Require Permits to Carry Concealed Guns in Public
What does it solve?
It is legal to carry a concealed handgun in public in all 50 states. States have traditionally required a person to have a permit to carry a loaded, concealed handgun in public. States should not allow the carry of concealed guns in public without one.
Although standards and processes vary, permits ensure that certain core public safety standards are maintained, such as requiring that a person has passed a background check and completed firearm safety training before carrying a concealed gun in public. Many states also authorize permit issuers to deny permits to people who pose a danger to the public. These laws promote responsible gun ownership and ensure fundamental public safety standards are preserved when people carry concealed guns in public places.
For over a century, states have recognized the public safety benefits of requiring a permit to carry concealed guns. Yet over the last decade, the gun lobby has been pushing legislation to allow people to carry concealed guns in public places without a permit, background check, or safety training, dismantling the system of responsible gun ownership. Some states have passed laws loosening their permitting standards, and many states have completely eliminated their concealed carry permit requirement. Permitless carry laws lower the bar for who may carry hidden handguns in public and allow untrained and unvetted people to carry concealed guns in parks, shopping malls, crowded town centers, and other public places.
Concealed Carry Permit Required
Which states require a permit to carry concealed guns in public?
Alabama has not adopted this policy
Alaska has not adopted this policy
Arizona has not adopted this policy
Arkansas has not adopted this policy
California has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
Colorado has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
Connecticut has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
Delaware has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
Florida has not adopted this policy
Georgia has not adopted this policy
Hawaii has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
Idaho has not adopted this policy
Illinois has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
Indiana has not adopted this policy
Iowa has not adopted this policy
Kansas has not adopted this policy
Kentucky has not adopted this policy
Louisiana has not adopted this policy
Maine has not adopted this policy
Maryland has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
Massachusetts has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
Michigan has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
Minnesota has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
Mississippi has not adopted this policy
Missouri has not adopted this policy
Montana has not adopted this policy
Nebraska has not adopted this policy
Nevada has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
New Hampshire has not adopted this policy
New Jersey has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
New Mexico has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
New York has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
North Carolina has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
North Dakota has not adopted this policy
Ohio has not adopted this policy
Oklahoma has not adopted this policy
Oregon has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- No
Pennsylvania has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- No
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- —
Rhode Island has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
South Carolina has not adopted this policy
South Dakota has not adopted this policy
Tennessee has not adopted this policy
Texas has not adopted this policy
Utah has not adopted this policy
Vermont has not adopted this policy
Virginia has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- No
Washington has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- Yes
West Virginia has not adopted this policy
Wisconsin has adopted this policy
- If so, does the state require training?
- Yes
- Does state training include firing an actual gun?
- No
Wyoming has not adopted this policy
Myth & Fact
Myth
Requiring a permit to carry a loaded, concealed handgun in public violates the U.S. Constitution.
Fact
No federal court has held that requiring a permit to carry a loaded, concealed handgun in public violates the U.S. Constitution.
How it works
Ensuring that only responsible gun owners can carry concealed guns in public.
Concealed carry permitting systems typically require training to carry firearms responsibly in public. Permitless carry laws strip away this critical safety component. Most states with permitting systems require a firearm safety course before a person can get a permit to carry a concealed handgun—many that require training that involves the live firing of a gun. This training ensures that permit holders are aware of responsible practices for handling and carrying guns in public.
Concealed carry permitting systems generally require a background check and set standards for who is too dangerous or irresponsible for a permit, ensuring that only responsible gun owners can carry concealed guns in public. Permitless carry laws and legislation remove these safeguards and often allow carry by irresponsible and dangerous people, such as violent criminals and weapons offenders, people who pose a safety risk, and teenagers.
Permitless carry legislation is part of the NRA’s broader agenda to weaken and repeal important gun safety measures, allowing more guns in public and undermining public safety. Emerging data shows that states that have passed permitless carry legislation are experiencing a substantial increase in gun violence.
By the numbers
3x
States that did not require a concealed carry permit had more than triple the rate of road rage shooting victimization than those states with the most protective standards.
32%
States that abandoned strong concealed carry permitting systems—including those with live firearm training requirements—for permitless carry from 1981 to 2019 saw an average 32 percent increase in gun assaults.
27%
States that removed concealed carry permit requirements between 1999 and 2021 saw, on average, a 27 percent increase in gun homicides within three years of the change—the US as a whole saw less than half that increase.
13-15%