Skip to content
Solutions

Strong Standards for Carrying Concealed Guns in Public

    Strong Standards for Carrying Concealed Guns in Public

      What does this solve?

      Carrying guns in public is a tremendous responsibility. States should set strong minimum standards for carrying concealed guns in public to ensure that people who are too dangerous or irresponsible to carry guns in our communities are blocked from doing so.

      This can include requiring that a person pass a background check, get a concealed carry permit, and undergo safety training that includes live-fire experience. States can also allow law enforcement to block people who pose a danger to the public from carrying concealed handguns in public. States also decide which out-of-staters may carry concealed handguns within their borders—and they should not allow the carry of guns by people with permits from states with standards weaker than their own.

      Which states require a permit to carry concealed guns in public?

      21 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

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Alabama has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Alaska has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Arizona has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Arkansas has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      California has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Colorado has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Connecticut has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Delaware has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Florida has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Georgia has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Hawaii has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Idaho has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Illinois has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Indiana has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Iowa has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Kansas has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Kentucky has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Louisiana has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Maine has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Maryland has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Massachusetts has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Michigan has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Minnesota has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Mississippi has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Missouri has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Montana has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Nebraska has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Nevada has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      New Jersey has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      New Mexico has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      New York has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      North Carolina has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      North Dakota has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Ohio has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Oregon has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      No

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Pennsylvania has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      No
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      —

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Rhode Island has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      Yes

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      South Carolina has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      South Dakota has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Tennessee has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Texas has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Utah has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Vermont has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Virginia has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      No

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Washington has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      No
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      —

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      West Virginia has not adopted this policy

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Wisconsin has adopted this policy

      If so, does the state require training?
      Yes
      Does state training include firing an actual gun?
      No

      Concealed Carry Permit Required

      Wyoming has not adopted this policy

      By the numbers

      Myth

      More guns equals less crime.

      Fact

      This claim is unsubstantiated by any legitimate evidence. In fact, scientific research—and basic common sense—shows the opposite is true: more guns make us less safe. A growing body of research shows that when it is easier for people to carry guns in public, violent crime rates go up. When states passed laws allowing concealed carry for the first time or limiting law enforcement discretion in issuing carry permits, violent crime rates rose by 13 to 15 percent.1John J. Donohue, Abhay Aneja, and Kyle D. Weber, “Right-to-carry Laws and Violent Crime: A Comprehensive Assessment Using Panel Data and a State-Level Synthetic Control Analysis,” Journal of Empirical Legal Studies 16, no. 2 (2019): 198-247, https://doi.org/10.1111/jels.12219.

      Featured Resources

      Strong Standards for Carrying Concealed Guns in Public

      All Resources

      Did you know?

      In a 2021 survey, an estimated 74 percent of US adults supported requiring concealed carry applicants to pass a test demonstrating safe and lawful use of a firearm.

      Cassandra K. Crifasi, “Public Opinion on Laws Regulating Public Gun Carrying,” Preventive Medicine 159 (June 2022): 107067, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107067.