Are Rangefinding Scopes Legal for Hunting? State-by-State Guide
The Short Version
Rangefinding and electronic aiming optics — the Burris Eliminator, Oracle X, Garmin Xero class of devices — are legal for hunting in many states, restricted to certain seasons in others, and prohibited in some. The rules differ by device type and by season within the same state: electronic bow sights are the most commonly restricted, because most states have a rule about electronics attached to a bow in archery seasons. Find your state below; every verified row links to the official regulation.
The Three Device Categories
Regulations treat these differently, so this table tracks them separately:
- Rangefinding rifle scope — laser rangefinder and aiming solution built into a rifle scope (e.g.Burris Eliminator), during firearm seasons
- Rangefinding crossbow scope — the same tech on a crossbow (e.g. Burris Oracle X), during crossbow-legal seasons
- Electronic bow sight — rangefinding sights mounted on vertical bows (e.g. Garmin Xero, Burris Oracle 2), during archery seasons
Not covered here: conventional scopes and plain (non-rangefinding) red dots, which are legal on hunting firearms in every state during regular firearm seasons — the FAQ below covers the two edge cases worth knowing (optics limits in primitive/muzzleloader seasons, and battery-powered sights on bows in some archery seasons).
The Map
Pick a device category, then click any state to jump to its row in the table — every status below is sourced from that state's official regulations.
LegalRestrictedProhibited
State-by-State Table
LegalRestricted (season/method dependent)ProhibitedNot yet verified
| State | Rangefinding rifle scope | Rangefinding crossbow scope | Electronic bow sight | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Alabama's prohibition on light-emitting devices attached to a gun (Rule 220-2-.11(2)) contains an express exception for laser rangefinders with computational capabilities, which covers rangefinding/ballistic scopes like the Burris Eliminator. No other rule restricts electronic aiming displays during gun deer season (night-vision/thermal remains prohibited except licensed nighttime hog/coyote hunting). | Legal Crossbows are defined as legal bows for all hunters during archery and gun deer seasons, and Rule 220-2-.03(4) expressly permits magnified sights on crossbows and laser rangefinders with computational capabilities, covering scopes like the Burris Oracle X. | Legal Alabama bans electronics attached to a bow but expressly excepts illuminated sight pins and laser rangefinders with computational capabilities (Rule 220-2-.03(4)), which covers rangefinding bow sights like the Garmin Xero and Burris Oracle 2 during archery season. | Official regs |
| Alaska verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Alaska's prohibited-methods list bans laser sights but expressly excludes rangefinders, and separately bans night-vision and infrared optics; a rangefinding/ballistic-display scope that projects no beam is not prohibited in general firearm seasons. | Legal Crossbows may be used in any hunt not weapons-restricted (never in bow-and-arrow-only hunts), and electronic scopes/sights are expressly allowed on crossbows provided they do not project light externally; rangefinders are excluded from the laser-sight ban. | Restricted In hunts or areas restricted to bow-and-arrow only (Alaska's archery hunts), electronics on the bow are banned except a lighted nock, non-illuminating camera or battery-powered sight light — so rangefinding bow sights are illegal there. Bows used during general (unrestricted) seasons are not subject to this ban. | Official regs |
| Arizona verified 2026-07-16 | Legal R12-4-303 bans night vision, thermal, visible-light lasers, and 'smart devices' (target-tracking systems or electronically assisted triggers), but expressly excepts laser rangefinders projecting non-visible light and scopes with self-illuminating reticles. Rangefinding/ballistic-display scopes like the Eliminator, which have no target tracking or trigger control, fall within that exception. | Restricted During general, HAM, muzzleloader, and limited-weapon seasons (when crossbows are lawful for everyone), rangefinding crossbow scopes are permitted under R12-4-303's laser-rangefinder/illuminated-reticle exception. But under R12-4-216 (effective July 1, 2026), crossbow-permit holders hunting archery-only seasons may not use any magnifying/telescoping optic or built-in electronics that place a point of aim on an animal, which rules out scopes like the Oracle X in those seasons. | Legal Arizona has no rule against electronic devices attached to vertical bows; R12-4-303 expressly permits non-visible laser rangefinders and self-illuminating pins that do not project light onto the animal, so rangefinding bow sights like the Garmin Xero are lawful, including in archery-only seasons. Any sight projecting visible light onto the animal remains unlawful. | Official regs |
| Arkansas verified 2026-07-16 | Legal AGFC Codes 06.02/06.03 restrict deer firearms only by caliber, ammunition, and action type; the entire AGFC Code Book contains no prohibition on laser rangefinders, electronic sights, or smart scopes, so rangefinding ballistic scopes like the Burris Eliminator are legal during modern gun and alternative firearms seasons. Only remote 'computer-assisted hunting' (remotely controlled aiming/discharge) is banned, which does not cover onboard rangefinding displays. | Legal Crossbows (minimum 125-lb draw with mechanical safety) are legal archery tackle during Arkansas's combined archery/crossbow deer, bear, and turkey seasons as well as firearms seasons, and AGFC expressly allows scopes on crossbows with no electronics restriction, so rangefinding crossbow scopes like the Burris Oracle X are legal. | Legal AGFC Code 06.04's archery tackle restrictions cover only draw weight, arrowheads, poisons/explosives, and multi-shot bows — no sight or electronics limits — and AGFC's deer regulations expressly permit scopes and accessories on vertical bows, so electronic rangefinding bow sights like the Garmin Xero A1i or Burris Oracle 2 are legal during archery season. | Official regs |
| California verified 2026-07-16 | Legal CCR Title 14 §353(j) bans devices that project visible light onto the animal and night-vision/IR scopes, but expressly permits laser rangefinders and self-illuminating reticles that project nothing onto the animal. An Eliminator-style rangefinding/ballistic scope is legal in general rifle seasons. | Legal Crossbows may be used only during general (regular) seasons for deer and wild pigs, not archery seasons (except with a Disabled Archer Permit). In those seasons no rule restricts crossbow scopes, and §353(j) expressly permits rangefinding sights that project no light onto the animal. | Legal Section 354 contains no ban on electronic devices attached to a bow, and §353(j) — which covers take under Section 354 — permits rangefinders and self-illuminated sights so long as no visible light is projected onto the animal. Garmin Xero / Oracle-style sights are legal in California archery seasons. | Official regs |
