Second Amendment Tracker
Concealed Carry & Permitless Carry Laws by State (2026)
Can you carry a concealed handgun without a permit? In most of the country, yes — 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.
Updated
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.
- 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) — no discretion.
- Restrictive — Permit Required. A permit is required and these are the most restrictive jurisdictions in the country — 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 | Permitless Carry | No permit needed to carry a concealed handgun since 2023; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Alaska | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun; permitless since 2003, with optional permits for reciprocity. |
| Arizona | Permitless Carry | No permit required for concealed carry by adults 21 and older; optional permits available for reciprocity. |
| Arkansas | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun; optional concealed-handgun licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| California | Restrictive — 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 | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since July 2023; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Georgia | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2022; optional weapons-carry licenses remain available. |
| Hawaii | Restrictive — Permit Required | A permit is required and issuance stays very restrictive despite Bruen, with few licenses actually granted. |
| Idaho | 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 | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a handgun since 2022; optional licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| Iowa | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2021; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Kansas | Permitless Carry | No permit required for concealed carry by adults 21 and older; optional licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| Kentucky | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2019; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Louisiana | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since July 2024; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Maine | Permitless Carry | No permit required for concealed carry by adults 21 and older; optional permits available for reciprocity. |
| Maryland | Restrictive — Permit Required | A permit is required; issuance was formerly discretionary and remains restrictive with added sensitive-place limits. |
| Massachusetts | Restrictive — 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 | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun; optional enhanced permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Missouri | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2017; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Montana | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2021; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Nebraska | 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 | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2017; optional licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| New Jersey | Restrictive — 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 — 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 | Permitless Carry | Residents may carry concealed without a permit; non-residents need a permit, and optional permits aid reciprocity. |
| Ohio | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2022; optional licenses remain available for reciprocity. |
| Oklahoma | 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 | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2024; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| South Dakota | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2019; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Tennessee | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a handgun by eligible adults since 2021; optional permits remain available. |
| Texas | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a handgun by eligible adults 21 and older since 2021; optional licenses available. |
| Utah | Permitless Carry | No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2021; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| Vermont | 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 | 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 | Permitless Carry | No permit required for concealed carry by residents since 2011; optional permits remain available for reciprocity. |
| District of Columbia | Restrictive — 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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"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 cross-checked against multiple references — Wikipedia's Constitutional carry and Concealed carry pages, the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, and Giffords Law Center — rather than any single source. 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 August 5, 2026. This is a reference guide, not legal advice — several restrictive states have active litigation over "sensitive place" rules; confirm your state's current law and reciprocity before carrying.
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