Federal gun laws in the United States do not extend far beyond the constitutional right of Americans to keep and bear arms. While the federal government does enforce some restrictions on the types of commercially available firearms, and who can own them, the strictest gun control legislation in the U.S. is enacted at state and local levels.
While most states have not meaningfully expanded upon federal gun policy, other states have adopted a far different approach. A number of states, largely concentrated in the Northeast and along the West Coast, have enacted a broad range of gun control laws designed to reduce the likelihood of gun violence.
These laws often include licensing rules and waiting periods for prospective buyers, restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, and more tightly-regulated background checks.
Using Gifford Law Center’s Annual Gun Law Scorecard, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states with the strictest gun control laws. Each of the 14 states on this list received a grade of B or higher for their gun control legislation from the gun control advocacy group. States are listed in alphabetical order.
In addition to gun control laws, we also reviewed data on fatalities involving guns in 2021, the latest year of available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While there are some exceptions, many of the states with the tightest gun laws also have lower than average rates of gun violence. Seven of the 10 states with the lowest gun fatality rates rank on this list. Meanwhile, Colorado and Delaware are the only states on this list to rank among the 25 states with the highest gun-related death rates.
While the states on this list have stricter gun regulations, gun rights are not altogether absent. Many of these states have not enacted certain restrictions other states have enacted. For example, New York, a state with some of the tightest gun restrictions overall, does not impose a waiting period, as California, Hawaii, Illinois, and nearby Rhode Island do. Other common gun rights in these states include no licensing requirements and no restrictions on bulk firearm purchases. (Here is a look at the senators doing the most to regulate guns.)
It is important to note that the laws noted in this story are broad guidelines, and that legal nuances can vary at the state and local levels. (Here is a look at every state’s gun law grade.)
Click here to see states with the strictest gun control laws.
California
> Gun law strength grade: A
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, enhanced firearm eligibility standards, restrictions on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, waiting periods, public carry restrictions, ammunition regulation
> Notable gun rights: N/A
> Gun deaths in 2021: 9.0 per 100,000 people – 8th lowest of 50 states (3,576 total)
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Colorado
> Gun law strength grade: B
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, high-capacity magazine restrictions, extended background check period
> Notable gun rights: No gun-ownership license requirements, no restrictions on assault weapons, no waiting period, open carry permitted
> Gun deaths in 2021: 17.8 per 100,000 people – 18th highest of 50 states (1,064 total)
Connecticut
> Gun law strength grade: A-
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, restrictions on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, open and concealed carry restrictions, gun owner licensing
> Notable gun rights: No safe-storage requirements, no restrictions on bulk firearm purchases
> Gun deaths in 2021: 6.7 per 100,000 people – 6th lowest of 50 states (248 total)
Delaware
> Gun law strength grade: B
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, restrictions on concealed-carry, restrictions on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
> Notable gun rights: No gun-ownership license requirements, no waiting period, open carry permitted
> Gun deaths in 2021: 16.6 per 100,000 people – 23rd highest of 50 states (158 total)
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Hawaii
> Gun law strength grade: A-
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, restrictions on some assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, open and concealed carry restrictions, gun owner licensing, waiting periods
> Notable gun rights: No safe-storage requirements, no restrictions on bulk firearm purchases or ammunition sales
> Gun deaths in 2021: 4.8 per 100,000 people – 2nd lowest of 50 states (71 total)
Illinois
> Gun law strength grade: A-
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, restrictions on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, open carry restrictions, gun owner licensing, waiting periods
> Notable gun rights: No restrictions on bulk firearm purchases
> Gun deaths in 2021: 16.1 per 100,000 people – 25th lowest of 50 states (1,995 total)
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Maryland
> Gun law strength grade: A-
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, restrictions on some assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, open and concealed carry restrictions, licensing laws
> Notable gun rights: N/A
> Gun deaths in 2021: 15.2 per 100,000 people – 22nd lowest of 50 states (915 total)
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Massachusetts
> Gun law strength grade: A-
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, restrictions on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, open and concealed carry restrictions, gun owner licensing
> Notable gun rights: N/A
> Gun deaths in 2021: 3.4 per 100,000 people – the lowest of 50 states (247 total)
New Jersey
> Gun law strength grade: A
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, restrictions on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, open and concealed carry restrictions, gun owner licensing
> Notable gun rights: N/A
> Gun deaths in 2021: 5.2 per 100,000 people – 3rd lowest of 50 states (475 total)
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New York
> Gun law strength grade: A-
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, restrictions on some assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, open carry restrictions
> Notable gun rights: No waiting period
> Gun deaths in 2021: 5.4 per 100,000 people – 4th lowest of 50 states (1,078 total)
Oregon
> Gun law strength grade: B+
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, licensing laws, restrictions on high-capacity magazines
> Notable gun rights: No assault weapon restrictions, licensed concealed-carry
> Gun deaths in 2021: 14.9 per 100,000 people – 21st lowest of 50 states (670 total)
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Rhode Island
> Gun law strength grade: B+
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, waiting period, open and concealed carry restrictions, high-capacity magazine restrictions
> Notable gun rights: No assault weapon restrictions, no restrictions on bulk firearm purchases
> Gun deaths in 2021: 5.6 per 100,000 people – 5th lowest of 50 states (64 total)
Virginia
> Gun law strength grade: B
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, some assault weapon restrictions
> Notable gun rights: No gun-ownership license requirements, no waiting period, open and concealed carry permitted in certain circumstances, high-capacity magazines permitted, no restrictions on bulk firearm purchases or ammunition sales
> Gun deaths in 2021: 14.3 per 100,000 people – 19th lowest of 50 states (1,248 total)
Washington
> Gun law strength grade: B+
> Notable gun controls: Universal background checks, restrictions on some assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, extended background check period
> Notable gun rights: No gun-ownership license requirements, no restrictions on bulk firearm purchases, no safe-storage requirements, open carry permitted
> Gun deaths in 2021: 11.2 per 100,000 people – 12th lowest of 50 states (896 total)
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