| Colorado verified 2026-07-16 | Prohibited Colorado bans hunting with 'smart rifles,' defined as any firearm equipped with a target tracking system, an electronically-assisted or computer-linked trigger, or a ballistics computer. A rangefinding scope that computes and displays a ballistic aiming solution (e.g., Burris Eliminator) equips the firearm with a ballistics computer, so it may not be used to take wildlife. | Legal Crossbows are lawful in Colorado only during firearm (rifle) seasons, not archery seasons. In seasons where crossbows are legal, CPW's crossbow rules (W-2 #203) impose no restriction on scopes or electronics, and the smart-rifle ban applies only to firearms — so a rangefinding crossbow scope is not prohibited there. | Prohibited Colorado prohibits scopes and any electronic or battery-powered devices on bows or arrows during archery hunting, excepting only lighted nocks and non-aiding recording devices. Electronic rangefinding bow sights such as the Garmin Xero or Burris Oracle 2 are therefore illegal. | Official regs |
| Connecticut verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Deer may be taken with shotguns statewide and centerfire rifles/revolvers on qualifying private land; the official 2026 guide expressly allows telescopic sights and contains no prohibition on laser rangefinders, lasers, or electronic/ballistic aiming displays. | Legal Crossbows are legal for deer, turkey, and all other species in CT, and the guide expressly permits telescopic sights on them with no electronic or laser restriction, so rangefinding crossbow scopes are not restricted. | Legal CT's archery equipment rules regulate only draw weight, arrowheads, and releases; the official guide contains no rule against electronic devices, rangefinders, or lasers attached to bows. | Official regs |
| Delaware verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Delaware deer firearms are shotgun, muzzleloader, handgun, and straight-walled pistol-caliber rifle, with optical and telescopic sights expressly allowed and no laser or electronic-scope prohibition; Delaware's night-vision/infrared ban applies only to hunting at nighttime with light-amplifying devices. | Legal Crossbows may be used during all Delaware deer seasons (archery/crossbow season plus firearm seasons) and the code expressly allows scopes on them with no laser or electronic restriction. | Legal Delaware's archery rules regulate only minimum draw weight, broadheads, and banned poison/explosive arrows; neither the Wildlife code (3900) nor the DNREC laws summary contains any prohibition on electronic or rangefinding bow sights. | Official regs |
| Florida verified 2026-07-16 | Legal FWC's taking-game rules list lawful firearms per season and a specific prohibited-methods list (artificial lights, set guns, etc.) with no restriction on scopes, rangefinders, or electronic aiming displays, so rangefinding/ballistic scopes are legal during general gun season. | Legal Crossbows are legal during crossbow, muzzleloading gun, and general gun seasons (archery season requires a Persons With Disabilities Crossbow Permit), and FWC imposes no restriction on crossbow scopes, rangefinders, or electronics in any of those seasons. | Legal FWC has no rule restricting bow sights or electronics attached to bows during archery season; its prohibited-methods list does not cover sights or rangefinders, so electronic rangefinding bow sights are legal. | Official regs |
| Georgia verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Georgia's official regulations list no scope or sighting restrictions for modern firearms during firearms deer season (centerfire .22-cal or larger with expanding bullets), and scopes are explicitly legal even on muzzleloaders; no electronic-aiming prohibition exists. | Legal Crossbows are legal in Georgia during archery, primitive weapons, and firearms deer seasons, and Georgia DNR's official bowhunting equipment table lists magnification, rangefinding, and laser sights as 'Not Restricted.' | Legal Georgia DNR's official bowhunting equipment regulation table explicitly lists rangefinding and laser sights as unrestricted for archery equipment, so electronic rangefinding bow sights like the Garmin Xero are legal during archery season. | Official regs |
| Hawaii verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Hawaii's game mammal rules impose no restriction on electronic, rangefinding or ballistic scopes for rifles; the artificial-light ban expressly excepts optical sighting devices used during authorized (daylight) hunting hours. | Restricted Crossbows themselves are prohibited in Hawaii public hunting areas except for disabled hunters holding a valid permit, so a rangefinding crossbow scope can only be used by those permit holders; the rules place no separate restriction on the scope itself. | Legal HAR 13-123 sets only minimum draw weights and arrow standards for archery and contains no prohibition on electronic bow sights or bow-mounted rangefinders; illuminated sighting devices are expressly excepted from the artificial-light ban during hunting hours. | Official regs |
| Idaho verified 2026-07-16 | Prohibited In any Idaho big game hunt, including general any-weapon seasons, electronic devices attached to or incorporated in the firearm or scope are unlawful; the only exception is battery-powered or tritium illuminated reticles. A scope with a built-in laser rangefinder/ballistic display (e.g., Eliminator) exceeds that exception and is illegal. | Prohibited Idaho's electronics ban expressly covers crossbows and applies in any big game hunt, including the any-weapon and short-range seasons where crossbows are otherwise legal (only lighted nocks are excepted). A rangefinding crossbow scope like the Oracle X is therefore illegal for big game. | Prohibited The same rule bars any electronic device attached to or incorporated into a bow in any big game hunt, and archery-only seasons additionally ban magnifying bow sights. Electronic rangefinding bow sights (Garmin Xero, Oracle 2) are illegal for Idaho big game. | Official regs |
