Question

Is it possible to legally own a nuclear bomb in your backyard as a normal citizen, if you were somehow given permission to do so by the government.

Answer 1

42 US Code 2122 - Prohibitions governing atomic weapons states "It shall be unlawful, except as provided in section 2121 of this title, for any person, inside or outside of the United States, to knowingly participate in the development of, manufacture, produce, transfer, acquire, receive, possess, import, export, or use, or possess and threaten to use, any atomic weapon. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to modify the provisions of section 2051(a) or 2131 of this title." The 2121 section talks about doing so as part of a military program.

Answer 2

18 and under, it is considered illegal to possess "nuclear material" without the necessary authorization. Additionally, prohibits the possession of a "radiological weapon". If there is intent to utilize the device in order to cause death, serious bodily harm, or damage to property or the environment, this would also be a violation.

Answer 3

I would like to touch on a few points here, the "18 and under" statement is pretty much useless, no matter your age even if you're 18+ you will STILL need authorization,

You can own nuclear material as long as you have the proper license and comply with government regulations(18 U.S. Code § 831). You can NOT own a nuclear bomb as you were mentioning.

Possession of any radiological weapon is prohibited by 18 U.S. Code § 832 - Participation in nuclear and weapons of mass destruction threats to the United States (specifically paragraph (c))

(c) Whoever without lawful authority develops, possesses, or attempts or conspires to develop or possess a radiological weapon, or threatens to use or uses a radiological weapon against any person within the United States, or a national of the United States while such national is outside of the United States or against any property that is owned, leased, funded, or used by the United States, whether that property is within or outside of the United States, shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.

Answer 4

why is this even being asked..

Answer 5

yeah idiot if youre given permission by the government then obviously its legal

Answer 6

Owning a nuclear bomb, even with hypothetical government permission, is illegal and impossible due to:
Binding international treaties that prohibit private ownership of nuclear weapons.
Extreme national and global security risks posed by such weapons in the hands of individuals.
Grave ethical and moral concerns related to the catastrophic destructive power of nuclear weapons.

Answer 7

Why would wanna do that I'm concerned