Open Carry, Concealed Carry: What are the Laws in Each State?

Compared to other high-income countries, the United States has one of the worst rates of gun violence in the world. A 2022 analysis from the Everytown Gun Safety Support Fund found that the U.S. gun homicide rate is an astounding 26 times higher than other nations, with 4.382 gun homicides per 100,000 residents — the […] The post Open Carry, Concealed Carry: What are the Laws in Each State? appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Apr 29, 2025 - 16:12

Open Carry, Concealed Carry: What are the Laws in Each State?

Compared to other high-income countries, the United States has one of the worst rates of gun violence in the world. A 2022 analysis from the Everytown Gun Safety Support Fund found that the U.S. gun homicide rate is an astounding 26 times higher than other nations, with 4.382 gun homicides per 100,000 residents — the closest nation behind us, Chile, had just 0.956 gun homicides per 100,000 residents. An estimated 125 people are killed by gun violence each day in America, with significantly more than that injured and wounded. Yet instead of embracing more restrictive gun laws, various U.S. states have chosen to loosen the reins. The North Carolina Senate recently approved Senate Bill 50, or “Freedom to Carry NC,” which would allow permitless concealed carry and remove the handgun training requirement. In California, known for its stricter gun control laws, non-residents may now apply for concealed carry permits. These changes are just a sample of the legislation happening across the country relating to gun control. (We bet you can’t answer these questions about American gun laws.)

The legality around open carry and concealed carry has been hotly debated in some places, with many people arguing that requiring permits for each is essential to keeping our communities safe. However, many states allow permitless carry. Here, 24/7 Wall St. identified the open carry and concealed carry laws in each state across the U.S. To do so, we evaluated the comprehensive gun law library from Giffords Law Center, a national public interest law center and nonprofit organization dedicated to gun violence prevention. We listed each state in alphabetical order and included supplemental data on gun law strength and gun death rate from Giffords’ Annual Gun Law Scorecard, updated in 2024, which has the most up-to-date information at this time.

This previously published article was updated in April 2025 to provide updated grades and death rates for each state, and to highlight some of the current legislation aiming to change concealed and open carry laws.

What is Open Carry?

Open carry sounds very similar to what it is, so you can probably guess from the name: open carry means being able to carry your gun visibly or semi-visibly in public, either with or without a holster. As the U.S. Concealed Carry Association explains, open carry laws may be:

Permissive: allowing open carry wthout a permit
Licensed: allowing open carry with a permit
Anomalous: open carry is legal under state law but local laws may vary
Non-permissive: open carry is completely or largely not allowed

What is Concealed Carry?

Florida guns | Florida Lawmakers Consider Concealed Carry For Firearms Without Permits

Concealed carry means that you are carrying a gun with you or close to you, but it is hidden from sight and the casual observer could not see it. Carrying a loaded gun in your car is an example of concealed carry.

Open Carry vs. Concealed Carry: Key Differences

Outside of the fact that open carry means you can carry openly and concealed carry means the opposite, there are some key differences between the two. These two carrying methods come with different legal implications — and might change the way law enforcement interacts with you if they see you on the street:

Visibility: With open carry, you will most likely carry a gun on the hip or shoulder in plain sight. With concealed carry, your gun is most likely in your bag, car, or under clothing.
Law enforcement: If you’re openly carrying a weapon, police may stop you to ask questions or determine that you’re doing so legally.
Public perception: With the onslaught of gun violence across the United States, people may be more wary or frightened if they see you open carrying — though this may depend on what part of the country you’re in and how normalized gun use is.

Carry Law Categorizations

Iowa+gun+shop | Checking out guns at the gun shop

States classify their carry laws to determine who may carry a gun and whether a permit is needed:

Constitutional carry: No permit needed; age and background checks still required
Shall-issue: Permit will be issued so long as the applicant meets all eligibility criteria
May-issue: Applicants must meet all eligibility criteria, but the state has discretion as to whether they’d like to issue the weapon. Some states may require applicants to prove that they have a good cause for concealed carry and their application may still be denied.
No-issue: Permits restricted

Gun-Free Zones and Restrictions

Six Killed In Mass Shooting At A Prive School In Nashville

Although several states have looser and less restrictive gun laws, there are still several spots where carrying a gun openly or concealed is not allowed. These may be restricted due to federal, state, or local laws — so expect how these laws are enforced to vary based on location. Guns are often restricted or may not be allowed at:

