Open Carry States and the Rules in Each One

Which States Allow Open Carry?

44 states allow open carry of a handgun, and in 40 of them an adult who can legally own a gun needs no permit. Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Rhode Island require a permit. California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and New York ban open carry of handguns, and so does Washington, D.C.

Open carry means carrying a gun where people can see it, usually in a holster on the hip. Our count follows Everytown for Gun Safety’s 2026 review of state laws, checked against state statutes and Giffords Law Center (Everytown).

Open Carry Laws by State

Choose your state to see whether you can carry a handgun openly, whether you need a permit, and the rule for rifles and shotguns. State notes flag local rules and recent court rulings.

Open carry in your state

Choose your state to see its open carry rules for handguns, rifles and shotguns.

Choose your state to see its rules Select a state AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Based on Everytown's 2026 Gun Law Rankings (updated January 14, 2026), checked against state statutes on September 28, 2026. 'No permit needed' applies to adults who may legally have a gun; age limits, banned places and private property rules still apply. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can you openly carry a handgun in the state?

• Yes, no permit needed (40)
• Only with a permit (4)
• No, open carry of handguns is banned (7)

Sources: Everytown Research, Which states regulate the open carry of firearms? (2026 Gun Law Rankings, updated January 14, 2026); Giffords Law Center, Open Carry (state statute citations); Maryland Public Safety Article 5-307; Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Florida open carry after McDaniels v. State. Verified September 28, 2026.

Can you openly carry a handgun in the state?

State	Can you openly carry a handgun in the state?
Alabama	Yes, no permit needed
Alaska	Yes, no permit needed
Arizona	Yes, no permit needed
Arkansas	Yes, no permit needed
California	No, open carry of handguns is banned
Colorado	Yes, no permit needed
Connecticut	No, open carry of handguns is banned
Delaware	Yes, no permit needed
District of Columbia	No, open carry of handguns is banned
Florida	Yes, no permit needed
Georgia	Yes, no permit needed
Hawaii	Only with a permit
Idaho	Yes, no permit needed
Illinois	No, open carry of handguns is banned
Indiana	Yes, no permit needed
Iowa	Yes, no permit needed
Kansas	Yes, no permit needed
Kentucky	Yes, no permit needed
Louisiana	Yes, no permit needed
Maine	Yes, no permit needed
Maryland	No, open carry of handguns is banned
Massachusetts	Only with a permit
Michigan	Yes, no permit needed
Minnesota	Only with a permit
Mississippi	Yes, no permit needed
Missouri	Yes, no permit needed
Montana	Yes, no permit needed
Nebraska	Yes, no permit needed
Nevada	Yes, no permit needed
New Hampshire	Yes, no permit needed
New Jersey	No, open carry of handguns is banned
New Mexico	Yes, no permit needed
New York	No, open carry of handguns is banned
North Carolina	Yes, no permit needed
North Dakota	Yes, no permit needed
Ohio	Yes, no permit needed
Oklahoma	Yes, no permit needed
Oregon	Yes, no permit needed
Pennsylvania	Yes, no permit needed
Rhode Island	Only with a permit
South Carolina	Yes, no permit needed
South Dakota	Yes, no permit needed
Tennessee	Yes, no permit needed
Texas	Yes, no permit needed
Utah	Yes, no permit needed
Vermont	Yes, no permit needed
Virginia	Yes, no permit needed
Washington	Yes, no permit needed
West Virginia	Yes, no permit needed
Wisconsin	Yes, no permit needed
Wyoming	Yes, no permit needed

See all states in a table

All states Yes, no permit needed (40)Only with a permit (4)No, open carry of handguns is banned (7) Showing 51 of 51 states

State	Can you openly carry a handgun in the state?
Alabama	Yes, no permit needed
Alaska	Yes, no permit needed
Arizona	Yes, no permit needed
Arkansas	Yes, no permit needed
California	No, open carry of handguns is banned
Colorado	Yes, no permit needed
Connecticut	No, open carry of handguns is banned
Delaware	Yes, no permit needed
District of Columbia	No, open carry of handguns is banned
Florida	Yes, no permit needed
Georgia	Yes, no permit needed
Hawaii	Only with a permit
Idaho	Yes, no permit needed
Illinois	No, open carry of handguns is banned
Indiana	Yes, no permit needed
Iowa	Yes, no permit needed
Kansas	Yes, no permit needed
Kentucky	Yes, no permit needed
Louisiana	Yes, no permit needed
Maine	Yes, no permit needed
Maryland	No, open carry of handguns is banned
Massachusetts	Only with a permit
Michigan	Yes, no permit needed
Minnesota	Only with a permit
Mississippi	Yes, no permit needed
Missouri	Yes, no permit needed
Montana	Yes, no permit needed
Nebraska	Yes, no permit needed
Nevada	Yes, no permit needed
New Hampshire	Yes, no permit needed
New Jersey	No, open carry of handguns is banned
New Mexico	Yes, no permit needed
New York	No, open carry of handguns is banned
North Carolina	Yes, no permit needed
North Dakota	Yes, no permit needed
Ohio	Yes, no permit needed
Oklahoma	Yes, no permit needed
Oregon	Yes, no permit needed
Pennsylvania	Yes, no permit needed
Rhode Island	Only with a permit
South Carolina	Yes, no permit needed
South Dakota	Yes, no permit needed
Tennessee	Yes, no permit needed
Texas	Yes, no permit needed
Utah	Yes, no permit needed
Vermont	Yes, no permit needed
Virginia	Yes, no permit needed
Washington	Yes, no permit needed
West Virginia	Yes, no permit needed
Wisconsin	Yes, no permit needed
Wyoming	Yes, no permit needed