| Illinois verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Illinois limits deer firearms to shotguns with slugs, muzzleloaders, handguns, and single-shot centerfire rifles — no conventional repeating rifles. The digest expressly allows scopes on any legal deer firearm and contains no restriction on rangefinding or electronic ballistic-display scopes. | Legal Crossbows are standard legal archery equipment for all hunters during the entire Illinois archery deer season. The only electronic-equipment restriction in the archery rules is on radio-telemetry arrow-tracking systems; nothing prohibits rangefinding crossbow scopes. | Legal Illinois' legal archery equipment rules contain no prohibition on electronic or rangefinding bow sights; the only banned electronics are radio-telemetry arrow-tracking systems. Statewide light restrictions apply only to lights used from vehicles. | Official regs |
| Indiana verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Indiana's deer equipment rule (312 IAC 9-3-3) sets firearm and cartridge specs but places no restrictions on scopes or sights; the only aiming-related electronics ban is on infrared sensors used to take deer. Rifles firing qualifying centerfire cartridges are legal deer firearms. | Legal Crossbows are legal for the entire Indiana archery season and the deer reduction zone season, and the equipment rule imposes no scope or sight restrictions on them. | Legal Indiana's bow rule regulates riser attachments only insofar as they may not contact or guide the arrow rearward of the brace height; there is no prohibition on electronic or rangefinding bow sights. | Official regs |
| Iowa verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Iowa allows rifles firing approved straight-wall cartridges (Iowa Code 481A.48) in the regular gun seasons and has no rule restricting scopes with built-in rangefinders or ballistic displays. The only sight prohibition is on sights that project a light beam at the target (visible laser sights, per Iowa Code 481A.93) — internal-display units like the Eliminator cast no visible beam. | Restricted No Iowa rule restricts rangefinding scopes on crossbows, but crossbow use itself is limited: residents during the late muzzleloader season, the January antlerless seasons, and the youth/disabled season; during the regular bow season crossbows are only allowed for disability permit holders and residents 65+ holding the antlerless-only senior crossbow license (IAC 571-106.11). | Legal Iowa's current archery deer rule (IAC 571-106.11(1)) contains no prohibition on electronic devices or rangefinding sights on bows — only explosive or chemical devices on arrows are barred. The separate ban on sights projecting a visible light beam (laser sights) does not describe Xero/Oracle-style sights, which emit no visible beam. | Official regs |
| Kansas verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Kansas allows firearm scopes that project no visible light at the target and do not amplify light or detect infrared/thermal energy — aimed at banning night-vision/thermal optics, not laser-rangefinding or ballistic-calculating scopes; KDWP expressly lists rangefinders as legal equipment attachments. | Legal Crossbows are legal archery equipment for all hunters during Kansas archery seasons (and may also be used in firearms seasons), and rangefinders are expressly listed among devices that may be attached. | Legal Electronic rangefinding bow sights are legal in Kansas: lighted pin/dot/holographic sights and rangefinders may be attached to a bow; the only electronics ban is on devices that control the flight of the arrow. | Official regs |
| Kentucky verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Kentucky allows any-caliber centerfire rifles for modern gun deer season and its official guide states scopes are allowed on all hunting equipment, with no restriction on electronic or rangefinding scopes. 301 KAR 2:172 bans only electrically powered decoys/calls, not sighting electronics. | Legal Kentucky's crossbow deer season runs most of the fall, and crossbows may also be used during firearms seasons. The guide's blanket allowance of scopes on all hunting equipment covers crossbow scopes, and no rule restricts built-in rangefinders. | Legal Kentucky's archery equipment rules (any-draw-weight bows, 7/8-inch broadheads) contain no prohibition on electronic devices attached to bows, and the guide allows scopes/sights on all hunting equipment. | Official regs |
| Louisiana verified 2026-07-16 | Prohibited Louisiana bans hunting game with a firearm fitted with any sighting device that projects a beam of light (including a laser) to the target, which captures scopes with built-in laser rangefinders like the Burris Eliminator; internal ballistic displays that project nothing are not the issue — the ranging laser is. The only exception is for certified visually-impaired hunters with a Physically Challenged Hunter Permit under R.S. 56:116(A)(8). | Prohibited Crossbows themselves are legal gear for all hunters during Louisiana's archery season, but the same beam-projection ban applies to bows and crossbows, so a crossbow scope with a built-in laser rangefinder (e.g., Burris Oracle X) is unlawful. Non-projecting red dot sights are explicitly allowed. | Prohibited Rangefinding bow sights such as the Garmin Xero A1i and Burris Oracle 2 range by projecting a laser beam at the target, which Louisiana's bow/crossbow sight rule (R.S. 56:116.1(B)(4)) prohibits; the rule expressly excludes only non-projecting red dot sights. A separate handheld rangefinder not fitted to the bow is not restricted by this rule. | Official regs |
| Maine verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Maine IFW's hunting equipment laws expressly list laser sights on firearms as permitted, and neither the equipment page nor the unlawful-implements statute (12 MRS 11214) restricts rangefinding or ballistic-display scopes. | Legal Maine expressly allows scopes and sights on crossbows, and crossbows are included with an archery license for archery and firearms seasons. Crossbows may not be used for deer during the muzzleloader season, except in expanded archery areas. | Legal Maine expressly permits laser sights on bows and has no rule against electronic devices attached to a bow; bow rules only require a hand-held bow of at least 35 lbs draw. | Official regs |
| Maryland verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Maryland regulation COMAR 08.03.04.05C(7) expressly permits telescopic sights and electronic aiming devices on firearms, so rangefinding/ballistic scopes like the Eliminator are legal during firearm deer seasons. Telescopic/electronic aiming devices are banned only on primitive weapons during the February Primitive Deer Hunt Days. | Legal COMAR permits telescopic sights and electronic aiming devices on bows and lists no sight restriction for crossbows (min. 75-lb draw, working safety); crossbows may be used during the archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons. Crossbows themselves are prohibited during the February Primitive Deer Hunt Days. | Legal Maryland expressly allows electronic aiming devices (e.g., Garmin Xero, Burris Oracle 2) on vertical bows throughout the regular archery season under COMAR 08.03.04.05B(4). Sole exception: the three-day February Primitive Deer Hunt Days, limited to longbows/recurves with no telescopic or electronic aiming device, release aid, or draw lock. | Official regs |
