Second Amendment
Gun Laws by State: All 50 States Ranked on Gun Rights
States differ enormously on the right to keep and bear arms — from permitless "constitutional carry" with almost no restrictions to may-issue permitting, magazine limits, and red-flag laws. This ranking scores all 50 states on Second Amendment freedom so you can see at a glance where gun owners have the most latitude.
Score reflects carry laws, permitting, red-flag laws, magazine and firearm restrictions, and castle-doctrine protections. Darker green = stronger; click any state for its full breakdown.
All 50 states ranked
- 1WYWyoming10.0A+
- 2IDIdaho9.8A+
- 3MTMontana9.6A+
- 4UTUtah9.4A+
- 5NDNorth Dakota9.2A+
- 6AZArizona9.0A+
- 7SDSouth Dakota8.8A
- 8TNTennessee8.6A
- 9TXTexas8.4A-
- 10KSKansas8.2A-
- 11AKAlaska8.0A-
- 12OKOklahoma7.8B+
- 13GAGeorgia7.6B+
- 14KYKentucky7.3B
- 15INIndiana7.1B
- 16ARArkansas6.9B-
- 17ALAlabama6.7B-
- 18NHNew Hampshire6.5B-
- 19MOMissouri6.3C+
- 20WVWest Virginia6.1C+
- 21MSMississippi5.9C
- 22FLFlorida5.7C
- 23OHOhio5.5C
- 24SCSouth Carolina5.3C-
- 25WIWisconsin5.1C-
- 26NCNorth Carolina4.9D+
- 27LALouisiana4.7D+
- 28NVNevada4.5D+
- 29MEMaine4.3D
- 30NENebraska4.1D
- 31MIMichigan3.9D-
- 32PAPennsylvania3.7D-
- 33IAIowa3.5D-
- 34NMNew Mexico3.3F
- 35VAVirginia3.1F
- 36OROregon2.9F
- 37VTVermont2.7F
- 38COColorado2.4F
- 39MNMinnesota2.2F
- 40WAWashington2.0F
- 41ILIllinois1.8F
- 42DEDelaware1.6F
- 43RIRhode Island1.4F
- 44MDMaryland1.2F
- 45CTConnecticut1.0F
- 46MAMassachusetts0.8F
- 47CACalifornia0.6F
- 48HIHawaii0.4F
- 49NJNew Jersey0.2F
- 50NYNew York0.0F
Further reading
What Is Constitutional Carry? The 29 Permitless-Carry States (2026)
Constitutional carry lets an eligible adult carry a concealed handgun without a government permit. Here is what it means, which states allow it, and the rules that still apply.
Red Flag Law States: Which States Have ERPO Laws (2026)
Red flag laws let a court temporarily remove someone’s firearms when they’re deemed a danger. Here is what they are, which 21 states have them, and how the process works.
Open Carry States: Where Open Carry Is Legal (2026)
Open carry of a handgun is legal in most of the country. Here is what open carry means, the handful of states that ban it or require a permit, and how it differs from concealed carry.
Stand Your Ground States: The Full List (2026)
Stand-your-ground laws remove the duty to retreat before using force in self-defense. Here is what that means, which states have it, and how it differs from the castle doctrine.
Castle Doctrine States: Defending Your Home (2026)
The castle doctrine lets you defend your home without a duty to retreat. Nearly every state recognizes it — here is how it works and the states that still require retreat in public.
Common questions
Which state has the best gun laws?
Wyoming ranks #1 for Second Amendment freedom, scoring 10.0/10 — typically a constitutional-carry state with minimal permitting and no magazine or assault-weapon bans. The full top-to-bottom order is above.
What are constitutional carry states?
Constitutional (permitless) carry means a law-abiding adult can carry a firearm without a government permit. These states cluster at the top of the ranking because permitless carry is one of the heaviest-weighted factors in the Second Amendment score.
Which state has the strictest gun laws?
New York sits at the bottom of the Second Amendment ranking, reflecting may-issue or restrictive permitting, magazine limits, red-flag laws, and firearm bans.
How is the gun-rights score calculated?
Each state gets a 0–10 Second Amendment score built from carry laws, permitting requirements, red-flag laws, magazine and firearm restrictions, and self-defense protections. See the methodology page for sources and weighting.