Dueling became illegal in the U.S. in stages , not all at once. At the federal level, Congress banned dueling in Washington, D.C. on February 20, 1839, and by the mid-1800s most states had passed their own anti-dueling laws as well.

What that means

  • 1839: Dueling was outlawed in the District of Columbia by Congress.
  • 19th century: States increasingly criminalized it, with many anti-dueling laws appearing in the early to mid-1800s.
  • Today: Dueling is illegal everywhere in the U.S..

Historical context

Dueling was still fairly common in the early 1800s, especially among politicians and Southern elites, even though many leaders condemned it. Public opinion and state laws gradually pushed it out, and by the Civil War era it had sharply declined.

Bottom line

If you want the shortest answer: Congress banned dueling in D.C. in 1839, and the rest of the U.S. followed through state laws over the 1800s.