| Massachusetts verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Massachusetts deer hunting uses shotguns (shotgun season) and muzzleloaders, not rifles; MassWildlife places no restriction on scope type for these implements and expressly permits scopes on muzzleloaders, with no electronic-aiming or laser-sight prohibition in its regulations. | Restricted Crossbows remain legal only for permanently disabled hunters holding a lifetime crossbow permit (321 CMR 3.01(3)(d)); for those permit holders no rule restricts crossbow scopes or rangefinding electronics. | Legal MassWildlife's archery rules prohibit only poisoned/explosive arrows, airbows, and mechanically drawn bows; there is no rule against electronic or rangefinding sights mounted on a vertical bow. | Official regs |
| Michigan verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Michigan has no rule restricting scopes with built-in rangefinders or ballistic displays for firearm deer seasons; the 2026 Deer Regulations Summary confirms illuminated-reticle scopes are legal. Visible-beam laser sighting devices are reserved for legally blind hunters and disability permittees (Wildlife Conservation Order 2.4a). | Legal Rangefinding crossbow scopes are not restricted. Crossbows are legal during both archery segments in the Lower Peninsula and during any firearm season statewide, but in the Upper Peninsula's late archery segment crossbows require a disability bow permit — or, beginning Sept. 12, 2026, a resident senior deer license (WCO 2.1(15)). | Legal Michigan expressly allows lighted pin sights on bows and its only bow-attachment ban is on devices that cock or hold the string at draw (WCO 2.1(12)); nothing prohibits electronic rangefinding bow sights that do not project a visible aiming beam. | Official regs |
| Minnesota verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Minnesota has no restriction on rifle scopes with built-in rangefinders or ballistic aiming displays for the firearms deer season, and statute expressly permits electronic range finder devices during legal shooting hours. Only night-vision and thermal-imaging equipment is prohibited while hunting (Minn. Stat. 97B.086). | Legal No rule restricts rangefinding crossbow scopes. Any hunter with a valid archery license may use a crossbow during the regular archery season (Minn. Stat. 97B.037), and firearms license holders may use crossbows during firearms seasons (97B.036). | Legal Minnesota has no prohibition on electronic or rangefinding sights mounted on vertical bows for deer, and the shining statute expressly excepts electronic range finder use during shooting hours. Note for turkey only: regulations bar taking wild turkeys with electronic devices except red dot scopes, rangefinders, and hearing enhancers. | Official regs |
| Mississippi verified 2026-07-16 | Legal MDWFP's weapons rules impose no scope or sight restrictions for gun deer seasons and no prohibition on electronic or rangefinding scopes; the only sight-specific rules (telescopic sights on primitive weapons) are permissive. Hunting deer at night with lighting devices remains illegal. | Legal Crossbows are legal archery equipment for all hunters during archery season, and archery equipment may also be used during primitive weapon and gun seasons; MDWFP places no restrictions on crossbow scopes or rangefinding sights. | Legal MDWFP's archery equipment rules contain no restriction on sights or electronic devices attached to bows — the regulations limit only broadhead type and impose no draw-weight, arrow, or sight rules — so electronic rangefinding bow sights are not prohibited. | Official regs |
| Missouri verified 2026-07-16 | Legal MDC allows scopes on firearms with no electronics restriction; the prohibitions are sighting devices that cast a beam of light on the game, and possessing night-vision/thermal equipment while carrying a hunting implement. Rangefinding/ballistic scopes that cast no light on the game are lawful. | Legal Crossbows are a legal method in Missouri's archery and firearms deer seasons, and illuminated sights and scopes are expressly allowed. Sights that cast a beam of light on the game, plus night-vision/thermal gear, are prohibited. | Legal Missouri expressly allows illuminated sights, scopes, and quickpoint sights on bows during archery season, which covers electronic rangefinding bow sights with internal displays. The sight must not cast a beam of light on the game. | Official regs |
| Montana verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Montana FWP expressly allows rifle scopes with built-in rangefinding capability for taking game animals. The only scope restriction is that scopes projecting visible or infrared light onto the target are unlawful, which rangefinding display scopes like the Eliminator do not do. | Legal Crossbows are lawful in Montana during the general season and most weapons-restriction areas, but are not lawful archery equipment during Archery Only seasons or archery-only areas. In the seasons where crossbows are legal, no FWP rule restricts electronic or rangefinding scopes on them. | Prohibited During Archery Only seasons and in archery-equipment-only areas, Montana bars electronic or battery-powered devices attached to a bow that aid in taking game (cameras excepted), and a bow sight using artificial light, tritium, or electronics is not lawful archery equipment. Rangefinding bow sights are therefore illegal in archery seasons. | Official regs |
| Nebraska verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Nebraska expressly permits laser rangefinder scopes during firearm big-game seasons. Only night-vision scopes and scopes that electronically amplify natural light or project a visible light beam onto the target are prohibited. | Legal Crossbows (125-lb minimum draw, non-electronic firing mechanism, shoulder-fired) are legal in both archery and firearm big-game seasons, and the state's weapon-sights rule expressly permits laser rangefinder scopes and red-dot/illuminated sights. The 'non-electronic' requirement refers to the crossbow itself, not its sight. | Legal Nebraska has no ban on electronic devices attached to vertical bows, and its weapon-sights rule expressly permits red-dot, illuminated-reticle and laser rangefinder sights. Only optics that project a visible light beam onto the target or amplify natural light are prohibited, which internal-display sights like the Xero/Oracle 2 do not do. | Official regs |
