Will you be traveling out of state this spring? Or do you have questions about your own state’s firearms laws? Then you’ll want to have quick access to summaries of gun laws in America’s 50 states. Here’s a very valuable online resource you may want to bookmark.
The NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) has a great feature on the NRA-ILA’s homepage. There is a pull-down menu that includes all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, New York City, and Guam. This quickly provides a host of legal information for each region you select. From the NRA home page, NRA-ILA.org, you can instantly access a host of information for all 50 states. NOTE: Some of this information is not completely current, so you may want to check with more detailed, up-to-date reference, such as the Legal Heat $10 50 State Guide to Firearms Laws and Regulations (2023 Edition). Most of the information in the book is also available in the FREE Legal Heat Firearms Law APP for Android (Google) smartphones and Android mobile devices. Here are screenshots from the Legal Heat Android App.
Shown below is part of the NRA-ILA’s coverage for Texas. There is a summary of the most important Texas gun laws. Below that is a map showing the states that recognize Texas carry permits.
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Will you be traveling out of state this spring? Or do you have questions about your own state’s firearms laws? Then you’ll want to have quick access to summaries of gun laws in America’s 50 states. Here’s a very valuable online resource you may want to bookmark.
The NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) has a great feature on the NRA-ILA’s homepage. From the NRA home page, NRA-ILA.org, you can instantly access a host of information for all 50 states. There is a menu box that includes all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, New York City, and Guam. Look for the box that appears below the “NRA-ILA Top Stories Banner”:
Alternatively, look at the UPPER LEFT for three horizontal lines. Click that to open a drop-down menu. Then select the third line Gun Laws > State Gun Laws. That will open a page with all the 50 states listed in order A to Z. Or bookmark the NRA-ILA State Gun Laws Page.
NOTE: Some of this information is not completely current, so you may want to check with more detailed, up-to-date reference, such as the Legal Heat $20 50 State Guide to Firearms Laws and Regulations (2023 Edition). Most of the information in the book is also available in the FREE Legal Heat Firearms Law APP for Android and iOS (Apple) mobile devices. Here are screenshots from the Legal Heat iPhone App.
Shown below is part of the NRA-ILA’s coverage for Texas. There is a summary of the most important Texas gun laws. Below that is a map showing the states that recognize Texas carry permits.
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In December 2022, New Jersey passed A4769, which effectively declares all public areas to be off limits to firearms, increases permit fees, uses social media posts as grounds to deny permits, and requires gun owners to acquire liability insurance that does not appear to exist in the state. The NRA-ILA, together with the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs then filed a lawsuit in Federal Court, Siegel v. Platkin, challenging A4769.
The legal challenge to this insane, New Jersey statute is going well. In January, the Federal District Court for New Jersey issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the state from enforcing a lot of those restrictions. And this week, in a 230-page opinion, the Court preliminary enjoined the state from enforcing much of A4769 until the full legal proceedings are resolved.
The Court examined the new permitting requirements and enjoined the state from requiring individuals to obtain a $300,000 liability policy before they could get a carry license. It also prohibited the state from conducting in-person interviews with the applicant’s character references. The Court also limited the scope of A4769’s provision that allows the state to deny the applicant if it finds that he or she “to be lacking the essential character of temperament necessary to be entrusted with a firearm”. That now means that there is objective evidence that the individual poses a threat, and permitting agents are limited to looking at the applicant’s public statements for statements suggesting that they pose a threat to themselves of the general public.
The Court was even harder on the new so-called sensitive places that were banned under A4769. It enjoined the state from enforcing the bans on the following locations:
— Virtually all private property where the public is generally admitted — i.e., all stores and restaurants;
— Public gatherings and permitted events;
— Parks, beaches, recreational facilities, zoos, and state parks;
— Libraries and museums;
— Places that serve alcohol for on-premise consumption;
— Entertainment facilities and Casinos;
— Airport parking lots and curbside drop-off and pickup;
— Medical offices and ambulatory care facilities;
— Public filming/motion picture locations; and
— Inside vehicles.
The court concluded that A4769 “went too far, becoming the kind of law that Founding Father Thomas Jefferson would have warned against since it ‘disarm[s] only those who are not inclined or determined to commit crimes [and] worsen[s] the plight of the assaulted, but improve[s] those of the assailants.’”
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The Exhibit Hall is open all three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and will showcase over 14 acres of guns and gear from hundreds of manufacturers and retailers. The Hall will host approximately 800 exhibitors, with receptions and demonstrations. Attendees can see the latest guns, knives, optics, ammo and accessories available on the market today.
