Which states require gun buyers to have firearm training?
9 states have adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Alabama has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Alaska has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Arizona has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Arkansas has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
California has adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Colorado has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Connecticut has adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Delaware has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Florida has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Georgia has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Hawaii has adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Idaho has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Illinois has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Indiana has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Iowa has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Kansas has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Kentucky has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Louisiana has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Maine has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Maryland has adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Massachusetts has adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Michigan has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Minnesota has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Mississippi has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Missouri has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Montana has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Nebraska has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Nevada has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
New Hampshire has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
New Jersey has adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
New Mexico has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
New York has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
North Carolina has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
North Dakota has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Ohio has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Oklahoma has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Oregon has adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Rhode Island has adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
South Carolina has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
South Dakota has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Tennessee has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Texas has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Utah has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Vermont has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Virginia has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Washington has adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
West Virginia has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Wisconsin has not adopted this policy
Training Required to Purchase Guns
Wyoming has not adopted this policy
What It Does
These state policies ensure that gun buyers know the safety basics for handling and using firearms, and they provide an intervention point to educate future gun owners about secure storage and carrying in public. All of these states require training for handguns, while several state laws apply to long guns as well. The strongest systems also include live-fire instruction. A full discussion on Gun Owner Safety Training is here.
The Impact
In a self-defense experiment involving a firearm simulator, people with less training and experience performed worse — and many accidentally “shot” innocent bystanders or unarmed people.
