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Solutions

Keep Guns off Campus

Keep Guns off Campus

What does this solve?

Guns have no place on college campuses. Campuses have unique risk factors, such as high rates of mental illness and an increased use of alcohol and drugs, that make the presence of guns potentially deadly.

The vast majority of states and colleges prohibit guns from being carried on campus either by law or choice. However, in recent years the gun lobby has pushed legislation to force guns onto college campuses against the wishes of most students, staff, and campus law enforcement. There is no evidence that allowing guns on campuses reduces crime or makes campuses safer. In fact, campuses are already incredibly safe and adding guns to the mix only makes them less so.

Which states don’t force colleges and universities to allow concealed guns on campus?

38 states have adopted this policy

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

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Alabama has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Alaska has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Arizona has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Permit holders with enhanced certification must be allowed to carry on public campuses.
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No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

California has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Colorado has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Connecticut has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Delaware has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Florida has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Georgia has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Permit holders must be allowed to carry on public campuses.
—

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Hawaii has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Idaho has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Enhanced carry permit holders must be allowed to carry in certain buildings and on campuses of public colleges.
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No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Illinois has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Indiana has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Iowa has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Kansas has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Anyone 21+ must be allowed to carry on public campuses, so long as there are not adequate security measures. No permit is required. Limited restrictions on who may carry.
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No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Kentucky has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Louisiana has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Maine has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Maryland has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Michigan has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Permit holders must be allowed to carry on public campuses
—

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Enhanced carry permit holders must be allowed to carry on public campuses. Students and employees are not included in the mandate.
—

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Missouri has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Montana has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Permit holders must be allowed to carry on public campuses. No permit is required; limited restrictions on who may carry.
—

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Nebraska has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Nevada has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

New Hampshire has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

New Jersey has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

New Mexico has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

New York has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

North Carolina has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

North Dakota has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Ohio has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Oklahoma has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Oregon has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Pennsylvania has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

South Carolina has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

South Dakota has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Full-time employees with permits must be allowed to carry on public campuses.
—

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Texas has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Permit holders must be allowed to carry on public campuses.
—

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Utah has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Permit holders must be allowed to carry on public campuses.
—

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Vermont has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Virginia has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Washington has adopted this policy

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Permit holders must be allowed to carry on public campuses.
—

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

If not, where and to whom does the mandate apply?
Permit holders must be allowed to carry on public campuses
—

No Guns Mandate on College Campuses

Wyoming has adopted this policy

How it Works

Keep guns off of college campuses.

Colleges are places of learning and students should be free to express their opinions and learn without the fear of another student carrying a gun to a lecture or at a tailgate. Colleges also have unique risk factors—increased rates of mental illness, and prevalent drug and alcohol abuse—which make the presence of guns potentially deadly.

In the states that have already passed legislation to force colleges to allow guns on campus there have been unintentional shootings. For example, in Idaho, a professor with an ”enhanced” carry permit unintentionally shot himself in the leg during a chemistry lab following the passage of a 2014 law that forced Idaho colleges to allow enhanced permit-holders to carry guns on campus. And in 2012, a 24-year-old permitted student in Utah unintentionally shot himself while walking on campus. In 2019, a University of Georgia student shot himself in the leg in a student lounge on campus. There have also been guns left unattended, widespread opposition from professors, administrators, and students, fear amongst LGBTQ and Black students, and lawsuits. Guns on campus laws also cost universities significant amounts for security upgrades.

By the numbers

Myth & Fact

Myth

Allowing people to carry guns on campus will make them safer.

Fact

Campuses are already relatively safe: Among all violent crime against college students from 1995 through 2002, 93 percent of incidents took place off campus. With over 21 million students attending colleges and universities in 2013, only eight gun homicides occurred on campuses.

All Resources

Keep Guns off Campus