Introduction
Constitutional carry, also known as permitless carry or unrestricted carry, refers to the public legally carrying a handgun, either openly or concealed, without a permit. The phrase however does not typically apply to the unrestricted carry of a long gun, for instance. Carrying a concealed handgun in public, contrary to open carry where the gun is in view of the public, either in close proximity or on oneself, is allowed in every state of the country. Yet, each state has its own regulations and limitations regarding how and who may or may not carry a concealed weapon. While each law will differ in the language used, these laws fall into one of three categories: shall issue (meaning that if one meets all the requirements, the jurisdiction shall deliver a license), may issue (meaning that the jurisdiction has discretion in handing out concealed weapons permits), and constitutional carry (the jurisdiction does not require a permit or license to carry a concealed weapon).
States often differ on their position towards concealed carry. There are numerous reasons for this difference, one of them being their interpretation of the Constitution. This has seen states like New York, for example, who put forward a law that required people to show a permit signifying special need to carry a handgun in public, have this law struck down by the Supreme Court ruling that the Second Amendment is meant to protect gun rights outside the home.
State | Constitutional Carry | Open Carry Laws | Registered Gun Rate | Red or Blue State |
---|---|---|---|---|
California | No | Prohibited | 10.4 per 1k | Democrat |
Colorado | No | Allowed | 25.7 per 1k | Democrat |
Connecticut | No | Permit Required | 20.8 per 1k | Democrat |
Delaware | No | Allowed | 6.1 per 1k | Democrat |
Florida | No | Prohibited | 23.8 per 1k | Swing State |
Hawaii | No | Permit Required | 6.4 per 1k | Democrat |
Illinois | No | Prohibited | 11.4 per 1k | Democrat |
Louisiana | No | Allowed | 32.9 per 1k | Republican |
Maryland | No | Permit Required | 22.1 per 1k | Democrat |
Massachusetts | No | Permit Required | 6.5 per 1k | Democrat |
Michigan | No | Allowed | 10.9 per 1k | Swing State |
Minnesota | No | Permit Required | 22.7 per 1k | Swing State |
Nebraska | No | Allowed | 22 per 1k | Republican |
Nevada | No | Allowed | 37.9 per 1k | Swing State |
New Jersey | No | Prohibited | 1.1 per 1k | Democrat |
New Mexico | No | Allowed | 58.1 per 1k | Democrat |
New York | No | Prohibited | 4.6 per 1k | Democrat |
North Carolina | No | Allowed | 21.1 per 1k | Swing State |
Oregon | No | Allowed | 23 per 1k | Democrat |
Pennsylvania | No | Allowed | 26.9 per 1k | Swing State |
Rhode Island | No | Permit Required | 4.5 per 1k | Democrat |
South Carolina | No | Permit Required | 23 per 1k | Republican |
Virginia | No | Allowed | 49 per 1k | Democrat |
Washington | No | Allowed | 1.2 per 1k | Democrat |
Wisconsin | No | Allowed | 16.3 per 1k | Swing State |
Alabama | Yes | Allowed | 38.7 per 1k | Republican |
Alaska | Yes | Allowed | 38.5 per 1k | Republican |
Arizona | Yes | Allowed | 35.6 per 1k | Swing State |
Arkansas | Yes | Allowed | 44.3 per 1k | Republican |
Georgia | Yes | Allowed | 28.2 per 1k | Swing State |
Idaho | Yes | Allowed | 40.2 per 1k | Republican |
Indiana | Yes | Allowed | 23.1 per 1k | Republican |
Iowa | Yes | Allowed | 17 per 1k | Republican |
Kansas | Yes | Allowed | 23.8 per 1k | Republican |
Kentucky | Yes | Allowed | 24.1 per 1k | Republican |
Maine | Yes | Allowed | 15.6 per 1k | Democrat |
Mississippi | Yes | Allowed | 27.4 per 1k | Republican |
Missouri | Yes | Allowed | 18.4 per 1k | Republican |
Montana | Yes | Allowed | 33.2 per 1k | Republican |
New Hampshire | Yes | Allowed | 52.1 per 1k | Democrat |
North Dakota | Yes | Allowed | 40 per 1k | Republican |
Ohio | Yes | Allowed | 17.7 per 1k | Swing State |
Oklahoma | Yes | Allowed | 25.9 per 1k | Republican |
South Dakota | Yes | Allowed | 72.2 per 1k | Republican |
Tennessee | Yes | Allowed | 21.7 per 1k | Republican |
Texas | Yes | Allowed | 34.1 per 1k | Republican |
Utah | Yes | Allowed | 3.4 per 1k | Republican |
Vermont | Yes | Allowed | 14.6 per 1k | Democrat |
West Virginia | Yes | Allowed | 92.8 per 1k | Republican |
Wyoming | Yes | Allowed | 245.8 per 1k | Republican |
Constitutional Carry States
Throughout the United States, each individual state legislature has their own select rule on constitutional carry and whether or not a permit is required to carry a handgun in public.
