The States With the Loosest Gun Laws

No permit is required to carry an unconcealed firearm in North Carolina. The state has no restrictions on assault weapons, but does require a permit to carry a concealed firearm. Gun owners with concealed-carry permits can enter state parks with their weapons, but county governments are allowed to adopt ordinances limiting concealed firearms in certain places, like playgrounds.

Indiana prohibits the open carrying of handguns in most public places, but does offer licenses for concealed weapons to qualified applicants. Licensees are allowed to carry concealed firearms in parks, hospitals, houses of worship, and polling places. There are no state regulations regarding assault weapons.

Utah allows most people to openly carry loaded firearms in many public places with no permit or license, and has no rules regarding assault weapons. In April, the state stopped requiring permits for concealed, loaded handguns in most cases.

As of July 1, Tennessee will no longer require concealed-weapon permits, allowing anyone to carry a handgun without a permit if the gun is lawfully possessed and the gun owner is lawfully present. The state has no assault weapon regulations.

Like neighboring Vermont, New Hampshire allows the carrying of a hidden, loaded gun in most public places without a permit, so long as the carrier is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal or state laws. The state does prohibit any individual or group that assumes the characteristics or behaviors of a militia from possessing firearms of any kind.