Castle Doctrine States

In the United States, laws regulating self-defense and the right to protect one’s presence in particular spaces vary from state to state, and often engender substantial debate. This article examines the legislation known as the "Castle Doctrine," which asserts that a person's home – and occasionally their workplace or vehicle – is their sanctuary, granting them the right to use force, even deadly force, in self-defense against an intruder, without the duty to retreat.

While “Castle Doctrine” provides no obligation to retreat within one’s home or certain private spaces, the “Stand Your Ground” law expands this right to any place a person has a legal right to be, during a perceived threat. Lastly, “Duty to Retreat” laws necessitate the obligation to first retreat to safety if possible before using force.

• The 'Stand Your Ground' law is the most widely-adopted across states, with states like Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Texas, and more recognizing this law.
• The 'Castle Doctrine' is practiced in fewer states, including Wyoming, California, Illinois, New Mexico, and others.
• A minority of states, including Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Wisconsin, retain the ‘Duty to Retreat’ laws, showing a trend towards adopting non-retreat self-defense laws such as “Stand Your Ground” and “Castle Doctrine.”
• States like Iowa uniquely have both a Castle Doctrine and a Stand Your Ground law variation, demonstrating that blending of these self-defense laws is also a possibility to cater to the distinct characteristics of the state population.