Every country in the world has certain laws and rules that regulate the carrying of weapons by its public. While some countries consider that these weapons are needed for self-protection, others believe that they would lead to an increase in the crime rate. These laws also regulate the sale and possession of harmful weapons.
In the United States, gun laws direct the sale, possession as well as use of firearms and ammunition. These laws differ from state to state, based on several external factors of the area. The state laws work independently from the federal laws and can vary inconsiderably.
There are 50 states in total in the US. Out of these, 44 states have laid out their laws through provisions in the state constitutions in a similar format as the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. These states protect the rights of citizens to bear arms.
The exception to this procedure is in five states – California, Minnesota, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. The arm bearer follows the laws of the state in which they are at the time of its possession and use, and not on their state of residence.
Some states also allow reciprocity regarding concealed carry permits. For example, one state can recognise the state laws of another state. Meanwhile, some states do not allow out-of-state permits at all. Hence, it is important to understand how gun laws function in the different states of the US.
State-by-state guide on Gun Laws
Alabama does not have a requirement for a state permit to purchase weapons. It neither needs firearm registration nor does it require an owner licence. Citizens 18 years or older can carry concealed weapons. For open weapons, they should be carried openly without permit, but handguns need to be in a holster. It is illegal to carry Any Other Weapon (AOW) disguised as a walking cane. Hence, the state has one of the weakest gun laws in the US.
Alaska, Arizona, and Arkansas also allow permitless carrying of open and concealed weapons, with the minimum age capped at 21 years. All three states require the arms holder to certify within the permissible deadline decided by the state, varying from 15 days to 60 days.
The gun laws are not very strict in the state of Colorado, where the state permit and owner licence are not an essential requirement. A permit is required for carrying concealed weapons. For open arms, it is legal to carry without permit, except in Denver and some other posted areas.
Some other states that neither require state permit nor owner licence and allow to carry permitless concealed and open weapons are Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
A few states require state permission to carry handguns, but not long guns. These include Rhode Island, Nebraska, Minnesota, Maryland, and Delaware.
Some states require permits to carry open or concealed weapons in a few cases. States which require permits for carrying handguns as concealed weapons but no permits for purchase are Delaware, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Maryland only requires state permission as well as permit to carry concealed and open weapons for handguns. This is also followed in Minnesota and Rhode Island.
States with strict gun laws in the US
California has comparatively strict gun laws, which partially require the purchaser to take a state permit before any such deal. There is an exception only for active-duty military, honoured veterans, or a peace officer. It also requires the registration of firearms. Moreover, it is illegal to purchase assault weapons, if purchased after May 1989. It also requires a licence to carry concealed or open weapons.
Connecticut also follows strict gun laws, making it necessary to take state permission before purchasing a weapon. It does not require an owner licence. While a permit is required to carry handguns as concealed weapons, it is illegal in the state to carry open weapons with some exceptions.
The District of Columbia, being the capital state of the US, has some of the strictest gun laws. Both the state permit as well as owner licence is required before purchasing any kind of weapons or firearms. The firearms also need to be registered. While concealed handguns require a permit, it is prohibited to carry open weapons.
Washington requires partial state permit for purchase of long guns and full permit for handguns, but no owner licence is needed. It also requires permits for carrying handguns as concealed weapons. But there is no permit needed for open arms.
New York requires a state permit, owner licence as well as firearm registration for handguns, but not for long guns. There is no minimum age to purchase handguns.
New Jersey, on the other hand, requires a state permit for purchasing both handguns and long guns. It does not require an owner licence. A licence is only required to carry handguns as open and concealed weapons.
Michigan has made it compulsory to obtain a state permit to buy handguns and to get it registered to carry a concealed weapon. The state has no compulsion on owner’s licenses or for permits to carry open weapons.
Massachusetts, being one of the states with strict gun laws, requires state permit as well as owner licence for purchase. One also needs to carry a permit for both concealed and open arms of all kinds.
Both Illinois and Hawaii require state permits to obtain arms. While Illinois has a partial requirement for firearm registration but compulsion of owner licence, it is the opposite in Hawaii.