In the United States, open carry is the practice of visibly carrying a firearm in public places, as distinguished from concealed carry, where firearms cannot be seen by the casual observer. To "carry" in this context indicates that the firearm is kept readily accessible on the person, within a holster or attached to a sling. Carrying a firearm directly in the hands, particularly in a firing position or combat stance, is known as "brandishing" and may constitute a serious crime, but is not the mode of "carrying" discussed in this article.
The practice of open carry, where gun owners openly carry firearms while they go about their daily business, has seen an increase in the United States in recent years, and is a hotly debated topic in gun politics. This has been marked by a number of organized events intended to increase the visibility of open carry and public awareness about the practice. Proponents of open carry point to history and statistics, noting that criminals usually conceal their weapons, in contrast to the law-abiding citizens who display their weapons. As of 2025, almost all US states allow for open carry either without a permit or with a permit/license.
The gun rights community has become supportive of the practice, while gun control groups are generally opposed.
Terminology Open carry The act of publicly carrying a firearm on one's person in plain sight. Plain sight Broadly defined as not being hidden from common observation; varies somewhat from state to state. Some states specify that open carry occurs when the weapon is "partially visible", while other jurisdictions require the weapon to be "fully visible" to be considered as carried openly. Loaded weapon Definition varies from state to state. Depending on state law, a weapon may be considered "loaded" under one of the following criteria: Preemption In the context of open carry: the act of a state legislature passing laws which limit or eliminate the ability of local governments to regulate the possession or carrying of firearms. Prohibited persons This refers to people who are prohibited by law from carrying a firearm. Typical examples are felons, those convicted of a misdemeanor of domestic violence, those found to be addicted to alcohol or drugs, those who have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution, and those who have been dishonorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.
Categories of law In the United States, the laws vary from state to state regarding open carry of firearms. The categories are defined as follows: Permissive open carry states A state has passed full preemption of all firearms laws, with few exceptions. They allow open carry for all nonprohibited citizens and do not require a permit or license to carry firearms openly. Open carry is fully lawful on foot. A permit may or may not be required to carry in a motor vehicle, depending on the state. Permissive open carry with local restriction states A state that generally allows open carry without a license, but additional restrictions may exist on non-license holders such as local restrictions or additional restricted locations or modes of carry. Some states exempt license holders from local restrictions while others don't. Licensed open carry states A state has passed full preemption of all firearms laws, with few exceptions. They allow open carry for all nonprohibited citizens who have been issued a permit or license. Open carry of a handgun is lawful on foot and in a motor vehicle. In practice, however, some of these states that have may-issue licensing laws can be regarded as non-permissive for open carry, as issuing authorities rarely or never grant licenses to ordinary citizens. Anomalous open carry states Open carry is generally prohibited except either under special circumstances or in unincorporated areas of counties in which population densities are below statutorily defined thresholds, and local authorities have enacted legislation to allow open carry with a permit in such jurisdictions, as in California, for example. Thus, some local jurisdictions may permit open carry, and others may impose varying degrees of restrictions or prohibit open carry entirely. Non-permissive open carry states Open carry of a handgun is not lawful or is lawful only under such a limited set of circumstances that public carry is effectively prohibited. They may include when one is hunting or traveling to/from hunting locations, on property controlled by the person carrying, or for lawful self-defense. Additionally, some states with may-issue licensing laws are non-permissive when issuing authorities are highly restrictive in the issuance of licenses allowing open carry.