| Nevada verified 2026-07-16 | Legal NAC 503.145 allows battery-powered sights on firearms and bans only sights that project a visible beam of light to the animal; NAC 503.1455 bans night vision and NAC 503.142(5) bans sighting systems with electronically/computer-controlled firing mechanisms. A rangefinding/ballistic scope with an internal display and no visible beam is legal in any-legal-weapon seasons. | Legal Crossbows are legal only in any-legal-weapon hunts (not archery-only or muzzleloader-only hunts, except with an archery disability permit), and NAC 503.145 expressly allows battery-powered sights on crossbows used for big game, so a rangefinding crossbow scope is legal in those hunts. | Legal NAC 503.145 expressly permits sights on bows powered by an internal battery, prohibiting only sights that cast a visible beam of light to the animal, so electronic rangefinding bow sights are legal in Nevada archery hunts. | Official regs |
| New Hampshire verified 2026-07-16 | Prohibited NH bans 'smart rifles,' defined as any firearm equipped with a target tracking system, an electronic/computer-linked trigger, or 'a ballistics computer' (Fis 312.01). A scope with a built-in ballistic aiming display like the Eliminator makes the firearm one equipped with a ballistics computer; a plain rangefinding scope without ballistic computation is not clearly covered. | Legal No NH rule restricts crossbow scopes or electronics (the smart-rifle ban is written for firearms), but crossbow use itself is limited: any licensee may use one during the muzzleloader and regular firearms deer seasons; archery-season use is limited to certain WMUs, hunters 68+, disabled-permit holders, and youth weekend (Fis 301.03). | Legal NH's archery equipment rule (Fis 301.041) sets only draw-weight, release, and broadhead minimums and bans just draw-locking devices; it contains no prohibition on electronic or rangefinding bow sights, and no laser-sight ban appears in the Fis 300 rules. | Official regs |
| New Jersey verified 2026-07-16 | Prohibited NJ deer hunting is shotgun/muzzleloader only (plain telescopic sights permitted), but the digest prohibits any sight or device that casts a beam of light upon the deer and separately bans smart guns with ballistics computers — an Eliminator-type rangefinding/ballistic-display scope violates both rules. | Prohibited Crossbows (min. 75 lb draw) are legal archery equipment in NJ's Fall, Permit, and Winter Bow deer seasons, but the deer equipment rules prohibit any sight or device that casts a beam of light upon the deer, which bars scopes with built-in laser rangefinders; ordinary crossbow scopes are legal. | Prohibited For deer, NJ prohibits any sight or device that casts a beam of light upon the deer — a bow sight that fires a laser rangefinder beam at the animal (Xero/Oracle type) falls under this rule; lighted pins that do not cast a beam remain legal. | Official regs |
| New Mexico verified 2026-07-16 | Legal NMDGF's legal sporting arms rules place no restriction on scopes, rangefinders, or electronic ballistic displays for centerfire rifles during any-legal-sporting-arm big-game hunts. Optic restrictions apply only to muzzleloaders during muzzleloader hunts, where scopes and red dots are banned. | Restricted Crossbows are legal in any-legal-sporting-arm and muzzleloader/crossbow/bow hunts (bow-only hunts require a mobility-impaired card), and NMDGF expressly allows illuminated reticles and magnification on crossbow scopes while banning sights that 'project light.' The booklet does not address built-in laser rangefinders, so confirm with NMDGF whether a rangefinding scope's laser counts as projecting light before using an Oracle X. | Restricted For 2026-27 NMDGF expressly allows illuminated pins/reticles and magnifying sights on bows (a change from the prior ban on magnification), but sights 'shall not project light.' Whether a built-in laser rangefinder (Garmin Xero, Burris Oracle) constitutes projecting light is not addressed in the official rules, so verify with NMDGF before bow-season use. | Official regs |
| New York verified 2026-07-16 | Legal NYSDEC's 2025-26 guide expressly allows laser rangefinders and illuminated-reticle scopes for big game, provided the device projects no light toward the target. Devices like the Burris Eliminator (internal display, no visible beam) fit this allowance; anything projecting a visible beam/laser at the target is illegal. | Legal New for fall 2025, crossbows may be used in any season, place, and manner where vertical bows are allowed for deer and bear. The same rule applies: laser rangefinders and illuminated optics are allowed provided no light is projected toward the target. | Legal NY allows laser rangefinders and illuminated sight pins on bows provided no light is projected toward the target; NY's only bow-attachment ban covers mechanical draw/hold/release devices, not electronics. Sights that project a visible beam onto the target remain illegal. | Official regs |
| North Carolina verified 2026-07-16 | Restricted No NCWRC rule restricts electronic or ballistic-display rifle scopes during gun season, but NC makes it unlawful to use artificial lights, expressly including laser sights, in taking game. NCWRC has not published guidance on whether a scope's built-in laser rangefinder falls under this ban, so confirm with the agency before hunting with an Eliminator-type scope. | Restricted Crossbows are legal for deer in every NC season (archery, blackpowder, and gun), and no rule restricts crossbow-mounted scopes. However, NC's prohibition on artificial lights 'including laser sights' has not been officially clarified for scopes with built-in laser rangefinders, so verify with NCWRC. | Restricted NC has no rule against electronics attached to bows, but its artificial-light prohibition expressly includes laser sights, and NCWRC has not clarified whether laser-rangefinding bow sights (Garmin Xero, Burris Oracle 2) fall under that ban. Verify with NCWRC before using one; sights that project a visible beam onto game are clearly unlawful. | Official regs |
| North Dakota verified 2026-07-16 | Legal The deer gun season rules impose no restriction on rangefinding or ballistic-display rifle scopes; the only optics prohibitions for big game are night vision, electronically enhanced light-gathering optics and thermal imaging. | Prohibited Crossbows are legal only during the Deer Gun season (or during bow season with a director's disability permit), and crossbow optics are limited to telescopic or lighted reticles of 8x or less that must comply with archery rules banning rangefinding devices attached to the bow. A scope with a built-in laser rangefinder (Oracle X type) is therefore not permitted. | Prohibited Rangefinding or electronic devices attached to a bow are expressly prohibited during the archery season; only lighted sights that do not project light, lighted nocks and recording devices that do not aid rangefinding are allowed. Handheld rangefinders remain legal. | Official regs |
