Introduction
Even though the Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, states still have laws on the books that limits who can possess a firearm. One type of law used by every state regards the concealed carry of firearms.
While each state’s concealed carry law will differ slightly, these laws fall into one of three categories: ‘shall issue’, ‘may issue’, and ‘constitutional carry’. Shall issue states are those where the state must grant the applicant a license so long as they meet all requirements for obtaining a license (such as passing a background check); may issue states are those where the state may still not issue a license even if the applicant meets all the statutory requirements. Finally, constitutional carry states are those where one does not need a license to carry a concealed firearm.
Nearly every state has also enacted some sort of law relating to concealed carry reciprocity. This is when a person who has obtained a concealed carry license in another state is allowed to carry a concealed firearm in that state. The reciprocity status of other states is at the discretion of the individual states and their legislature.
Learn more about concealed carry reciprocity states by exploring the data in the charts.
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