duty to retreat

law

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 22, 2026

Quick Summary

The "duty to retreat" is a legal concept that requires individuals to make reasonable efforts to escape or retreat from an attacker before using force in self-defense. This duty typically applies when a person is threatened outside of their home.1

In contrast, "stand your ground" laws remove the duty to retreat. These laws grant immunity from prosecution to individuals who use force, including deadly force, when they are lawfully in a place and reasonably believe it's necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury to themselves or others. At least 22 states have enacted stand your ground laws.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

stand-your-ground laws
…laws, other states mandate the duty to retreat, which calls for a person in a dangerous situation to attempt to exit it instead of or before responding with force. In these states, if the threatened individuals had a reasonably safe means of escape from the situation and did not take…
Read More
…laws, other states mandate the duty to retreat, which calls for a person in a dangerous situation to attempt to exit it instead of or before responding with force. In these states, if the threatened individuals had a reasonably safe means of escape from the situation and did not take…
Read More