| Ohio verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Ohio's deer rule (OAC 1501:31-15-11) sets firearm requirements (straight-walled cartridge rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders) with no restriction on scopes or electronic sighting devices; Ohio's only device-attachment prohibition applies to longbows and crossbows. Rangefinding scopes on legal deer firearms are therefore not prohibited. | Legal Electronic devices may be attached to a crossbow so long as the device cannot project a visible beam or ray of light onto the animal (OAC 1501:31-15-02). Rangefinding crossbow scopes using invisible IR lasers and internal displays comply; any visible-laser mode would not. | Legal Same rule governs vertical bows: electronic bow sights are lawful unless capable of projecting a visible beam or ray of light onto a wild animal. Internal-display rangefinding sights (invisible IR laser) comply. | Official regs |
| Oklahoma verified 2026-07-16 | Legal ODWC's gun-season illegal-device list does not restrict rangefinding or ballistic-display scopes; it bans only laser sights (aiming lasers, with a disability exception), thermal tracking devices and night-time light-enhancement devices. ODWC does not further define 'laser sight,' so the scope must not project a laser aiming beam onto the target. | Legal Crossbows (minimum 100-lb draw with safety devices) are listed as legal means of take for all hunters during Deer, Elk, Antelope, Turkey and Bear Archery seasons, and may also be carried in gun seasons with the proper license; Oklahoma imposes no crossbow scope restrictions beyond the general laser-sight and night-device bans. | Legal Oklahoma has no rule against electronic or rangefinding sights attached to bows; the archery illegal-device list is limited to laser sights (with a disability exception), thermal tracking devices and night-time light-enhancement devices. Rangefinding sights that project no laser aiming beam onto the target are not on that list. | Official regs |
| Oregon verified 2026-07-16 | Prohibited ODFW prohibits scopes with built-in electronic rangefinders and scopes that receive data from electronic devices for all game-mammal hunting; the 2026 rule amendments (OAR 635-065-0745) further clarify that any electronic device attached to or incorporated in the firearm or scope is unlawful. Eliminator-style scopes are illegal in Oregon. | Prohibited Crossbows are not a legal hunting weapon for any game in Oregon, so there is no season in which a crossbow (or crossbow scope) may be used. | Prohibited Oregon bans all electronic devices attached to the bow or arrow except lighted nocks and pure recording cameras, so rangefinding/electronic bow sights like the Garmin Xero or Burris Oracle 2 are illegal. | Official regs |
| Pennsylvania verified 2026-07-16 | Legal PA expressly permits electronic rangefinders contained within a scope (58 Pa. Code 141.18(6)), so rangefinding/ballistic-display scopes like the Eliminator are lawful in firearms seasons. The device must not emit any beam visible outside the device or on the target. | Legal Crossbows are lawful in PA archery and firearms deer seasons, and the same permitted-device rule covers rangefinding scopes mounted on them. The device must not emit any beam visible outside the device or on the target. | Legal Rangefinding archery sights (e.g., Garmin Xero, Burris Oracle) are expressly permitted by name-of-category in PA's permitted electronic devices rule. The sight must not emit any beam visible outside the device or on the target. | Official regs |
| Rhode Island verified 2026-07-16 | Prohibited RI deer firearm seasons are shotgun and muzzleloader only, and DEM's general prohibitions bar use or possession of laser sights that project a beam and infrared equipment while hunting — which on its plain language captures scopes with built-in laser rangefinders (the rule does not name rangefinding scopes specifically; confirm with RI DEM). | Prohibited Crossbows (min. 125 lb) are legal only during archery deer seasons, not muzzleloader or shotgun seasons, but the same 9.17(M) ban on laser sights that project a beam applies, capturing laser-rangefinding crossbow scopes; a plain telescopic scope is fine. | Prohibited The 9.17(M) prohibition on using or possessing laser sights that project a beam while hunting applies to bow-mounted sights with built-in laser rangefinders (Xero/Oracle type); standard non-laser sights and handheld rangefinders are not addressed by the rule. | Official regs |
| South Carolina verified 2026-07-16 | Legal The official 2025-2026 SCDNR guide imposes no scope or sight restrictions for centerfire rifles during gun deer seasons, so rangefinding/ballistic scopes are not prohibited for daytime deer hunting. Note that optics with digital screens/night vision count as 'artificial light' under SC's night-hunting laws, which do not affect lawful daytime deer seasons. | Legal Crossbows are legal statewide in South Carolina during all archery, muzzleloader, and gun seasons for deer, and the SCDNR guide places no restrictions on crossbow scopes or electronic sights — scopes are permitted even during primitive weapons seasons. | Legal SCDNR's official guide defines archery equipment broadly with no restrictions on sights or electronic devices attached to bows — its only stated limits concern prohibited items like drugged or exploding arrows — so electronic rangefinding bow sights are not prohibited during archery seasons. | Official regs |
| South Dakota verified 2026-07-16 | Legal South Dakota's 2026 big game regulations place no restriction on electronic or rangefinding rifle scopes for firearm seasons; the only optics rules prohibit artificial light and night-vision equipment (including thermal) between sunset and sunrise. | Restricted Crossbows are prohibited archery equipment except for hunters holding a disability crossbow permit, but any firearm-season big game license holder may use a crossbow in lieu of a firearm, and telescopic sights are expressly permitted for that use. A built-in laser rangefinder is not explicitly addressed for firearm-season crossbow use, while archery-season (permit) use falls under the ban on electronic devices mounted to the bow. | Prohibited Bowhunters may not use or possess electronic devices mounted to the bow that aid in taking game, which covers rangefinding sights like the Garmin Xero or Burris Oracle 2; only cameras/phones used for photos, lighted sight pins and illuminated nocks are excepted, and telescopic sights on bows are also banned. | Official regs |
