Topic · open carry
Open Carry States: Where You Can Openly Carry a Handgun
Open carry means carrying a handgun visibly, usually in a holster. 38 of the 51 US jurisdictions allow it without a permit for adults who may legally own a handgun, as of 2026-09-27. Others require a license, restrict it to narrow circumstances, or ban it.
Open-carry rules are separate from concealed-carry reciprocity: a state can honor your concealed permit and still treat open carry differently. Check the destination state's page before you carry openly there.
- Allowed without a permit
- Permit required
- Restricted / not verified
- Prohibited
State by state
| State | Open carry of a handgun | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes, no permit | You can carry a handgun openly without a permit. A visible, holstered or secured pistol is presumed not to be disorderly conduct, but carry bans in schools, courthouses and other listed places still apply. |
| Alaska | Yes, no permit | Adults 21 and older who may legally have a gun can carry it openly or concealed without a permit. |
| Arizona | Yes, no permit (18+) | Adults who may legally possess a firearm can carry openly without a permit. People under 18 may not carry a firearm in public unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or certified instructor. |
| Arkansas | Yes, no permit (18+) | Carrying a handgun, openly or concealed, is only a crime if done with intent to use it unlawfully against someone. No one under 18 may possess a handgun. |
| California | Restricted | Openly carrying a handgun, loaded or unloaded, is a crime in cities and in built-up county areas where shooting is banned. A special license to carry openly exists only in counties under 200,000 people and is valid only in that county. |
| Colorado | Yes, no permit | State law does not require a permit to carry openly, but cities and counties may pass stricter local gun laws, and some (such as Denver) restrict open carry. Check local rules before carrying openly. |
| Connecticut | Prohibited | Even with a permit, you must keep a handgun reasonably concealed; carrying a firearm with intent to display it is a crime outside your home, land or business. A brief glimpse or printing through clothing is not a violation. |
| Delaware | Yes, no permit (21+) | Delaware law only makes carrying a concealed weapon without a license a crime, so a fully visible handgun needs no license. People under 21 generally may not possess a handgun unless they hold a Delaware carry license or are in the military. |
| District of Columbia | Prohibited | Open carry is illegal in DC. Even licensed carriers must keep the handgun concealed at all times. |
| Florida | Yes, no permit | Since a September 2025 appeals-court ruling, law-abiding adults may carry a firearm openly without a license. Places where carry is banned still apply, and private property owners can order you to leave. The ruling rests on a court decision: the open-carry ban (section 790.053) is still printed in the Florida Statutes, and the Attorney General has directed police and prosecutors not to enforce it. |
| Georgia | Yes, no permit (21+) | Since 2022 anyone who would be eligible for a Georgia weapons carry license may carry openly or concealed without one. That generally means age 21, or 18 with qualifying military service. |
| Hawaii | Restricted | Carrying a handgun openly requires a separate county "unconcealed" license, and the applicant must show an urgent need to carry and be engaged in protecting life and property. In practice most people cannot carry openly in Hawaii. |
| Idaho | Yes, no permit | Idaho's license law covers only concealed carry, so carrying a handgun openly needs no permit. Concealed carry without a license is also allowed for U.S. citizens and service members 18 and older. |
| Illinois | Prohibited | Open carry is not allowed in Illinois. Even with a concealed carry license, the handgun must be completely or mostly hidden from public view. |
| Indiana | Yes, no permit (18+) | Since July 1, 2022 anyone 18 or older who is not legally barred from having a handgun may carry openly or concealed without a permit. |
| Iowa | Yes, no permit (18+) | Since July 1, 2021 no permit is needed to carry a handgun openly or concealed in Iowa if you are not otherwise barred from having one. Since 2025 the age floor for handguns is 18. |
| Kansas | Yes, no permit (18+) | Kansas has no license for open carry, and adults may carry a handgun openly without one. Concealed carry without a license starts at 21; people 18 to 20 may carry openly. |
| Kentucky | Yes, no permit | Kentucky has no license for open carry, and adults who may legally have a gun can carry openly. Schools and places that serve alcohol are the main exceptions. Concealed carry without a license starts at 21. |
| Louisiana | Yes, no permit (18+) | Louisiana law restricts only hidden carry, so adults 18 and older can carry a handgun openly without a permit. Since July 4, 2024 they can also carry concealed without one. |
| Maine | Yes, no permit | Maine law restricts carrying a hidden weapon or displaying one in a threatening way, not open carry, so no permit is needed to carry a handgun openly. Concealed carry without a permit is allowed at 21, or at 18 for active-duty or honorably discharged service members. |
| Maryland | With a permit (21+) | Maryland treats open and concealed carry the same: you need a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit either way. Maryland does not honor any other state's permit. |
| Massachusetts | With a permit (21+) | Carrying a handgun in public, openly or concealed, requires a Massachusetts License to Carry; Massachusetts does not honor other states' permits, so visitors need a non-resident license. |
| Michigan | Yes, no permit (18+) | No Michigan law bans openly carrying a lawfully owned pistol, but you cannot open carry inside a vehicle — a pistol in a car without a concealed pistol license (or recognized out-of-state license) is treated as concealed. Without a license, more places are off-limits, including schools, banks, churches, courts, theaters, sports arenas, day care centers and hospitals. |
| Minnesota | With a permit (18+) | You need a permit to carry a pistol in public in Minnesota, but with a permit you may carry it openly or concealed. There are narrow no-permit exceptions, such as your home, business or land, hunting, and unloaded cased transport. |
