Gun sales in the United States surged during the pandemic. Driven in part by sales to first-time gun owners, Americans bought about 20 million in both 2020 and 2021, according to a study from the University of Chicago – well above the historical annual average of 13 million reported between 2010 and 2019.
In much of the country, firearm sales are facilitated by a hands-off approach to gun control. Under federal law, gun ownership is a constitutional right with few exceptions or caveats. While some states have meaningfully expanded on federal regulations to better ensure responsible gun ownership – implementing mandatory waiting periods, owner licensing, and more comprehensive background check procedures – most have not. (Here is a look at the companies selling the most guns online.)
In over half of all states, virtually anyone who has not been convicted of a violent hate crime or domestic violence can walk into a gun store and leave with any type of firearm in a matter of minutes.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed state-level gun laws, compiled by the Giffords Law Center, a gun violence prevention group, to identify the states where anyone can get a gun today. In each of the 28 states on this list, there are no waiting periods, safety training requirements, or licensing procedures for the purchase of any type of firearm. Additionally, none of these states have expanded federal background check laws, which have a loophole allowing for unlicensed sellers to transfer firearms without conducting a background check.
While federal law imposes some age restrictions on firearm purchases, transfers, and possession, we also reviewed state-level age restrictions – if any – in each of the states on this list.
With virtually no restrictions on who can purchase or possess a firearm beyond age, guns appear more likely to fall into the wrong hands in most of the states on this list than in states with more restrictive gun laws. In 21 of the 28 states on this list, the annual firearm death rate is in the top 50th percentile among all states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, nine of the 10 states with the highest firearm death rate appear on this list. (Here is a look at the 33 countries with the most gun deaths per person.)
Click here to see the states where anyone can get a gun today.
Alabama
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 26.4 per 100,000 people – 4th highest of 50 states (1,315 total)
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Alaska
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 16 for handguns and long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 25.2 per 100,000 people – 6th highest of 50 states (182 total)
Arizona
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 18.3 per 100,000 people – 17th highest of 50 states (1,365 total)
Arkansas
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 23.3 per 100,000 people – 8th highest of 50 states (698 total)
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Georgia
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 20.3 per 100,000 people – 14th highest of 50 states (2,200 total)
Idaho
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: None for handguns, 18 for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 16.3 per 100,000 people – 25th highest of 50 states (309 total)
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Indiana
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 18.4 per 100,000 people – 16th highest of 50 states (1,251 total)
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Iowa
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 21 for handguns, 18 for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 21 for handguns, 18 for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 11.2 per 100,000 people – 11th lowest of 50 states (364 total)
Kansas
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: None
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 17.3 per 100,000 people – 21st highest of 50 states (503 total)
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Kentucky
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 21.1 per 100,000 people – 13th highest of 50 states (947 total)
Louisiana
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 17 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 29.1 per 100,000 people – 2nd highest of 50 states (1,314 total)
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Maine
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns, 16 for long gun transfers & 18 for most long gun sales
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: None
> Gun deaths in 2021: 12.6 per 100,000 people – 14th lowest of 50 states (178 total)
Mississippi
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 33.9 per 100,000 people – the highest of 50 states (962 total)
Missouri
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: None
> Gun deaths in 2021: 23.2 per 100,000 people – 9th highest of 50 states (1,414 total)
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Montana
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: None
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: None
> Gun deaths in 2021: 25.1 per 100,000 people – 7th highest of 50 states (280 total)
New Hampshire
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: None
> Gun deaths in 2021: 8.3 per 100,000 people – 7th lowest of 50 states (123 total)
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North Carolina
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 17.3 per 100,000 people – 20th highest of 50 states (1,839 total)
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North Dakota
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: Minors can be given handguns for legitimate and supervised uses, none for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 16.8 per 100,000 people – 22nd highest of 50 states (128 total)
Ohio
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 21 for handguns, 18 for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: None
> Gun deaths in 2021: 16.5 per 100,000 people – 24th highest of 50 states (1,911 total)
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Oklahoma
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 21.2 per 100,000 people – 12th highest of 50 states (836 total)
South Carolina
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 22.4 per 100,000 people – 11th highest of 50 states (1,136 total)
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South Dakota
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: None
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 14.3 per 100,000 people – 18th lowest of 50 states (128 total)
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Tennessee
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns, none for long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 22.8 per 100,000 people – 10th highest of 50 states (1,569 total)
Texas
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: None
> Gun deaths in 2021: 15.6 per 100,000 people – 24th lowest of 50 states (4,613 total)
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Utah
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 13.9 per 100,000 people – 16th lowest of 50 states (450 total)
West Virginia
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: None
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 17.3 per 100,000 people – 19th highest of 50 states (319 total)
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Wisconsin
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: 18 for handguns and long guns
> Gun deaths in 2021: 13.5 per 100,000 people – 15th lowest of 50 states (793 total)
Wyoming
> Licensing, safety training, or waiting period requirements: None
> Universal background check laws: No
> Min. age for firearm purchases by state law: 21 for handguns, 18 for long guns
> Min. age for firearm possession by state law: None
> Gun deaths in 2021: 26.1 per 100,000 people – 5th highest of 50 states (155 total)
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