitoring after dark, scouting terrain before a hunt without discharging a firearm, search and recovery of downed game, security and perimeter checks on rural property, and recreational activities like stargazing or wildlife observation where no weapon is involved. None of those uses carry the same legal scrutiny as hunting with the device, since they don't involve taking an animal. If your primary interest is simply seeing in the dark — checking a fence line, walking a property, or finding a blood trail — you're generally on much simpler legal ground than if you're using the device to take game.
Ownership versus hunting use: the core distinction
The short version: buying an ATN PS31-3HFW and keeping it in your truck is a different legal question than using it to take a deer at night. Ownership law is largely settled and consistent across the country. Hunting-use law is a patchwork that depends on your state wildlife agency's current regulations, the species you're pursuing, whether you're on public or private land, and sometimes the specific weapon you're pairing the device with. A device can be completely legal to own and completely illegal to use for a specific hunt in a specific state during a specific season. Don't assume one answers the other.
Key things to understand before you buy or use one
- Wildlife agencies set the actual rules, not retailers. The regulations that matter are published and updated by your state's fish and wildlife or game commission — not by any company selling the equipment, including ours.
- Species-specific rules are common. A state that bans night vision for deer hunting may still permit it for hogs, coyotes, or other species classified as nuisance or invasive wildlife.
- Land type can change the answer. Some states apply different rules to private land than to public wildlife management areas, even for the same species.
- IR illuminators are sometimes regulated separately. A night vision device paired with an infrared illuminator can fall under different rules than the same device used passively, since active IR illumination is sometimes treated more like thermal or spotlighting regulations.
- Export status is a federal, not state, question. Even if a device is fully legal to own and use domestically, taking it out of the country involves a completely separate set of federal export control rules.
- Rules change year to year. Wildlife agencies revise hunting regulations regularly, sometimes annually. A rule you confirmed last season isn't guaranteed to still be current.
What to check before you buy or use a device
Before you buy a night vision goggle with hunting in mind, confirm the following directly with your state wildlife agency, not with a forum post or a retailer's product page: whether night vision is permitted for the specific species you intend to hunt, whether the permission differs between public and private land, whether pairing the device with an infrared illuminator changes its legal status, and whether there are seasonal restrictions tied to night hunting specifically. If you hunt in more than one state, repeat this check for each state — don't assume reciprocity.
Common mistakes people make
The most common mistake is assuming that because a device is legal to buy online and ship to your address, it's automatically legal to use for hunting wherever you live. Retailers aren't required to verify your local hunting regulations, and shipping legality has nothing to do with use legality. The second common mistake is checking the rule once and assuming it's permanent — wildlife regulations get revised, and a species or land-type exception that existed two seasons ago may not exist now. The third is assuming a rule that applies to thermal imaging also applies to traditional image-intensifier night vision, or vice versa — many states regulate these technologies separately, with different allowances for each.
Export restrictions: a separate legal question
High-grade U.S.-made night vision, including devices like the PS31-3HFW, is built to specifications that fall under federal export control because the underlying image-intensifier technology has direct military applications. That means taking the device across an international border — even for a hunting trip, even temporarily — is not simply a matter of packing it in your luggage. Export eligibility depends on the specific device, its tube generation and specifications, and the destination country, and it is governed by federal regulation rather than any state's hunting law. If international travel with your device is part of your plan, confirm its export status before you go; this is a separate check from anything related to state hunting regulations.
A closer look at the ATN PS31-3HFW
The ATN PS31-3HFW (SKU NVGOPS3143HFW) is a Gen 3, auto-gated, white phosphor binocular night vision goggle with a 51° field of view, built and graded in the USA to a FOM 2376+ tube rating. It's designed for hands-free, helmet-mounted use as much as handheld observation, with independently pivoting tube housings that let you switch between binocular and monocular configuration. Like other top-tier U.S.-built night vision, it's built domestically and is not available for export — which is worth knowing up front if international travel with the device is part of your plan. Domestically, owning one is straightforward; using it for a specific hunt still comes down to your state's current regulations for the species and land you're hunting.
Is it worth checking the rules before you buy
Yes, and it takes less time than the purchase decision itself. A quick call or website check with your state wildlife agency before you buy tells you whether the device fits your actual hunting plans, rather than finding out after the fact that your state restricts night vision for the species you were planning to pursue. If your primary use is property monitoring, scouting, or recovery rather than taking game at night, the legal picture is simpler and this step matters less.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to own night vision goggles in the United States?
Yes, for most adult U.S. residents, owning a civilian night vision device like the ATN PS31-3HFW is legal with no special license required. Ownership is treated like owning any other optical device, separate from use restrictions.
Can I hunt with night vision goggles?
It depends on your state and the species you're hunting — some states allow night vision for nuisance species like hogs or coyotes while restricting it for game like deer. Check current regulations with your state wildlife agency before hunting with one.
Do night vision laws vary by state?
Yes, significantly, and by species and land type within each state too. There's no single national rule for hunting use, so always verify with your specific state's wildlife agency rather than assuming another state's rules apply.
Can I bring night vision goggles to another country?
Not necessarily — high-grade U.S. night vision equipment can fall under federal export control due to its military-relevant technology. Confirm the specific device's export status before planning international travel with it.
Is night vision treated differently from thermal imaging under hunting law?
Often, yes — many states regulate image-intensifier night vision and thermal imaging as separate technologies with different rules. Don't assume a regulation you've read about one automatically applies to the other.
Who do I ask to find out if night vision hunting is legal where I live?
Your state's fish and wildlife or game commission is the authoritative source, not a retailer or online forum. Regulations are updated periodically, so confirm current rules directly before each season.
Buying a device like the ATN PS31-3HFW is a straightforward purchase — using it for a specific hunt is the part worth double-checking with your state wildlife agency first. Browse the full lineup on our night vision goggles page, and see our related guide on night vision goggles for hunting for more on how hunters put these devices to use in the field.
Quick reference: ATN PS31-3HFW
- SKU: NVGOPS3143HFW
- Tube generation: Gen 3, Auto-Gated
- Phosphor: P45 White Phosphor
- FOM: 2376+
- Field of view: 51°
- Weight: 1.28 lbs / 0.58 kg
- Country of origin: USA
- Export status: Not available for export
- Price: $13,195.00
