This is not legal advice.Concealed-carry reciprocity changes frequently and carries serious legal consequences. Verify current law with the destination state's official source before you carry.
Open Carry by State
Compiled and verified against primary sources by CarryReciprocity. How we source & verify →
"Open carry" means carrying a firearm visibly rather than concealed. Whether it is legal — and whether it needs a permit — is set by each state's own law and is separate from concealed-carry reciprocity. Below is the status for all 50 states and DC.
Open carry is lawful without a license for anyone who may legally possess a firearm.
Open carry is legal but meaningfully limited (e.g. by locality or loaded/unloaded rules).
A carry permit/license is required to openly carry a handgun.
Open carry of a handgun is not permitted.
Open carry by state
| State | Open carry | Carry regime |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Alaska | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Arizona | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Arkansas | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| California | Prohibited | May-issue |
| Colorado | No permit needed | Shall-issue |
| Connecticut | Permit required | May-issue |
| Delaware | No permit needed | May-issue |
| District of Columbia | Prohibited | May-issue |
| Florida | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Georgia | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Hawaii | Permit required | May-issue |
| Idaho | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Illinois | Prohibited | Shall-issue |
| Indiana | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Iowa | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Kansas | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Kentucky | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Louisiana | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Maine | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Maryland | Permit required | May-issue |
| Massachusetts | Permit required | May-issue |
| Michigan | No permit needed | Shall-issue |
| Minnesota | Permit required | Shall-issue |
| Mississippi | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Missouri | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Montana | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Nebraska | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Nevada | No permit needed | Shall-issue |
| New Hampshire | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| New Jersey | Permit required | May-issue |
| New Mexico | No permit needed | Shall-issue |
| New York | Prohibited | May-issue |
| North Carolina | No permit needed | Shall-issue |
| North Dakota | Restricted | Constitutional |
| Ohio | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Oklahoma | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Oregon | Restricted | Shall-issue |
| Pennsylvania | No permit needed | Shall-issue |
| Rhode Island | Permit required | May-issue |
| South Carolina | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| South Dakota | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Tennessee | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Texas | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Utah | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Vermont | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Virginia | No permit needed | Shall-issue |
| Washington | No permit needed | Shall-issue |
| West Virginia | No permit needed | Constitutional |
| Wisconsin | No permit needed | Shall-issue |
| Wyoming | No permit needed | Constitutional |
"Restricted" means open carry is legal but meaningfully limited (e.g. a locality may ban loaded public carry, as in Oregon, or a license is needed to carry loaded, as in North Dakota). Tap any state for details and the governing statute.
Open carry — FAQ
- Which states allow open carry without a permit?
- 38 jurisdictions allow open carry of a firearm without any license (for a person who may lawfully possess one): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
- Which states prohibit open carry?
- Open carry of a handgun is prohibited in California, District of Columbia, Illinois, New York. A few other states restrict it heavily by locality or to unloaded firearms.
- Is open carry the same as concealed carry reciprocity?
- No. Open-carry legality is set by each state's own law and generally does not travel with a permit. Concealed-carry reciprocity — whether another state honors your permit — is a separate question covered on each state's reciprocity page.