| Tennessee verified 2026-07-16 | Legal TWRA's prohibited-methods rules ban night vision/thermal devices only between sunset and sunrise and ban devices projecting artificial light capable of locating wildlife; a daylight laser-rangefinding/ballistic-display scope on a centerfire rifle is not restricted. | Legal Tennessee classifies crossbows as standard archery equipment, legal during archery, muzzleloader, and gun seasons for big game, with no restriction on crossbow scopes or built-in rangefinders during legal hunting hours. | Legal Tennessee has no rule against electronic devices attached to vertical bows; the only relevant prohibitions are devices using artificial light capable of locating wildlife and night vision/thermal gear between sunset and sunrise, which do not cover daylight rangefinding bow sights. | Official regs |
| Texas verified 2026-07-16 | Legal TPWD places no restriction on rifle scopes with built-in rangefinders or ballistic displays, and expressly allows battery-powered scopes whose illumination stays inside the optic. Devices that cast visible light onto the animal are prohibited (laser sighting devices are reserved for legally blind/disabled hunters), which internal-display scopes like the Eliminator do not do. | Legal Crossbows are lawful archery equipment in Texas, and TPWD allows battery-powered scoping devices with internal-only illumination plus sight magnification, so rangefinding crossbow scopes are unrestricted. (Separate issue: in Collin, Dallas, Grayson and Rockwall counties, crossbow use during Archery-Only deer season requires an upper-limb disability.) | Legal TPWD expressly permits lighted pins and sight magnification on archery equipment in any season when archery gear is lawful, and has no rule against electronic or rangefinding bow sights such as the Garmin Xero or Burris Oracle. | Official regs |
| Utah verified 2026-07-16 | Prohibited Utah bans all electronics attached to a rifle except illuminated reticles, so rangefinding/ballistic-display scopes like the Eliminator are illegal for big game even in any-weapon seasons. Hand-held laser rangefinders remain legal. | Prohibited Crossbows may only be used with an any-legal-weapon permit (not in archery seasons, except via the R657-12 disability rule), and even then only a plain magnifying scope is allowed — no electronics, so a rangefinding crossbow scope is illegal. | Prohibited Electronic rangefinding bow sights (Garmin Xero, Oracle 2) are illegal on bows for Utah big game; only illuminated nocks, lighted sight pins and non-aiding cameras may be attached, and magnifying aiming devices are banned. Hand-held rangefinders are fine. | Official regs |
| Vermont verified 2026-07-16 | Prohibited Vermont Fish & Wildlife's official deer guide flatly states laser sights are illegal for hunting, with no exception for rangefinding lasers, so a scope with a built-in laser rangefinder like the Eliminator falls under this blanket statement. The state does not further define 'laser sight,' so hunters should confirm with a game warden. | Prohibited Crossbows themselves are fully legal ('Any person may use a crossbow during any season when the use of bow and arrow is permitted'), but the state's blanket rule that laser sights are illegal for hunting covers a crossbow scope with a built-in laser rangefinder like the Oracle X. | Prohibited Vermont's official guide states laser sights are illegal for hunting, which captures laser-rangefinding bow sights such as the Garmin Xero and Burris Oracle 2; no other electronics-on-bow rule exists in the deer regulations. | Official regs |
| Virginia verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Virginia DWR's published firearm restrictions contain no prohibition on scopes, electronic aiming displays, or built-in rangefinders; the light-related bans cover only casting a light from a vehicle and night/spotlighting situations. Rangefinding and ballistic-calculating scopes are legal during firearms deer seasons. | Legal Crossbows are standard archery tackle in Virginia and are legal during all archery seasons as well as firearms seasons, with no DWR restriction on crossbow-mounted scopes or laser rangefinders. | Legal Virginia's archery regulation (4VAC15-40-20) restricts only drugged/toxic and explosive arrows and sets broadhead minimums; it contains no prohibition on electronic, laser-rangefinding, or lighted bow sights, which are therefore legal during archery seasons. | Official regs |
| Washington verified 2026-07-16 | Legal WAC 220-414-010 bans infrared night vision and laser sights that project a beam onto the target, but explicitly excludes rangefinders from that ban. A rangefinding/ballistic scope that projects no beam onto the target is legal during modern firearm seasons. | Legal Crossbows may only be used during modern firearm or muzzleloader seasons (never archery season), and WAC 220-414-100 places no restriction on crossbow scopes or electronics in those seasons, so a rangefinding crossbow scope is legal when crossbows are. | Prohibited Washington bans all electrical equipment attached to the bow or arrow except illuminated nocks, making electronic rangefinding bow sights illegal while hunting. | Official regs |
| West Virginia verified 2026-07-16 | Legal WVDNR lists no restriction on electronic or rangefinding scopes for firearms deer seasons, and telescopic sights are expressly legal even during muzzleloader season. Exception: the January Mountaineer Heritage primitive season requires iron sights only, and night-vision/thermal technology is unlawful for big game. | Legal Any licensed hunter may use a crossbow (min. 125-lb draw, working safety) during the archery and crossbow season, and crossbows may substitute for firearms in big-game firearms seasons except muzzleloader season; no scope or rangefinder restriction is listed. Note: crossbow deer hunting in Logan, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming counties requires a Class Y disability permit, and crossbows are prohibited during the January Mountaineer Heritage season. | Legal WVDNR's regulations list no prohibition on electronic or rangefinding sights mounted on vertical bows during archery season (only bow-locking devices, electronic calls, and certain arrows are banned). Exception: the January Mountaineer Heritage season is limited to longbows and recurves, and telescopic sights are not permitted there. | Official regs |
