Constitutional Carry States

The issue of constitutional carry is one of the most contentious debates in the United States, stirring conversation on public safety, individual rights, and the interpretation of the Second Amendment. Constitutional carry, also known as "permitless carry," refers to the legislation that allows individuals to carry a handgun, either openly or concealed, in public without any permit or license. The regulations on Constitutional carry vary vastly by state, reflecting differing attitudes towards the balance between Second Amendment rights and public safety.

• As of 2022, 21 out of the 50 U.S. states, including Alaska, Arizona, Utah, and Kansas, allowed constitutional carry, affirming the individual's right to bear arms without institutional prohibitions in the form of permits and licenses.
• Conversely, 27 out of 50 states – including California, New York, Nevada, and Massachusetts, had rejected constitutional carry, imposing restrictions, licenses, and permits on gun ownership and carrying.
• The data also reveals a regional pattern where Midwestern and Southern states including Missouri, Georgia, and Alabama tend to favor constitutional carry. Western states are divided, with states like Utah and Wyoming in favor and others like California, Colorado, and Oregon against it. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions are predominantly against constitutional carry policies, with Vermont and Maine as the notable exceptions.
• Notably, there's somewhat of a pattern involving states traditionally recognized as "swing states" in US elections - these states, including Florida, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, currently reject constitutional carry.