State desk
Ranks 14th of 50 on the Liberty Index.
Where Mississippi stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 14 Mississippi outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Mississippi in red. Free to cite with attribution.
No permit required to carry a concealed handgun; optional enhanced permits remain available for reciprocity.
Mississippi is 1 of 29 states with this rule
15 · Shall-Issue Permit6 · Restrictive: Permit Required
Mississippi taxes individual income at a single flat rate of 4.00 percent, ranking 31 of 41 among the states that tax income. Fifteen states use a single-rate structure.
Mississippi is 1 of 15 states with this rule
8 · No Income Tax1 · Capital Gains Only26 · Graduated Brackets
Mississippi charges 24.40 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 38 of 50, which is among the lowest in the country. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 42.80 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 24.40 cents.
Mississippi is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Among the Highest16 · Near the Middle
Retains the death penalty.
Mississippi is 1 of 23 states with this rule
4 · Retains it, executions paused23 · Abolished
Right-to-work protected in the state constitution (plus statute) since 1960.
Mississippi is 1 of 26 states with this rule
24 · No Right-to-Work Law
No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 floor applies to covered employers.
Mississippi is 1 of 5 states with this rule
30 · Above the Federal Floor12 · Matches the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies
Voters must show an accepted photo ID; without one, a provisional ballot counts only if they verify identity within days.
Mississippi is 1 of 10 states with this rule
14 · Photo ID Requested4 · Strict Non-Photo ID8 · ID Requested (No Photo)14 · No Document Required
ESA and scholarships limited to special-needs, dyslexia, and speech-language students.
Mississippi is 1 of 16 states with this rule
17 · Universal / Near-Universal17 · No Private-Choice Program
NCSL lists Mississippi among states recognizing, by statute or court case, that there is no duty to retreat in any place where a person is lawfully present.
Mississippi is 1 of 31 states with this rule
7 · Recognized by Court Decision12 · Not Listed by NCSL
Voters must have a qualifying excuse, such as absence or disability, to vote absentee by mail.
Mississippi is 1 of 13 states with this rule
8 · All-Mail29 · No-Excuse Absentee
Mississippi's unemployment rate was 3.3% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, down 0.1 percentage points from 3.4% in August. It ranks 11th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), up from 15th. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 3.7%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Elected statewide to a four-year term.
Mississippi is 1 of 43 states with this rule
5 · Appointed by the governor1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court