Carrying Firearms For Protection (federal Law)
There is no federal law generally prohibiting the carry of firearms by citizens for protection or other lawful purposes, with limited exception in the Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. Other statutes concerning Federal property such as military installations also address the carry of firearms. By tradition and as defined in the Constitution, laws describing the bearing of arms are exclusively the business of state legislatures.
See: Gun laws in the United States (by state)
The carry of firearms for protection and other lawful purposes is legal in forty-nine states, either under license or as a matter of course. Washington, D.C., and the State of Illinois are the only regions that both prohibit carry by statute, and neither issue a license exempting one from the statute.
Open carrying of firearms without any licensing requirement is legal in thirty-one states, including: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; Colorado; Delaware; Idaho; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Michigan; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Mexico; North Carolina; Ohio; Oregon; Pennsylvania; South Dakota; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin and Wyoming. States urge caution while engaging in open carry to not cause a public disturbance, most under penalty of law.
Some of these states' statutes prohibit carry in vehicles without a license; concealment without a license; concealment generally; or other restrictions. It is strongly advised to be totally familiar with all aspects of gun law whether they affect you or not to be fully aware.
See: Open carry in the United States and Concealed Carry in the United States
Gun Free School Zones Act of 1990
The Federal Gun Free School Zone Act of 1990 severely limits where a person may legally carry a firearm by generally prohibiting carry within one-thousand (1000) feet of the property-line of any K-12 school in the nation. A State-issued permit to carry may exempt a person from this restriction depending on the laws of the State, and most issuing States qualify for this exception. However, according to ATF the exemption in Federal law is only applicable to permit holders while in the issuing State, and does not exempt travelers with out-of-state permits, even though the State may honor their permit through reciprocity agreements.
Read more about this topic: Gun Law In The United States
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