Sources: Everytown Research, Which states regulate the open carry of firearms? (2026 Gun Law Rankings, updated January 14, 2026); Giffords Law Center, Open Carry (state statute citations); Maryland Public Safety Article 5-307; Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Florida open carry after McDaniels v. State. Verified September 28, 2026.

Is Florida an Open Carry State Now?

Yes. Since September 2025, adults in Florida who may legally have a gun can carry it openly without a permit. On September 10, 2025, the First District Court of Appeal ruled the state’s open carry ban unconstitutional in McDaniels v. State (opinion). On September 15, Attorney General James Uthmeier told prosecutors and police to stop arresting people under the ban, writing that the decision “is now the law of the State” (NRA-ILA; Volusia County Sheriff).

The change came from a court, not the Legislature. The court found that the state could point to no law from the founding era that broadly banned open carry, the test the U.S. Supreme Court set in Bruen (2022). Guns remain banned in places such as courthouses, police stations, polling places and government meetings. Businesses can still ban open carry on their property, the Volusia County sheriff said.

Can You Open Carry in California?

Almost never. California bans open carry of handguns, rifles and shotguns in public places. The one narrow exception: in counties with fewer than 200,000 people, the sheriff may issue a license to carry a handgun openly, good only in that county (Penal Code 26150, cited by Giffords).

Is Minnesota an Open Carry State?

Only with a permit. Minnesota requires a permit to carry any firearm in public, openly or hidden (Statute 624.714). With a permit, open carry is legal. Hawaii, Massachusetts and Rhode Island also require a permit to carry a handgun openly.

Open Carry vs. Concealed Carry

Open carry means the gun is visible. Concealed carry means it is hidden, under clothing or in a bag. States often set different rules for each, and a license for one does not always allow the other.

For Texas’s rules in detail, including where guns are banned and the age limits, see our Texas gun laws guide.

Open Carry of Rifles and Shotguns

41 states let adults carry a rifle or shotgun openly without a permit. California, Connecticut, Hawaii and Illinois ban it. Rhode Island and Tennessee allow it only if the gun is unloaded, and Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey require a permit.

Open carry of rifles and shotguns, by state rule (50 states)

Category	Value
No permit needed	41
Permit required	3
Unloaded only	2
Banned	4

Source: Everytown Research, Which states regulate the open carry of firearms? (2026 Gun Law Rankings, updated January 14, 2026). Some cities in states such as Pennsylvania and Virginia add limits.

Where Open Carry Is Banned, Even in Open Carry States

Most states that allow open carry still ban guns in some places, such as schools, places that serve alcohol, state-owned businesses and public transit (Giffords). Private businesses can usually ban guns on their property, too.

Polling places are one clear example. 16 states fully ban guns at the polls, 9 ban them in part and 25 have no clear statewide ban, according to the Movement Advancement Project. 10 states that allow open carry with no permit still ban guns at polling places, including Arizona, Colorado, Delaware and Florida. Our voter intimidation guide has each state’s rule.

What the Research Says About Carry Laws

We found no major research review that rates open carry laws on their own. RAND’s 2023 review of gun policy research found “supportive evidence,” its highest rating, that shall-issue concealed carry laws increase firearm violence (RAND, via EurekAlert). That finding is about concealed carry permits that states must grant to anyone who qualifies, not about open carry.

The legal fight turns on history, not crime data. Gun rights groups such as the NRA argue that open carry is protected because the founding era left “the ability to bear arms openly for peaceable purposes” intact, as the Florida court put it (NRA-ILA). Everytown argues that open carry has become “a tool for extremists” and intimidates people in public (Everytown). Giffords cites the Dallas police chief, who said open carry made things confusing during a mass shooting (Giffords).

Common Questions About Open Carry

What You Can Do

1. Check your state’s rule before you carry or travel. Use the finder above, then confirm with your state police or attorney general. Rules change at state lines.
2. Know where guns are banned where you live, including schools, polling places and courthouses.
3. Read the bills. Carry laws change through legislatures and courts every year. Ask your state legislators where they stand, using our letter-writing guide.
4. Learn the constitutional debate in our 2nd Amendment explainer.
5. Report intimidation at the polls. Displaying a gun to intimidate a voter is illegal. Call the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).