Constitutional carry

Constitutional carry (sometimes called Vermont carry) is a political and legal term used by gun rights advocates to describe jurisdictions where no license is required for either concealed carry and open carry of weapons. These include firearms, such as handguns (pistols and revolvers) and long guns (rifles and shotguns), knives, and any other form of hand-carried weapons.

In practice, a "constitutional carry" law would be one that allows either the concealed or the open carry of firearms and prohibits police from stopping someone based merely on the fact the person is carrying a firearm.

Constitutional carry means that the carrying on one's person or in/on one's vehicle of firearms, concealed or not, is generally not restricted by the law. A constitutional carry state is a "free state" from a gun law perspective. However, this should not be confused with the use of "free state" by libertarians who use that phrase to advocate for political migration to achieve political power.

The term "Constitutional carry" seeks to evoke an unlimited Constitutional right that is not recognized at the state or federal level. This results in a confusing message for this political movement which lobbies for changes in state gun laws while professing that the laws in question are invalid. In actual practice, the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller Supreme Court decision undercuts the descriptive power of the phrase "constitutional carry" because the opinion suggests that some state or city-county government controls may be allowed, at least as to certain types of weapons. The decision was limited to the possession of firearms in one's home.

Murder rate

According to the FBI, handgun murders decreased in the states that enacted Constitutional Carry laws.

States with Constitutional Carry

As of 2017:

• Alaska: June 11, 2003 House Bill 102

• Arizona: April 16, 2010 Senate Bill 1108.

• Arkansas: April 4, 2013

• Vermont: Since the Constitution was first ratified in 1789, Vermont was the only state to permit "Constitutional carry". From 1789 until the 1800s, Constitutional carry was the law of land. During the 20th century, all states except Vermont had legislated gun control bans on concealed carry. In most states, however, there was an exemption for those citizens with a permit. Vermont has a strictly worded state constitution,[1] For this reason, Constitutional carry is often still referred to as "Vermont carry" among old persons.

• Wyoming (for residents): March 2, 2011 Governor Matt Mead

• Oklahoma (residents of constitutional carry states)

• Idaho applies only to handguns and not all deadly weapons

• Kansas

• Maine

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• Montana

• New Hampshire

• North Dakota

• West Virginia

See also

• Open-Carry Movement
• Second Amendment

External links

• Constitutional Carry state by state