Jurisdictions in the United States
In the United States, the laws concerning open carry vary by state and sometimes by municipality. The following chart lists state policies for openly carrying a loaded handgun in public. Status of open carry, by jurisdiction Jurisdiction Handguns Long guns Notes Alabamacolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. Local restrictions preempted. Alaskacolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. American Samoa Open carry legal for holders of a valid License to Possess which are required to purchase and possess firearms; though Licenses to Possess have been restricted to only shotguns and rimfire rifles since 1991, effectively banning handguns. Licenses issued for handguns and other firearms prior to 1991 are grandfathered as long as they remain valid. Arizonacolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. State law does not preempt tribal laws on Native American reservations, except when traversing a reservation on a state-owned highway. Some tribes do not permit open carry, while some others may require a tribal permit for open carry. Arkansascolspan="2" The legal status of open carry without a license was considered a gray area from 2013 until 2015, when an Attorney General opinion was issued stating open carry was indeed legal. Despite this there were still questions over the law until 2017, when Governor Asa Hutchinson sent an order to the Arkansas State Police stating open carry was legal. Before 2013, it was unlawful to open carry a handgun in Arkansas even with a concealed carry license. Open carry without a permit allowed, restrictions fully preempted. Californiacolspan="2" Open carry legal in rural counties with local ordinances allowing open carry.Open Carry in California. Giffords. Retrieved 20 February 2021. Some of these counties issue a permit for open carry. Additionally, a person may also open carry if he or she "reasonably believes that any person or the property of any person is in immediate, grave danger and that the carrying of the weapon is necessary for the preservation of that person or property." One can expect to be detained and questioned by law enforcement in most urban areas if using the latter rationale as the basis for openly carrying a firearm in public. Coloradocolspan="2" Open carry without a license permitted statewide, except in the City and County of Denver where open carry is completely prohibited. Other cities and towns may have varying degrees of restriction on open carry. Connecticut colspan="2" Effective October 1, 2023, the open carry of handguns and long guns is generally prohibited in Connecticut, except on property owned or lawfully controlled by the person carrying openly, on another's private property with permission or invitation from the owner, at a designated shooting range, or while hunting. Delawarecolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. Local restrictions preempted. In the city of Dover, the "grandfathered" city ordinance restricting open carry that predated state preemption was repealed in 2015. District of Columbiacolspan="2" Open carry prohibited. Open carry was briefly legal from July 27, 2015 to July 29, 2015 due to a court ruling. Floridacolspan="2" State open carry ban was declared unconstitutional by Florida First District Court of Appeal on 10 September 2025. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier welcomed the ruling and ordered law enforcement officers to no longer enforce the ban, effectively making Florida an open carry state. Open carry is now allowed without a permit, with full preemption. Georgiacolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. Local restrictions preempted. Guamcolspan="2" Open Carry allowed with FOID."Guam". handgunlaw.us. Retrieved 2014-05-12. Hawaii Open carry of handguns allowed with permit; permits issued on a may-issue basis but in practice are no-issue. Permits only valid in county of issuance. Local restrictions preempted. Open carry of long guns prohibited. Idahocolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. Local restrictions preempted. Illinoiscolspan="2" "Illinois", OpenCarry.org. Retrieved May 27, 2014. "Open carry is clearly prohibited except in unincorporated areas where the county has not made open carry illegal. Additionally, note that open carry is prohibited inside a vehicle even when in unincorporated areas. Further, a recent review of Illinois statutes indicates that even open carry on foot in unincorporated areas may also be unlawful, and so in an abundance of caution, we classify Illinois as a state banning open carry entirely.""Open Carrying in Illinois", Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Retrieved May 27, 2014. "Thus, while a person – whether a concealed carry licensee or not – is prohibited from knowingly carrying a fully unconcealed handgun in public, a concealed carry licensee may lawfully carry a partially exposed handgun." Open carry theoretically legal in unincorporated rural areas, where permitted by local ordinance. However, per Attorney General opinion open carry is prohibited. Indianacolspan="2" Open carry of handguns allowed without a permit; permits granted on a shall-issue basis. Local restrictions preempted. No permit required to carry long guns. Iowacolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. Local restrictions preempted. Kansascolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. Local restrictions preempted. Kentuckycolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. Local restrictions preempted. Louisianacolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. Local restrictions preempted. Mainecolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. Local restrictions preempted. Maryland Open carry of handguns is no longer permitted; permits were issued on a may-issue basis but in practice were No-Issue. Now carry permits are issued on a shall-issue basis. Open carry of long guns allowed without permit. Local restrictions preempted. Massachusettscolspan="2" Open carry allowed with Massachusetts Unrestricted License to Carry; permits were issued by local authorities on a may-issue basis. Currently, carry permits are issued on a shall-issue basis. Local restrictions preempted. Michigancolspan="2" Open carry allowed without permit. Permit required if carrying in vehicle; permits issued on a shall-issue basis. Local restrictions preempted. Minnesotacolspan="2" Open carry allowed with permit; permits issued on a shall-issue basis. Local restrictions preempted. Mississippicolspan="2" Open carry of handguns allowed without permit; permits issued on a shall-issue basis. No permit required to carry a long gun. Local restrictions preempted. Missouricolspan="2" Open carry without permit allowed. However, several cities and counties restrict open carry, in which case one must either: 1. have a carry permit, thus exempting them from local restrictions on open carry, or