For NRA members who did NOT pre-register, admission passes can be picked at the convention, at the Convention Center entrance area. Be sure to have ID and your NRA member number.
At the 2023 NRA convention, events include the NRA Foundation Banquet and Auction, the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum, plus multiple seminars. There will be appearances from notable celebrities, and a major Saturday concert. CLICK HERE for full Event Calendar.
The NRA Convention is just 7 days away. If you plan to attend the 152nd NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits get your hotel booked right away. With the current policies coming from the White House, there has been no more important time to support the Second Amendment.
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Will you be traveling out of state this spring? Or do you have questions about your own state’s firearms laws? Then you’ll want to have quick access to summaries of gun laws in America’s 50 states. Here’s a very valuable online resource you may want to bookmark.
The NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) has a great feature on the NRA-ILA’s homepage. There is a pull-down menu that includes all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, New York City, and Guam. This quickly provides a host of legal information for each region you select. From the NRA home page, NRA-ILA.org, you can instantly access a host of information for all 50 states. NOTE: Some of this information is not completely current, so you may want to check with more detailed, up-to-date reference, such as the Legal Heat $20 50 State Guide to Firearms Laws and Regulations (2023 Edition). Most of the information in the book is also available in the FREE Legal Heat Firearms Law APP for Android (Google) and iOS (Apple) mobile devices. Here are screenshots from the Legal Heat iPhone App.
Shown below is part of the NRA-ILA’s coverage for Texas. There is a summary of the most important Texas gun laws. Below that is a map showing the states that recognize Texas carry permits.
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Will you be traveling out of state this summer? Or do you have questions about your own state’s firearms laws? Then you’ll want to have quick access to summaries of gun laws in America’s 50 states. Here’s a very valuable online resource you may want to bookmark.
The NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) has a great feature on the NRA-ILA’s homepage. There is a pull-down menu that includes all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, New York City, and Guam. This quickly provides a host of legal information for each region you select. From the NRA home page, NRA-ILA.org, you can instantly access a host of information for all 50 states. NOTE: Some of this information is not completely current, so you may want to check with more detailed, up-to-date reference, such as the Legal Heat $20 50 State Guide to Firearms Laws and Regulations (2023 Edition). Most of the information in the book is also available in the FREE Legal Heat Firearms Law APP for Android (Google) and iOS (Apple) mobile devices.
Shown below is part of the NRA-ILA’s coverage for Texas. There is a summary of the most important Texas gun laws, plus a map that shows reciprocity for carry permits.
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This story is based on a recent NRA-ILA article.
Half the USA’s 50 states now recognize a Constitutional right to carry firearms. Constitutional Carry eliminates the need for government permission before a law-abiding individual can exercise their right to bear arms. A citizen can carry without attaining a CCW permit and/or paying special fees. This is a significant milestone, achieved with the recent passage of Constitutional Carry legislation in Georgia. Georgia Governor Kemp is expected to sign Georgia’s new Constitutional Carry act today, making Georgia the 25th U.S. state to recognize such rights. SEE: Fox News Report on Georgia law.
When Gov. Kemp signs the legislation, Georgia will join Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, in allowing law-abiding individuals to carry a concealed handgun without a government-issued permit.
Before Georgia adopted Constitutional Carry, Ohio passed similar legislation last month, with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signing S.B. 215, permitting firearms carry by Ohio citizens. READ Ohio Report.
According to the NRA: “The NRA paved the way for Constitutional Carry by first leading the charge for right-to-carry nearly 40 years ago. Today, every state, and the District of Columbia, provides for the carrying of a firearm for self-defense outside the home in some form, and half the nation recognizes the Second Amendment protects law-abiding citizens’ right to self-defense as an inherent and inalienable right.”
The modern carry movement in America began in earnest in 1987 when NRA helped pass a law legalizing concealed carry outside the home for all law-abiding gun owners in Florida. This law established a “shall issue” permitting regime in Florida, meaning the state was required to issue a carry permit to anyone who applied and could legally possess a firearm. Over the next 15 years, NRA successfully worked to establish right-to-carry laws in 42 states.
Constitutional Carry legislation, which eliminates the need for government permission before law-abiding gun owners can carry concealed firearms, was the natural next step after the success of “shall issue” legislation. In 2003, NRA helped to pass constitutional carry legislation in Alaska. Seven years later Arizona joined the fold, followed by Wyoming, Kansas, and Maine. Ten additional states passed similar legislation by 2019. And in the last two years, nine states have become constitutional carry states.
