Topic · police stops
Duty to Inform States: Where You Must Tell Police You're Carrying
A duty-to-inform law requires a person carrying a handgun to tell a law-enforcement officer so, usually at the start of any official contact such as a traffic stop. 9 of the 51 US jurisdictions impose one as of 2026-09-27.
In the other states there is no duty to volunteer it, but you generally must show your permit and answer truthfully if an officer asks. The rule that applies is the one where you are, not the one where your permit was issued.
- Must inform police
- No duty to volunteer
- Not verified
State by state
| State | Duty to inform | What the law requires |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No | No proactive duty to inform found on any official Alabama source; answer truthfully and present a permit if an officer asks during a lawful stop. |
| Alaska | Yes | DPS FAQ: when contacted by a law enforcement officer while carrying concealed you must IMMEDIATELY inform the officer that you possess the firearm; failure to do so is a criminal offense (AS 11.61.220). |
| Arizona | No | No proactive duty, but if an officer asks whether you are carrying a concealed deadly weapon you must answer accurately (A.R.S. § 13-3102(A)(1)(b)); permit holders must present the permit for inspection on request (§ 13-3112(A), civil penalty up to $300). |
| Arkansas | Yes | ASP rule (Code of Arkansas Rules, CHCL): a licensee carrying a handgun who is asked by an officer for identification must present the CHCL AND notify the officer of the handgun — even if the officer never asks about weapons. No notification is required if not carrying, and § 5-73-315(b)(2) separately requires displaying the license on demand. |
| California | No | No statewide statutory duty to proactively inform an officer; individual issuing authorities may attach notification conditions to the license. |
| Colorado | No | No duty to volunteer. Permittee must carry the permit plus valid photo ID whenever carrying and must produce both upon demand by a law enforcement officer; failure is a class 1 petty offense (C.R.S. 18-12-204(2)(a)). |
| Connecticut | No | No duty to volunteer. The holder must carry the permit while carrying and must present it upon request of a law enforcement officer who has reasonable suspicion of a crime (CGS 29-35(b)). |
| Delaware | No | No statutory duty to proactively inform an officer; Title 11's deadly-weapons subchapter contains no notification requirement. AG-issued temporary licenses must be carried at all times while in the state (11 Del. C. 1441(k)). |
| District of Columbia | Yes | Affirmative duty - on any investigative stop, a licensee (and any accompanying licensee) shall disclose that they are carrying, present the license and registration certificate, identify the pistol's location, and comply with orders including temporary disarmament (D.C. Code 7-2509.04(d)). |
| Florida | No | No proactive duty. Licensees must carry the license plus valid ID and display both upon demand by a law enforcement officer (s. 790.06(1)); permitless carriers must carry and display valid ID on demand (s. 790.013) - violation is a $25 civil penalty. |
| Georgia | No | No proactive duty-to-inform appears in any official Georgia carry guidance reviewed (AG, DPS, Georgia.gov, General Assembly brief); SB 319 also removed the requirement to hold a license while carrying. Cross-checked: Georgia has no must-inform statute. |
| Hawaii | Yes | HRS 134-9.2 (enacted by Act 52, 2023) requires a person carrying a firearm who is stopped by law enforcement (including as driver or passenger) to immediately disclose that they are carrying; licensees must also keep the license card in immediate possession and produce it on request (county rules). Violation is a petty misdemeanor. |
| Idaho | No | No proactive duty-to-inform requirement appears in the AG's official concealed-weapons guidance; carriers relying on an out-of-state license must have it with them when carrying. Cross-checked: Idaho has no must-inform statute. |
| Illinois | No | Disclosure is on-demand only: upon an officer's request during a stop, the licensee or qualifying non-resident must disclose that they possess a concealed firearm, present the license on request, identify the firearm's location, and permit the officer to secure it for the stop (ISP brochure, per the Concealed Carry Act). |
| Indiana | No | No statutory proactive duty found; official IN.gov guidance recommends telling an officer 'in a non-threatening manner' that you are in possession of a firearm. Framed as a recommendation, not a legal requirement. |
| Iowa | No | No proactive duty-to-inform provision in Iowa Code ch. 724; the former duty to carry and show the permit on demand (724.5) was repealed by the 2021 permitless-carry law. |
| Kansas | No | No Kansas statute imposes a proactive duty to inform an officer that you are carrying. |
| Kentucky | No | No Kentucky statute or KSP guidance imposes a proactive duty to inform an officer that you are carrying. |
| Louisiana | Yes | R.S. 40:1379.3(I)(2): a permittee - and anyone carrying under permitless R.S. 14:95(M) - must notify any police officer who approaches in an official manner that they have a weapon, submit to a pat-down and allow the officer to temporarily disarm them. Failure triggers automatic 6-month permit suspension for permittees. |
| Maine | No | Permit holders have no proactive duty to inform. A person carrying WITHOUT a permit under Maine's permitless-carry law must immediately inform the officer that they are carrying a concealed handgun upon any routine stop, detention or arrest. |
| Maryland | No | No Maryland statute imposes a proactive duty to tell an officer you are carrying; the permit must be in your possession whenever you carry, wear or transport a handgun (Pub. Safety §5-308). |
| Massachusetts | No | No Massachusetts statute imposes a proactive duty to tell an officer you are carrying; carry the LTC when carrying and present it on lawful demand. |
| Michigan | Yes | MCL 28.425f(3): a licensee carrying a concealed pistol who is stopped by a peace officer must immediately disclose that they are carrying a pistol concealed on their person or in the vehicle; violations are civil infractions with fines and license suspension/revocation. |
| Minnesota | No | No proactive duty: the permit card and ID must be displayed upon lawful demand, and the holder must disclose whether they are carrying only upon a peace officer's request (Minn. Stat. 624.714 subd. 1b). |
