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Which states prohibit the carrying of long guns at state capitols and/or demonstrations?

26 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 at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Alabama has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Alaska has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Arizona has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Arkansas has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

California has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Colorado has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Connecticut has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Delaware has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Florida has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Georgia has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Hawaii has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Idaho has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Illinois has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Indiana has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Iowa has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Kansas has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Maine has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Maryland has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Michigan has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Missouri has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Montana has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Nevada has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

New Jersey has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

New York has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

North Carolina has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

North Dakota has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Ohio has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Oklahoma has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Oregon has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Pennsylvania has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Rhode Island has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

South Carolina has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Tennessee has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Texas has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Utah has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Vermont has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Virginia has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Washington has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

West Virginia has adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

No Guns at State Capitols and/or Demonstrations

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

What It Does

The carrying of firearms at state capitols and political demonstrations has become emblematic of the rise in antidemocratic extremism. Nearly half of the states have policies prohibiting public carry of long guns on some portion of capitol grounds and/or at political protests, with many taking action around the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. A full discussion on Armed Assembly is here. 

The Impact

White supremacists and anti-government extremists have sought to undermine our institutions with armed protests that too often escalate to violence. Data shows at least 85 instances of armed protestors and incidents involving guns at protests at state capitols from May through December 2020.

Show Citations and Footnotes
Source: Ala. Code § 31-2-125; Ark. Code Ann. §§ 5-73-127, 5-73-306; Cal. Penal Code § 25850; Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-105(c); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-35; Fla. Stat. §§ 790.10, 870.06; Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 134-26, 134-23, 134-24; 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 5/24-1(10); 20 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 1805/94; 240 IAC 9-3-1, 9-2-1(4); Me. Stat. tit. 37-B, § 342; Md. Code Ann., Crim. Law §§ 4-208, 13-214; COMAR 04.05.01.03(B); 1 CSR 35-1.050(7); Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 269, § 10(k)(2)(i); 2022 NJ A 4769, sec. 7(6); N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-269.4, 14-277.2; N.D. Cent. Code §§ 37-01-21, 62.1-02-05; O.A.C. sec 260:60-7-23(c)(2); Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.370(1); S.C. Code Ann. § 10-11-320; Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1307(a)(1); 37 TAC sec 8.7(a); Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-283.2(B), (C); 2021 WA S 5038; W. Va. Code § 61-6-19(b). 

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