US Gun Laws by State
Background Check and Gun Laws by State
Laws on possessing, carrying, buying, selling, and transferring firearms vary from state to state — some broader than federal law, some more limited. A firearm owner is subject to the laws of the state they’re physically in, not the state that issued their permit. Federal gun laws apply in every state, except where a state law narrows a particular federal provision’s capacity or reach.
State and local police are not legally obligated to enforce federal law, but that does not exempt anyone from arrest by an agency that does have jurisdiction. A responsible gun owner should know the laws of any state they plan to travel through with a firearm.
Coverage note: this directory includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Hawaii. It does not cover other U.S. territories outside the mainland — American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and others.
Find Your State
51 entries, listed alphabetically
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
