Skip to content

Prohibit Open Carry

Solutions

Prohibit Open Carry

What does it solve?

Carrying firearms visibly in public, known as open carry, is a dangerous policy. It is exploited by white supremacists and opposed by law enforcement and the public. Members of hate groups regularly openly carry guns in a show of intimidation.

Research shows that the presence of a visible gun makes people more aggressive. Allowing guns to be carried openly in public also makes it very difficult to distinguish between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” during an active shooter incident. States should prohibit guns from being carried openly in public.

Open Carry

Which states regulate the open carry of firearms?

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

Open Carry Regulated

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

California has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Prohibited for all firearms

Open Carry Regulated

Colorado has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Connecticut has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Prohibited for all firearms

Open Carry Regulated

Delaware has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Florida has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Prohibited for all firearms

Open Carry Regulated

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Hawaii has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Permit required for handguns; prohibited for rifles and shotguns.

Open Carry Regulated

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Illinois has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Prohibited for all firearms

Open Carry Regulated

Indiana has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Iowa has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Maine has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Maryland has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Prohibited for handguns; open carry not regulated for rifles and shotguns.

Open Carry Regulated

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Permit required for all firearms.

Open Carry Regulated

Michigan has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Minnesota has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Permit required for all firearms.

Open Carry Regulated

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Montana has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Nevada has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

New Jersey has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Prohibited for handguns; permit required for long guns.

Open Carry Regulated

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

New York has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Prohibited for handguns; open carry not regulated for rifles and shotguns.

Open Carry Regulated

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Ohio has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Oregon has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Regulated only in Philadelphia

Open Carry Regulated

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Permit required for handguns; prohibited for rifles and shotguns (unless unloaded)

Open Carry Regulated

South Carolina has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Permit required for handguns; open carry not regulated for rifles and shotguns.

Open Carry Regulated

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Tennessee has adopted this policy

How is open carry regulated?
Open carry not regulated for handguns; prohibited for rifles and shotguns (unless unloaded).

Open Carry Regulated

Texas has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Utah has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Vermont has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Virginia has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Washington has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

Open Carry Regulated

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

Myth & Fact

Myth

Regulating open carry would violate the Second Amendment.

Fact

Several states have laws prohibiting or otherwise regulating open carry, such as prohibitions on firearms at demonstrations, that are entirely consistent with the Second Amendment. Restrictions on public carry—including open carry—of firearms trace back to at least the fourteenth century, and have existed throughout the history of the United States.

How it works

Open carry is a threat to public safety.

Open carry is a favored exercise by hate groups who regularly carry guns openly in a show of intimidation. In advance of a planned “Unite the Right” White Nationalist rally in Charlottesville, VA on August 12, 2017, a self-styled “militia group” descended on the city openly carrying handguns and military-style rifles. Later that day, one person was killed and 19 others injured when a white supremacist rammed a car into a crowd of counter- protesters.

In the July 2016 mass shooting of five police officers in Dallas, the work of police officers was made more difficult as they struggled to distinguish between people legally carrying guns openly and the gunman who opened fire. Afterwards, both the police chief and the mayor said law enforcement couldn’t tell “good guys with guns” from “bad guys with guns” because it is perfectly legal to walk around in public with an exposed handgun or rifle in Texas.

A small minority of states prohibit the open carry of firearms altogether, while others require a permit to do so. However, while many states require a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public, in the majority of states it is legal for civilians to openly carry handguns or long guns without a permit. This is often the result of the absence of state laws regulating the open carry of firearms in public, commonly known as the “open carry loophole.” Because responsible gun owners have not traditionally carried firearms openly, many state legislatures have not passed laws regulating the practice.

Victories

You might be wondering…

  1. 1 What is the “open carry loophole”?