| Wisconsin verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Wisconsin DNR's lights-and-illuminating-devices guidance states laser rangefinders are legal for any hunting if they cast no visible light, and red-dot/illuminated aiming points are legal; only visible-beam laser sighting devices are prohibited (Class C disabled permit exception, s. 29.314, Wis. Stats.). | Legal The same DNR guidance makes built-in laser rangefinders legal (no visible beam) and lighted sighting points legal on crossbows. Wisconsin's crossbow season is open to any hunter with a crossbow license and runs concurrently with archery. | Legal DNR guidance expressly allows lighted pin sights and similar electronic sighting devices on bows, and laser rangefinders are legal so long as no visible ray is cast on the animal — which Xero/Oracle-style sights do not do. | Official regs |
| Wyoming verified 2026-07-16 | Legal Wyoming bans only 'smart firearms' — systems that mark a target, calculate a firing solution, and automatically discharge the firearm. Scopes that merely range and display an aiming point (e.g., Eliminator) do not automatically discharge and are not restricted by Wyoming Game & Fish regulations. | Legal Crossbows are legal archery equipment in Wyoming, including during special archery seasons (min. 90 lb draw, 16-inch bolt), and Chapter 32 expressly permits range finding sights attached to legal archery equipment. The WGFD archery FAQ confirms crossbows are legal during the archery hunt. | Legal Wyoming's Chapter 32 expressly permits range finding sights attached to legal archery equipment while archery hunting any big or trophy game animal, so electronic rangefinding bow sights like the Garmin Xero or Burris Oracle 2 are legal during archery seasons. | Official regs |
What Stands Out Across All 50 States
- Nine states prohibit Eliminator-class rangefinding rifle scopes: Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont (North Carolina is a tenth "verify first" — see below). That includes Burris's home state: Colorado's "smart rifle" ban covers any firearm equipped with a ballistics computer.
- The Mountain West is the danger zone. Of the marquee Western big-game states, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Oregon all block rangefinding rifle scopes, while Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico allow them. Plan destination hunts accordingly.
- Twelve states prohibit electronic bow sightsin archery seasons — the most-restricted category, because so many states have an "no electronics attached to the bow" rule. Several states that welcome rangefinding rifle scopes (Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota) still ban them on bows.
- Prohibitions come in three legal flavors:"smart gun / ballistics computer" bans (Colorado, New Jersey, New Hampshire); all-electronics-on-the-weapon bans (Idaho, Utah, Oregon); and beam-projection language broad enough to capture the rangefinding laser itself (Louisiana, Rhode Island, and Vermont's blanket "laser sights are illegal"). Knowing which flavor your state uses tells you what else is affected.
- Eleven states allow these devices expressly, by name — including Montana ("built-in range finding capabilities... are lawful"), Nebraska, Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Georgia, Alabama, Kansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In most other permissive states, legality rests on a "no visible light projected onto the animal" rule that internal-display optics pass.
- The ambiguity cases matter most: North Carolina bans artificial lights "including laser sights" without addressing invisible rangefinding lasers, and New Mexico's "sights shall not project light" has the same gap — we mark those restricted and recommend confirming with the agency in writing before hunting.
How We Verify
A state only gets a status on this page when we've read the operative language on the state wildlife agency's own website or current regulations document — never from forums, dealer pages, or manufacturer marketing. Each verified row shows the date we checked and links the official source. Statuses reflect typical big-game seasons; special hunts, disability accommodations, and unit-specific rules can differ. Found a change we've missed? Tell us — corrections get priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are rangefinding scopes like the Burris Eliminator legal everywhere?
No. As of our 2026 verification of all 50 states, nine states prohibit rangefinding/ballistic rifle scopes for hunting (Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont), North Carolina is unclear enough that we recommend confirming with the agency, and 40 states allow them during firearm seasons. Rules also differ by season within the same state.
Why do bow sights like the Garmin Xero have different rules than rifle scopes?
Most states regulate archery equipment separately, and many have a specific rule about electronic devices attached to the bow. A rangefinding bow sight is an electronic device on the bow, so it is commonly prohibited in archery-only seasons even in states that allow rangefinding rifle scopes in firearm seasons.
Can I rely on this page before buying or hunting?
Use it as a research starting point, not a legal authority. Every verified row links to the official source and shows the date we checked it, but regulations change annually. Confirm with your state wildlife agency before you buy — and again before you hunt.
Is a handheld rangefinder legal even where rangefinding scopes are not?
Generally yes — separate handheld rangefinders are legal in essentially all states. The restrictions on this page concern devices integrated into or attached to the scope, bow, or crossbow. If your state restricts integrated units, a conventional optic plus a handheld rangefinder is the standard compliant setup.
What about regular scopes and basic red dot sights — are those legal?
On firearms, essentially everywhere: no state bans conventional scopes or non-rangefinding red dots on legal hunting firearms in regular firearm seasons, and even the strictest electronics states carve out illuminated reticles (Idaho excepts battery or tritium lighted reticles; Utah excepts illuminated reticles; Nebraska expressly permits red dots). Two exceptions to know: some states restrict optics on muzzleloaders during primitive seasons (New Mexico bans scopes and red dots on muzzleloader hunts; West Virginia’s Mountaineer Heritage season is iron-sights only; Maryland’s Primitive Deer Hunt Days ban telescopic and electronic aiming devices), and battery-powered sights on BOWS are restricted in several archery seasons — Colorado bans battery-powered devices on bows, Montana disallows bow sights using artificial light, tritium, or electronics, and Washington bans electrical equipment on bows except lighted nocks, while states like Utah expressly allow lighted sight pins. If you run a lighted-pin sight or a red dot on a bow, check your state’s archery equipment rules specifically.
Shopping this category? Start with the Eliminator generation guide for rifles or the Oracle X guide for crossbows — both flag this legality question where it matters.