The states that allow permitless concealed carry for 21 year olds are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Some states make exceptions for those who are 18 years of age and in the military, allowing them to conceal carry without a permit, these states are: Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Other states allow permitless concealed carry for 18 year olds, these include: Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota (only for residents of the state however), South Dakota, and Vermont. Only one state allows concealed carry for 19 year olds, Missouri.
Both governors of Florida and Nebraska have recently signed a law that will also allow residents to conceal carry weapons without a permit.
List of states that allow for permitless concealed carry (PC), followed by age:
- Alabama – PC 21 years old
- Alaska – PC 21 years old
- Arizona – PC 21 years old
- Arkansas – PC 18 years old
- Georgia – PC 21 years old or 18 for military
- Idaho – PC 18 years old
- Indiana – PC 18 years old
- Iowa – PC 21 years old
- Kansas – PC 21 years old
- Kentucky – PC 21 years old
- Maine – PC 21 years old
- Mississippi – PC 18 years old
- Missouri – PC 19 years old or 18 for military
- Montana – PC 18 years old
- New Hampshire – PC 18 years old
- North Dakota – PC 18 years old for residents only
- Ohio – PC 21 years old
- Oklahoma – PC 21 years old or 18 for military
- South Dakota – PC 18 years old
- Tennessee – PC 21 years old or 18 for military
- Texas – PC 21 years old
- Utah – PC 21 years old
- Vermont – PC 18 years old
- West Virginia – PC 21 years old
- Wyoming – PC 21 years old
Constitutional Carry by State
Alabama
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
38.7 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#11
Republican
Alaska
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
38.5 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#12
Republican
Arizona
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
35.6 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#14
Swing State
Arkansas
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
44.3 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#8
Republican
California
Constitutional Carry
No
Prohibited
Registered Gun Rate
10.4 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#43
Democrat
Colorado
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
25.7 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#22
Democrat
Connecticut
Constitutional Carry
No
Permit Required
Registered Gun Rate
20.8 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#34
Democrat
Delaware
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
6.1 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#46
Democrat
Florida
Constitutional Carry
No
Prohibited
Registered Gun Rate
23.8 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#24
Swing State
Georgia
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
28.2 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#18
Swing State
Hawaii
Constitutional Carry
No
Permit Required
Registered Gun Rate
6.4 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#45
Democrat
Idaho
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
40.2 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#9
Republican
Illinois
Constitutional Carry
No
Prohibited
Registered Gun Rate
11.4 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#41
Democrat
Indiana
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
23.1 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#26
Republican
Iowa
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
17 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#37
Republican
Kansas
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
23.8 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#25
Republican
Kentucky
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
24.1 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#23
Republican
Louisiana
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
32.9 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#17
Republican
Maine
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
15.6 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#39
Democrat
Maryland
Constitutional Carry
No
Permit Required
Registered Gun Rate
22.1 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#30
Democrat
Massachusetts
Constitutional Carry
No
Permit Required
Registered Gun Rate
6.5 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#44
Democrat
Michigan
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
10.9 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#42
Swing State
Minnesota
Constitutional Carry
No
Permit Required
Registered Gun Rate
22.7 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#29
Swing State
Mississippi
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
27.4 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#19
Republican
Missouri
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
18.4 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#35
Republican
Montana
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
33.2 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#16
Republican
Nebraska
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
22 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#31
Republican
Nevada
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
37.9 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#13
Swing State
New Hampshire
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
52.1 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#6
Democrat
New Jersey
Constitutional Carry
No
Prohibited
Registered Gun Rate
1.1 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#51
Democrat
New Mexico
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
58.1 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#5
Democrat
New York
Constitutional Carry
No
Prohibited
Registered Gun Rate
4.6 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#47
Democrat
North Carolina
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
21.1 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#33
Swing State
North Dakota
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
40 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#10
Republican
Ohio
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
17.7 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#36
Swing State
Oklahoma
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
25.9 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#21
Republican
Oregon
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
23 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#27
Democrat
Pennsylvania
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
26.9 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#20
Swing State
Rhode Island
Constitutional Carry
No
Permit Required
Registered Gun Rate
4.5 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#48
Democrat
South Carolina
Constitutional Carry
No
Permit Required
Registered Gun Rate
23 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#28
Republican
South Dakota
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
72.2 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#4
Republican
Tennessee
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
21.7 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#32
Republican
Texas
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
34.1 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#15
Republican
Utah
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
3.4 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#49
Republican
Vermont
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
14.6 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#40
Democrat
Virginia
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
49 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#7
Democrat
Washington
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
1.2 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#50
Democrat
West Virginia
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
92.8 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#3
Republican
Wisconsin
Constitutional Carry
No
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
16.3 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#38
Swing State
Wyoming
Constitutional Carry
Yes
Allowed
Registered Gun Rate
245.8 per 1k
Ranked in the US
#1
Republican
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