| Mississippi | No | No proactive duty: a licensee must display the license and identification upon demand by a law enforcement officer; failure is a $25 noncriminal violation (Miss. Code 45-9-101(1)(b)). |
| Missouri | No | No proactive duty to inform. Permit holders must carry the permit plus photo ID and display them on a peace officer's request (RSMo 571.121); failure is a civil citation up to $35, not a crime. |
| Montana | No | No statutory duty to proactively inform an officer. A traveler carrying under reciprocity must have the permit in immediate possession plus photo ID (MCA 45-8-329). |
| Nebraska | Yes | Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-1202.04 — anyone carrying a concealed handgun (with or without a permit) who is contacted by a peace officer or emergency services personnel must IMMEDIATELY inform them of the concealed handgun. |
| Nevada | No | No proactive duty to inform. Permittees must carry the permit with ID and present both if requested by a peace officer (NRS 202.3667); violation is a $25 civil penalty. |
| New Hampshire | No | No statutory duty to inform a police officer of carrying appears in RSA Chapter 159. |
| New Jersey | Yes | If stopped or detained while carrying in public or traveling with a handgun in a vehicle, the permit holder must immediately disclose that they are carrying (or that a handgun is stored in the vehicle) and display the permit; violating the disclosure duty is a fourth-degree crime (N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.4(b)). |
| New Mexico | No | No proactive duty; a licensee carrying in public must display the license upon demand by a peace officer (10.8.2.16(D) NMAC). Consuming alcohol while carrying is prohibited (10.8.2.16(B)). |
| New York | No | No proactive statutory duty; a licensee must carry the license while carrying the handgun and exhibit it upon demand to any police or peace officer (PL 400.00(8)). |
| North Carolina | Yes | When approached or addressed by any officer, the permittee must disclose that they hold a valid concealed handgun permit and are carrying a concealed handgun, and must display permit and ID on request (G.S. 14-415.11; NC DOJ 'Do's and Don'ts'). |
| North Dakota | No | Not proactive by statute: license carriers must produce the license for inspection upon an officer's request, and permitless carriers must disclose the firearm if the officer inquires and show state ID on request (NDCC 62.1-04-04; $20 noncriminal fee). The AG's Constitutional Carry page nonetheless instructs permitless carriers to inform law enforcement on any in-person contact — safest practice is to inform. |
| Ohio | No | SB 215 (2022) removed the duty to promptly notify; a person stopped by law enforcement is no longer required to volunteer that they are carrying but must answer truthfully if the officer asks (R.C. 2923.12). |
| Oklahoma | No | No duty to volunteer. It is unlawful to fail or refuse to disclose carrying upon demand of an officer during an arrest, detainment or routine traffic stop (21 O.S. § 1290.8); violation is a citation of up to $100. |
| Oregon | No | No Oregon statute requires a carrier to proactively inform police; a CHL holder should present the license on request. |
| Pennsylvania | No | No Pennsylvania statute requires a carrier to proactively inform police; carry the license and produce it on lawful demand. |
| Rhode Island | No | No Rhode Island statute imposes a duty to proactively inform police that you are carrying; licenses must be carried and produced on demand. |
| South Carolina | No | SLED H.3594 guidance: a CWP holder or permitless carrier 'DOES NOT have a duty to notify a law enforcement officer that they are carrying a firearm', and a CWP holder is not required to carry the CWP or disclose CWP status. |
| South Dakota | No | No duty-to-inform provision appears in the Secretary of State's official Firearm Handbook or in SDCL chapter 23-7. |
| Tennessee | No | No proactive duty. A permit holder carrying where only the permit allows it must have the permit in immediate possession and display it on demand of a law enforcement officer (TCA 39-17-1351(n)(1) and 39-17-1366(e) as amended by Public Chapter 108, 2021). |
| Texas | No | No proactive duty — Gov't Code 411.205 requires a license holder carrying a handgun to display the LTC together with ID only when a magistrate or peace officer demands identification. |
| Utah | No | BCI FAQ: 'there is no legal requirement to identify yourself to a law enforcement officer' as carrying, though BCI recommends immediately identifying yourself as armed for officer safety. |
| Vermont | No | No duty-to-inform statute exists; Vermont has no carry-permit system and no statutory requirement to disclose carrying to police. |
| Virginia | No | Virginia law does not require volunteering that you are armed; Va. Code § 18.2-308.01 requires having the permit in possession when carrying and displaying it with photo ID upon demand by a law-enforcement officer (VSP FAQ). |
| Washington | No | No statutory duty to proactively tell an officer you are carrying; the CPL must be in your possession while carrying a concealed pistol and presented on demand. |
| West Virginia | No | No proactive duty-to-inform appears in WV statute, the AG's guide or the AG's FAQ; out-of-state holders must have the permit in immediate possession (§ 61-7-6a(a)(2)). |
| Wisconsin | No | No proactive duty to inform; a licensee or out-of-state licensee must display the license and photo ID only upon an officer's request while the officer is acting in an official capacity ($25 forfeiture; Wis. Stat. § 175.60(2g)(c), (17)(a)). |
| Wyoming | No | No proactive duty to inform. Permit holders must carry the permit with valid ID whenever carrying concealed and display both upon request of any peace officer (W.S. 6-8-104(b)). |
Frequently asked questions
- Which states have a duty to inform?
- 9 as of 2026-09-27: Alaska, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina.
- Does the duty to inform apply to out-of-state permit holders?
- Yes. Carry rules follow the state you are in, so a visitor carrying on a recognized permit, or under permitless carry, is bound by that state's duty-to-inform law exactly as a resident is.
Every value comes from the state's official statute or agency page — see each state's profile for the source, or the full source registry. Planning a trip? Check your route with the Trip Checker.