Second Amendment Tracker
Constitutional Carry & Concealed Carry Laws by State (2026)
Can you carry a concealed handgun without a permit? In most of the country, yes β but the rules vary sharply. Below is a clear, sourced guide for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, from permitless ("constitutional") carry states to the handful that remain restrictive.
29 states allow concealed carry without a permit; 21 require one.
Of the 21 permit states, 15 must issue to any qualified applicant and 6 remain restrictive in practice. Most permitless states still issue optional permits, for reciprocity when travelling.
Source: Giffords Law Center, as of July 2026
Updated
This dataset is one of five measures in The Liberty Index, our 0β100 ranking of all 50 states on self-defense and two other domains β with the full methodology and exclusions published.
29 states allow permitless (constitutional) carry
44 states are permitless or shall-issue
7 jurisdictions remain may-issue / restrictive
The three categories
States are grouped by what it takes to carry a concealed handgun. The may-issue/restrictive group is anchored to the states the U.S. Supreme Court identified as restrictive outliers in its 2022 NYSRPA v. Bruen decision, plus D.C.
- Constitutional (Permitless) Carry. No permit is required to carry a concealed handgun ("constitutional carry"). An optional permit system usually still exists for reciprocity with other states.
- Shall-Issue Permit. A permit is required, but authorities must issue it to any applicant who meets objective criteria (training, background check, age) β no discretion.
- Restrictive β Permit Required. A permit is required and these are the most restrictive jurisdictions in the country β extensive review, training and broad sensitive-place bans. NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022) struck down discretionary "may-issue" licensing, so they must now issue to qualified applicants, but obtaining and using a permit remains substantially harder than elsewhere.
The 50-state table
| State | Rule | What it takes to carry concealed |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit needed to carry a concealed handgun since 2023; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Alaska | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun; permitless since 2003, with optional permits for reciprocity. |
| Arizona | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required for concealed carry by adults 21 and older; optional permits available for reciprocity. |
| Arkansas | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun; optional concealed-handgun licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| California | Restrictive β Permit Required | A permit is required and notably restrictive; applicants must show good moral character and pass extensive review. |
| Colorado | Shall-Issue Permit | A permit is required; sheriffs must issue a concealed-handgun permit to qualified applicants meeting objective criteria. |
| Connecticut | Shall-Issue Permit | A permit is required and issued to qualified applicants; treated as effectively shall-issue after the Bruen decision. |
| Delaware | Shall-Issue Permit | A permit is required and issued to qualified applicants, though the process includes references and public notice. |
| Florida | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since July 2023; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Georgia | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2022; optional weapons-carry licenses remain available. |
| Hawaii | Restrictive β Permit Required | A permit is required and issuance stays very restrictive despite Bruen, with few licenses actually granted. |
| Idaho | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required for concealed carry by adults; optional enhanced permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Illinois | Shall-Issue Permit | A concealed-carry license is required; state police must issue it to applicants meeting training and eligibility rules. |
| Indiana | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a handgun since 2022; optional licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| Iowa | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2021; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Kansas | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required for concealed carry by adults 21 and older; optional licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| Kentucky | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2019; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Louisiana | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since July 2024; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Maine | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required for concealed carry by adults 21 and older; optional permits available for reciprocity. |
| Maryland | Restrictive β Permit Required | A permit is required; issuance was formerly discretionary and remains restrictive with added sensitive-place limits. |
| Massachusetts | Restrictive β Permit Required | A license is required and authorities retain suitability discretion, making it among the most restrictive states. |
| Michigan | Shall-Issue Permit | A permit is required; county boards must issue a concealed-pistol license to qualified applicants meeting objective criteria. |
| Minnesota | Shall-Issue Permit | A permit-to-carry is required; sheriffs must issue it to qualified applicants who complete training and background checks. |
| Mississippi | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun; optional enhanced permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Missouri | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2017; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Montana | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2021; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Nebraska | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2023; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Nevada | Shall-Issue Permit | A permit is required; sheriffs must issue a concealed-firearm permit to qualified applicants who complete training. |
| New Hampshire | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2017; optional licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| New Jersey | Restrictive β Permit Required | A permit is required and remains highly restrictive, with expanded sensitive-place bans limiting where carry is allowed. |
| New Mexico | Shall-Issue Permit | A license is required; the state must issue a concealed-handgun license to qualified applicants who complete training. |
| New York | Restrictive β Permit Required | A permit is required; the state added good-moral-character review and broad sensitive-place bans, remaining very restrictive. |
| North Carolina | Shall-Issue Permit | A permit is required; sheriffs must issue a concealed-handgun permit to qualified applicants meeting objective criteria. |
| North Dakota | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | Residents may carry concealed without a permit; non-residents need a permit, and optional permits aid reciprocity. |
| Ohio | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2022; optional licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| Oklahoma | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2019; optional licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| Oregon | Shall-Issue Permit | A license is required; sheriffs must issue a concealed-handgun license to qualified applicants who complete training. |
| Pennsylvania | Shall-Issue Permit | A license is required; sheriffs must issue a license to carry firearms to qualified applicants meeting criteria. |
| Rhode Island | Shall-Issue Permit | A permit is required; the Supreme Court treated its licensing as effectively shall-issue, though local review remains. |
| South Carolina | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2024; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| South Dakota | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2019; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Tennessee | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a handgun by eligible adults since 2021; optional permits remain available. |
| Texas | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a handgun by eligible adults 21 and older since 2021; optional licenses available. |
| Utah | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2021; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Vermont | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit has ever been required to carry a concealed handgun; the original constitutional-carry state. |
| Virginia | Shall-Issue Permit | A permit is required; courts must issue a concealed-handgun permit to qualified applicants meeting objective criteria. |
| Washington | Shall-Issue Permit | A permit is required; authorities must issue a concealed-pistol license to qualified applicants meeting objective criteria. |
| West Virginia | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required for concealed carry by adults 21 and older since 2016; optional permits available for reciprocity. |
| Wisconsin | Shall-Issue Permit | A license is required; the state must issue a concealed-carry license to qualified applicants who complete training. |
| Wyoming | Constitutional (Permitless) Carry | No permit required for concealed carry by residents since 2011; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| District of Columbia | Restrictive β Permit Required | A license is required and carry is heavily restricted, with extensive sensitive-place bans throughout the district. |
No states in this category.
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29 states allow concealed carry without a permit; 21 require one. β The Liberty Tribune, 2026 For a reference list:
"Concealed Carry & Permitless Carry Laws by State (2026)," The Liberty Tribune, https://thelibertytribune.com/trackers/concealed-carry-laws-by-state/ Methodology & sources
Because gun-carry classifications are legally sensitive and change often, this table is classified primarily against the Giffords Law Center survey of concealed-carry permit requirements, and cross-checked against the U.S. Concealed Carry Association and state statutes rather than resting on a single source. All 51 rows matched Giffords at the last check. After Bruen (2022) there are no pure "may-issue" states left; the restrictive group reflects the discretionary outliers the Court named, plus D.C.
Compiled by The Liberty Tribune from public state-law references, as of July 2026. Last verified October 23, 2026. This is a reference guide, not legal advice β several restrictive states have active litigation over "sensitive place" rules; confirm your state's current law and reciprocity before carrying.
Related: All trackers β Β· Courts & Law coverage β