Recently, a federal judge in Albany, New York struck down a portion of the 2022 Concealed Carry Improvement Act as unconstitutional. Part of the Act stated that nobody could bring their firearm onto private property that is open to the public, such as a convenience store, without the owner’s explicit permission — even if the person with the gun had a concealed carry permit. The judge ruled that, while guns should be kept out of sensitive areas like schools, there is no historical or legal precedence that would allow for the now-defunct portion of the Act; instead, the Act seemed to encroach on the rights of law-abiding gun owners. New York lawmakers have, after the fact, reaffirmed their commitment to protecting New Yorkers against gun violence. (Here’s the gun law grade for every state.)
Gun control debates have long been prevalent in American culture. While the 2nd Amendment enshrines your right to bear arms, states are given their own ability to choose how guns are handled in their states. While some states have stricter gun legislation, and have passed laws to expand background checks, raise ownership eligibility requirements, and ban assault weapons, many states have little to no gun control measures in place. This means that the risk of gun violence is higher, and that guns may end up in the hands of bad actors. Using the Annual Gun Law Scorecard from the gun violence prevention group Gifford Law Center, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states with loose gun control laws, ranked in alphabetical order. The Gun Law Scorecard assigns each state a letter grade rating the strength of their firearm laws. Grades are current as of early January 2024 and range from “A,” for the states with the strongest laws, to “F,” for the states with the weakest. Every state on our list received an “F”. Gun laws noted in this story are also from Giffords Law Center. They are not exhaustive, however, and are only broad guidelines. Legal nuances can vary at the state and local levels.
Why This Matters
90% of states with the highest rates of deadly gun violence rank on this list, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a report on 2021 firearm mortality. At 24/7 Wall St., we want you to understand which areas in the United States have minimal gun control legislation — and don’t always keep firearms out of the wrong hands. The rate of deadly gun violence in an area can have negative effects on local economy. When an area is seen as too violent, that city’s housing market, local businesses, and labor force may decline. (Here are the states where people bought the most guns in the first half of 2024.)
Read on to learn the states with the least restrictive gun control laws:
Alabama
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Mental health record reporting
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 1,315 (26.4 per 100,000 people — 4th highest in the US)
Alaska
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Mental health record reporting
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 182 (25.2 per 100,000 people — 6th highest in the US)
Arizona
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Firearms prohibited at polling places, mental health record reporting
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 1,365 (18.3 per 100,000 people — 17th highest in the US)
Arkansas
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Partial mental health record reporting
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence gun laws, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 698 (23.3 per 100,000 people — 8th highest in the US)
Georgia
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: strong open carry restrictions, child access prevention laws
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence gun laws, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, or concealed carry permitting requirements
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 2,200 (20.3 per 100,000 people — 14th highest in the US)
Idaho
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Mental health record reporting
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing requirements, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence gun laws, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 309 (16.3 per 100,000 people — 25th highest in the US)
Iowa
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Certain domestic violence gun laws, child access prevention law
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, concealed carry permitting requirement, bulk firearm purchase restrictions, or firearms licensing
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 364 (11.2 per 100,000 people — 12th lowest in the US)
Kansas
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Mental health record reporting
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 503 (17.3 per 100,000 people — 19th highest in the US)
Kentucky
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Child access prevention laws
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence gun laws, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, or strong open carry restrictions
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 947 (21.1 per 100,000 people — 13th highest in the US)
Louisiana
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Certain domestic violence gun laws
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 1,314 (29.1 per 100,000 people — 2nd highest in the US)
Mississippi
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Partial mental health record reporting, child access prevention laws
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence gun laws, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirement, or strong open carry restrictions
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 962 (33.9 per 100,000 people — 1st highest in the US)
Missouri
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Partial strong open carry restrictions, child access prevention laws
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence gun laws, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, or concealed carry permit requirements
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 1,414 (23.2 per 100,000 people — 9th highest in the US)
Montana
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Certain domestic violence gun laws
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 280 (25.1 per 100,000 people — 7th highest in the US)
North Dakota
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Certain domestic violence gun laws
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 128 (16.8 per 100,000 people — 22nd highest in the US)
Oklahoma
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Child access prevention laws
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, or waiting periods
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 836 (21.2 per 100,000 people — 12th highest in the US)
South Dakota
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Mental health record reporting
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 128 (14.3 per 100,000 people — 19th lowest in the US)
Tennessee
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Certain domestic violence gun laws, strong open carry restrictions
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, or concealed carry permit requirements
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 1,569 (22.8 per 100,000 people — 10th highest in the US)
Texas
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Mental health record reporting, child access prevention law
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, or strong open carry restrictions
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 4,613 (15.6 per 100,000 people — 24th lowest in the US)
Utah
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Domestic violence gun laws, child access prevention laws, extended background check period, state background check database
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, or strong open carry restrictions
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 450 (13.9 per 100,000 people — 16th lowest in the US)
West Virginia
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Domestic violence gun laws
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 319 (17.3 per 100,000 people — 19th highest in the US)
Wyoming
- Gun law strength grade: F
- Significant gun controls in state: Ban on concealed carry in bars
- Significant gun rights in state: No universal background checks, gun owner licensing, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence gun laws, assault weapon restrictions, large capacity magazine ban, waiting periods, concealed carry permit requirements, strong open carry restrictions, or child access prevention laws
- 2021 Gun Deaths: 155 (26.1 per 100,000 people — 5th highest in the US)
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