Bars
Parks
Hospitals
Schools
Post offices
Polling places
Courthouses

Why It Matters Today

At the federal level, gun control initiatives have largely stalled in recent years. In stark contrast, many states have enacted laws expanding gun rights — particularly regarding guns in public. Now, in most of the country, guns can be carried in public, either concealed or visibly displayed, without any special permit. Meanwhile, states that still have tight controls over firearms in public are now in the minority. Still, some politicians in less restrictive states are standing up for more gun control: two Republicans in Tennessee recently voted “no” on a bill that would allow Tennessee residents with handgun permits to open carry a shotgun or rifle.

Check out each state’s regulations on open carry and concealed carry of a firearm:

Alabama

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit, with some restrictions on where guns can be carried
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 25.6 per 100,000 people — 3rd highest of 50 states

Alaska

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required for people ages 21 or older
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 23.5 per 100,000 people — 5th highest of 50 states

Arizona

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 18.5 per 100,000 people — 14th highest of 50 states

Arkansas

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 21.9 per 100,000 people — 7th highest of 50 states

California

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: Permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Prohibited
Open carry of a long gun in public: Generally prohibited
Gun law strength grade: A
Gun death rate: 8.0 per 100,000 people — 44th highest of 50 states

Colorado

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: Permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: A-
Gun death rate: 16.6 per 100,000 people — 20th highest of 50 states

Connecticut

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: Permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Prohibited
Open carry of a long gun in public: Generally prohibited
Gun law strength grade: A
Gun death rate: 6.2 per 100,000 people — 45th highest of 50 states

Delaware

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: Permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: A-
Gun death rate: 12.0 per 100,000 people — 39th highest of 50 states

Florida

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Prohibited
Open carry of a long gun in public: Generally prohibited
Gun law strength grade: C-
Gun death rate: 13.7 per 100,000 people — 30th highest of 50 states

Georgia

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 18.6 per 100,000 people — 13th highest of 50 states

Hawaii

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: Permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Permit required
Open carry of a long gun in public: Generally permitted with permit or license
Gun law strength grade: A-
Gun death rate: 4.9 per 100,000 people — 46th highest of 50 states

Idaho

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 17.9 per 100,000 people — 18th highest of 50 states

Illinois

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: Permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Prohibited
Open carry of a long gun in public: Generally prohibited
Gun law strength grade: A-
Gun death rate: 13.5 per 100,000 people — 32nd highest of 50 states

Indiana

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit, but location restrictions may apply
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit, but location restrictions may apply
Gun law strength grade: D-
Gun death rate: 18.3 per 100,000 people — 17th highest of 50 states

Iowa

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 10.5 per 100,000 people — 41st highest of 50 states

Kansas

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required if ages 21 or older
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 16.3 per 100,000 people — 22nd highest of 50 states

Kentucky

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required if age 21 or older
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 18.4 per 100,000 people — 16th highest of 50 states

Louisiana

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 28.3 per 100,000 people — 2nd highest of 50 states (1,266 total)

Maine

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: C+
Gun death rate: 14.0 per 100,000 people — 27th highest of 50 states

Maryland

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: Permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Permit required
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: A-
Gun death rate: 12.3 per 100,000 people — 37th highest of 50 states

Massachusetts

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: Permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Permit required
Open carry of a long gun in public: Regulated, but not prohibited
Gun law strength grade: A
Gun death rate: 3.7 per 100,000 people — lowest of 50 states

Michigan

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: Permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: B-
Gun death rate: 13.9 per 100,000 people — 28th highest of 50 states

Minnesota

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: Permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Permit required
Open carry of a long gun in public: Regulated, but not prohibited
Gun law strength grade: B
Gun death rate: 8.9 per 100,000 people — 43rd highest of 50 states

Mississippi

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required
Open carry of a handgun in public: Allowed without a permit
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 29.4 per 100,000 people — highest of 50 states

Missouri

Concealed carry of a firearm in public: No permit required for individuals ages 19 and older
Open carry of a handgun in public: Some restrictions
Open carry of a long gun in public: Allowed without a permit
Gun law strength grade: F
Gun death rate: 21.4 per 100,000 people — 10th highest of 50 states