“This is a monumental moment for the Second Amendment, NRA members and gun owners nationwide,” said Jason Ouimet, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “Half the country now rightfully recognizes the fundamental right to carry a firearm for self-defense as enshrined in our Constitution – as opposed to a government privilege that citizens must ask permission to exercise. Passing this essential legislation has been a priority for the NRA for many years, and we’re thrilled to celebrate this huge success.”
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The U.S. Supreme Court will hear NRA-backed case about New York state’s concealed carry laws.
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear an NRA-backed case challenging New York’s restrictive concealed-carry-licensing regime. This sets the stage for the Supreme Court to establish what most states already hold as true, that there is an individual right to self-defense outside of the home. This important case is officially New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen.
This case challenges the state of New York’s requirement that applicants demonstrate “proper cause” to carry a firearm. New York regularly uses this requirement to deny applicants the right to carry a firearm outside of their home. The NRA believes that law-abiding citizens should not be required to prove they are in peril to receive the government’s permission to exercise this constitutionally protected right.
Speaking about the decision to “grant cert” and hear the case, NRA-ILA Executive Director Jason Ouimet posted: “The [Supreme Court] rarely takes Second Amendment cases. Now it has decided to hear one of the most critical Second Amendment issues. We’re confident that the Court will tell New York and the other states that our Second Amendment right to defend ourselves is fundamental, and doesn’t vanish when we leave our homes.”
According to the NRA-ILA, the number of concealed handgun permits reached 18.66 million in 2019 – a 304% increase since 2007. And many more have been issued in 2020.
In addition to ruling on this statute, this case will give the U.S. Supreme Court the opportunity to clarify the precedent that it has created surrounding the Second Amendment. It has been over a decade since the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to have a handgun in the home for self-defense in District of Columbia v. Heller. In 2010, the Court also ruled that the Second Amendment is a fundamental right that applies to the states in McDonald v. City of Chicago.
Case is Very Important for Second Amendment Rights
The NRA-ILA states: “It is hard to overstate how important this case is. The decision will affect the laws in many states that currently restrict carrying a firearm outside of the home. NRA-ILA is working hard to defend your constitutional rights and is prepared to argue this case in order to protect the rights of Americans everywhere.”
Visit www.NRAILA.org for future updates on this and all of ILA’s efforts to defend your constitutional rights. Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess, and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
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According to the NRA-ILA, the number of concealed handgun permits reached 18.66 million in 2019 – a 304% increase since 2007. And many more have been issued in 2020.
In America, a violent crime happens every 26 seconds (FBI statistics). Because of this, and growing concerns over social unrest and riots, more Americans than ever before are buying handguns and getting CCW permits. To help Americans understand concealed carry laws, get trained properly, and have legal support after an incident, the U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) was created. This organization has been very successful, experiencing more than 30% year-over-year growth since 2016.
CCW holders can definitely benefit from USCCA membership, primarily because of the legal services that are offered by the USCCA. If you even draw a firearm in an encounter, you will probably need a lawyer, and need one immediately. The USCCA states: “If you ever have to defend yourself or your family, you’ll have access to a local attorney, the financial funding to protect against criminal charges and civil suits, and instant connection to our emergency response team.”
Proper Training is Very Important for CCW Holders
The USCCA recently announced that its organization has reached over half a million members, keeping pace with record-breaking 2020 firearm sales across the nation. This surge in membership demonstrates that firearms education and training remains a top priority. The USCCA also reported a 620% increase in online training/education courses through the first nine months of 2020 compared to all of 2019.
“Record numbers of Americans are embracing their Second Amendment rights and in doing so, they are turning to the USCCA for industry-leading self-defense education, training and legal protection”, said Tim Schmidt, president and founder of the USCCA. “Our mission is to help save lives and so it is both incredible and humbling that more than 500,000 Americans have now joined the USCCA[.]”
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Election Day is just 61 days away. On November 3, 2020, Americans will head to the polls. For gun owners, this may be the most significant Presidential election in a generation. The Democratic Party, as stated in the DNC platform, intends to severely restrict gun rights, and ban whole classes of firearms.
Nearly 5 million Americans are first-time gun buyers. We hope they, along with ALL gun owners, will vote on November 3rd, and remember which candidates support the Second Amendment. As the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) states: “Current events across the United States demonstrate why the Founding Fathers 230 years ago had the foresight to recognize why the right to keep and bear arms would still be vital today.”