| Mississippi | Yes, no permit | Anyone who may legally have a handgun can carry it openly without a permit; a pistol in a belt, shoulder or other holster that is even partly visible is not considered concealed. Certain places stay off-limits unless you hold an enhanced carry permit. |
| Missouri | Yes, no permit | Open carry needs no permit under state law, but cities and counties may ban it locally; where a local ban applies, you may open carry only with a Missouri permit or a recognized out-of-state permit, and must show it to police on request. |
| Montana | Yes, no permit | No permit is needed to carry a handgun openly, and local governments cannot ban open carry in general — but they may bar carrying weapons into publicly owned, occupied buildings under their control. |
| Nebraska | Yes, no permit | No Nebraska law prohibits openly carrying a firearm, and no permit is needed to carry one openly. |
| Nevada | Yes, no permit (18+) | Nevada requires a permit only to carry a firearm concealed; openly carrying a handgun needs no permit for anyone who may legally possess one. Carrying concealed without a valid or recognized permit is a crime. |
| New Hampshire | Yes, no permit | New Hampshire requires no license to carry a handgun, openly or concealed, for anyone who may legally possess one; the optional license mainly helps when traveling to states that honor it. |
| New Jersey | Prohibited | Open carry of a handgun is a crime in New Jersey even with a valid Permit to Carry; permit holders must carry concealed. |
| New Mexico | Yes, no permit | Carrying a loaded handgun openly is legal without a license, but it is still banned in places such as schools and federal buildings. |
| New York | Prohibited | New York's carry license only authorizes carrying a handgun concealed; there is no license or exemption for open carry. |
| North Carolina | Not verified | |
| North Dakota | Yes, no permit (18+) | Adults 18+ who may legally have a gun can carry a loaded handgun openly without a license if they carry a valid driver's license or state ID from their home state; anyone else may only carry it unloaded and in plain view or secured. |
| Ohio | Not verified | |
| Oklahoma | Yes, no permit (21+) | Adults 21+ (18+ if a current or former member of the U.S. armed forces, Reserves or National Guard with an honorable discharge) may carry openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, without a license if not otherwise barred from having a gun. |
| Oregon | Yes, no permit | A handgun carried openly in a belt holster is not treated as concealed, so no license is needed to carry it that way. Cities and counties may ban carrying a loaded firearm in public places (Portland does); only holders of an Oregon concealed handgun license are exempt, so an out-of-state permit does not protect you there. |
| Pennsylvania | Yes, no permit | Open carry on foot needs no license, except in Philadelphia, where you need a Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms. You also need that license to have a gun in a vehicle, even if it is in plain view. |
| Rhode Island | Not verified | |
| South Carolina | Yes, no permit (18+) | Adults 18 and older who may legally have a gun can carry openly or concealed without a permit or training. Guns are still banned in places such as schools, churches, courthouses, public buildings and anywhere posted with a no-guns sign. |
| South Dakota | Yes, no permit (18+) | Residents and visitors who may legally possess a pistol can carry openly or concealed without a permit. People under 18 generally may not possess a pistol. |
| Tennessee | Yes, no permit (21+) | Adults 21 and older (18 and older for military members and honorably discharged veterans) may carry a handgun openly without a permit where they are lawfully present. Handguns only; a permit is needed for 18-20-year-olds who are not military or veterans. |
| Texas | Yes, no permit (21+) | Adults 21 and older who may legally have a gun can carry a handgun openly without a license, but a visible handgun must be in a holster (any holster type). Adults 18-20 need a License to Carry. |
| Utah | Yes, no permit (21+) | Adults 21 and older who may legally have a gun can carry a loaded handgun openly or concealed in public without a permit. Under 21, carrying a loaded gun on a public street requires a Utah (or other state) permit. |
| Vermont | Yes, no permit | Vermont has no carry permit system; anyone who may legally have a handgun can carry it openly or concealed. Schools, courthouses and hospital buildings are still off-limits. |
| Virginia | Yes, no permit (18+) | A handgun may be carried openly without a permit except where a specific law bans it. Until July 1, 2027, carrying certain loaded semi-automatic firearms with magazines over 20 rounds, or shotguns holding more than 7 rounds, in public is banned only in listed Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads localities, and concealed handgun permit holders are exempt. From July 1, 2027, carrying an "assault firearm" in any public place statewide is a misdemeanor, with no permit-holder exemption. |
| Washington | Yes, no permit (21+) | Adults 21 and older may carry a handgun openly without a license, but a loaded handgun in a vehicle requires a concealed pistol license. People 18-20 may have a handgun only at home, at their business or on their own property. |
| West Virginia | Yes, no permit (18+) | Adults 18 and older who may legally have a gun can carry openly without a license. Anyone under 18 may not carry a deadly weapon openly or concealed, apart from narrow exceptions such as hunting or family property. |
| Wisconsin | Yes, no permit (18+) | Adults who may legally have a gun can carry it openly without a license. Without a license, having a gun within 1,000 feet of school grounds is an offense, and open carry is banned in police stations, courthouses, jails and past airport security. |
| Wyoming | Yes, no permit | Wyoming has no license for open carry; its permit law covers only concealed carry. Government bodies may still ban open carry inside their own buildings and campuses. |
Frequently asked questions
- Which states allow open carry without a permit?
- 38 as of 2026-09-27: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
- Which states require a permit to open carry?
- Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota.
- Which states ban open carry of handguns?
- Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York generally prohibit it for the public.
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.