Smith & Wesson Contributes $500,000 to 2020 Gunvote Effort
#GUNVOTE is a vital NSSF campaign to encourage America’s gun owners to register to vote and vote for candidates who support the Second Amendment and gun rights. Go to Action.gunvote.org to learn how to register to vote in your state, and find your polling place.
Firearm manufacturer Smith & Wesson has contributed $500,000 to the NSSF’s #GUNVOTE® voter registration and education campaign. This is the largest donation the campaign has received to date.
“This election cycle marks a crossroads in the future of the firearms industry and of our very freedom to bear arms,” said Mark Smith, President and CEO of Smith & Wesson. “We must ensure the Second Amendment is protected at every level. It is critical that hunters, recreational target shooters, and all those seeking to exercise their constitutional right to protect themselves and their families be educated and vote in November. [Voters’] choices at the polls will impact the future of all Americans’ free exercise of their constitutional rights.”
Six Companies Will Match NRA-ILA Donations Dollar-for-Dollar
The NRA-ILA has joined forces with with six companies that have pledged to match $1 million in donations made to NRA-ILA through November 15, 2020. The six participating companies are: SIG SAUER, Kel-Tec, Credova, Rock Island Auction Company, Taurus, and Davidson’s Gallery of Guns. If you make a donation to the NRA-ILA, your donation will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, by these six companies. If you give $50, they give $50. If you give $100, they give $100. The maximum matching is $1,000,000.
“These patriotic businesses are pledging vital resources to support and defend the Second Amendment because they understand that our right to own a gun in defense of ourselves and our families is on the ballot in November. By working together with such partners, our membership intends to defeat those … trying to strip our rights away”, said Jason Ouimet, executive director, NRA-ILA.
Through this Partners for Patriotism campaign, anyone who makes a donation to NRA-ILA between now and 11/15/2020 will have their donation matched. Folks can make donations of any size — whatever they can spare. Whatever individuals donate will automatically be doubled by the six participating companies.
With the Presidential election looming, the stakes have never been higher. Joe Biden and his VP candidate Kamala Harris have pledged to enact new laws that could result in rifle confiscation, criminalization of private sales, and banning of online guns and ammo purchases. In addition, Biden and Harris have called for new gun taxes, while Harris has advocated banning guns by Executive Action — rule by fiat, bypassing the legislative process.
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The 2020 NRA Annual Meetings, originally set for June in Nashville, TN, and then rescheduled for September in Springfield, MO, has been moved yet again. This week the NRA announced that the 2020 NRA Annual meeting will be held in Tucson, Arizona, on October 24, 2020, at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort hotel. Here is the NRA’s official announcement of the venue change:
The National Rifle Association is pleased to announce that the 149th Annual Meeting of Members, previously scheduled for Saturday, September 5, 2020 in Springfield, Missouri, has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 24, at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort hotel located at 7000 N. Resort Drive, Tucson, Arizona.
The NRA Annual Meeting will take place in the Kiva Ballroom and commence at 9:00 am local time. All members are invited to attend. Please visit nraam.org/membersmeeting for further details and updates on pre-registering.
The NRA has not yet released a full schedule of events. But this will be a meeting of members only — not a multi-day gathering with entertainment and celebrity guests. And there will be no large trade show with hundreds of exhibitors. This is a basic meeting of members only, being held to comply with the NRA’s charter. All NRA members are invited to attend.
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New environmental regulations in the state of Washington could soon impact shooters. Restrictions on the use of lead compounds could lead to expensive range remediation programs, or even range closures…
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries Division of Occupational Safety & Health (DOSH) has released an updated draft of the lead rules they originally released last year following stakeholder meetings. These proposed regulations will impose complicated and expensive burdens on shooting ranges and retailers, potentially making it difficult for some to continue operations. DOSH will be holding additional stakeholder meetings to discuss these proposed regulations. Shooting ranges are vital to the safe practice and exercise of our constitutionally protected Second Amendment right to self-defense, and maintaining access to shooting ranges is a top priority for NRA.
Existing federal and state law already provides extensive regulation of lead in the workplace. In addition to the federal requirements under the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Washington also has regulations in place regarding workplace lead exposure and has enforced these regulations through inspections and citations. This Washington State draft regulation proposes new and much more demanding requirements that significantly exceed compliance under existing law without providing any clarification on their need. Furthermore, there have been no economic impact studies on the effect these regulations will have on small businesses.
The NRA will continue to actively participate as a stakeholder in the development of these new rules in meetings with the Department of Labor and Industries. We will provide ongoing input on the impact the proposal will have on gun ranges, retailers, and our shooting community. Check out www.NRAILA.org for further updates on the status of the proposal.
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