Gun Laws in Georgia
Gun Friendliness Score
How We Calculate Gun Friendliness Scores
The Gun Friendliness Score ranges from 0 to 100 and represents how favorable a state's laws are toward gun ownership and use. We evaluate each state across 50 key gun policies, assigning points based on how these policies affect gun owners:
- Policies that support gun rights, reduce restrictions, or expand legal protections for gun owners receive positive points
- Policies that restrict firearm ownership, limit purchase options, or add regulatory burdens receive negative points
Georgia's high score of 88 reflects the state's strong constitutional carry laws, minimal restrictions on firearm types, and strong preemption laws preventing local interference with gun rights.
Georgia Gun Laws Summary
Georgia is known for its gun-friendly laws and minimal restrictions on firearm ownership and carry. The state generally does not add regulations beyond federal requirements, making it a comfortable environment for gun owners.
Georgia is a shall-issue state for weapons carry licenses, which are issued by probate courts at the county level. While permits are issued to qualifying applicants by default, a judge can deny an application if there is evidence the applicant poses a threat to themselves or others, or if they are prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law.
As of April 12, 2022, Georgia became a constitutional carry state when Governor Brian Kemp signed SB 319 into law. Any law-abiding resident or citizen who is at least 21 years old and legally permitted to possess a firearm can now carry a handgun without a license. While permits are no longer required for carry within the state, many Georgia residents still obtain weapons carry licenses for reciprocity with other states.
Permitting, Sales and Transfers
No permit, registration, or license is required to purchase firearms or ammunition in Georgia. Background checks are conducted for sales through licensed dealers (FFLs) as required by federal law, but Georgia does not mandate background checks for private sales between individuals.
Although Georgia is now a constitutional carry state, weapons carry licenses remain available and provide benefits such as reciprocity with other states and exemption from background checks when purchasing firearms from licensed dealers.
Firearms in Public and in the Home
Georgia is a constitutional carry state. A license is not required for carrying a handgun openly or concealed. Georgia honors weapons carry licenses from all states that recognize Georgia's permits. The state has a robust "stand your ground" law that removes the duty to retreat before using force in self-defense situations.
Open and concealed carry are both legal without a permit for anyone at least 21 years old who can legally possess a firearm. There are prohibited locations including government buildings, courthouses, jails, schools, and places of worship (unless the governing body permits it). For those who choose to obtain a weapons carry license, Georgia doesn't require applicants to complete any firearms training or demonstrate knowledge of firearms safety. Active duty military personnel stationed in Georgia may qualify for a license at age 18.
Firearm, Feature and Accessory Bans
Georgia has no bans on semi-automatic firearms, magazine capacity, or specific firearm features. NFA items such as suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and machine guns are legal to own in compliance with federal requirements. Georgia also has no restrictions on body armor ownership for law-abiding citizens.
Local Laws
Georgia has strong state preemption laws that prevent localities from enacting their own firearms regulations. Cities, counties, and local governments cannot regulate the ownership, possession, carrying, transportation, transfer, or storage of firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories. This ensures consistent gun laws throughout the state and prevents a patchwork of local restrictions.
2025 Gun Law Checklist
Georgia Gun Policy Profile: 50 Key Legislative Points
Purchasing and Sales Regulations
Background Check for Any Firearm Sale
State requires any firearm sale to go through a licensed dealer (FFL) and be subject to a background check. (Federal law requires those "engaged in the business" of buying/selling firearms to perform a background check during a sale). A private sale or transfer of any firearm between individuals (non-family members) must be also conducted through an FFL.
Background Check for Any Handgun Sale (Including Private Sales)
All handgun sales and most transfers are subject to a background check. Private sales of handguns between individuals (non-family members) must be conducted through an FFL.
Background Check Extensions
State will halt the transfer of a firearm if a background check is delayed. Some states will halt the process indefinitely, some for a set amount of time.
Failed Background Check Reported to Law Enforcement
The firearm dealer (or state agency conducting the background check) has a responsibility to notify local law enforcement of a failed background check.
Must be 21 or Older to Purchase
Most firearms–including rifles, shotguns, and handguns–cannot be sold to anyone under the age of 21. (Federal laws permit long guns to be sold to those over the age of 18.)
Permit to Purchase
State requires a permit (single-use or renewable) for all firearms or specifically for handguns. States typically charge a fee for the permit and a background check is performed during the application.
Mandatory Waiting Periods
Prior to purchasing a firearm, an individual must wait a specified period of time between initiating the purchase and taking possession of the firearm.
State Licenses All Gun Dealers
State has a licensing system for firearms merchants above and beyond the federal (FFL) system.
Purchase Rejected for Public Safety Reasons
State officials able to block sales of firearms if the purchaser is deemed to be a threat to themselves or to public safety (according to the judgment of the official)
Approved Handgun Roster
State controls what make and model handguns are sold; according to their own criteria. Often, this involves a "roster" of approved handguns with the right "safety" features, such as a loaded chamber indicator, or even the amount of metal in the firearm (Maryland). Often, LE are exempt from these requirements.
Strict Unfinished Frames and Receivers Laws
State sets a lower threshold for unfinished frames and receivers (beyond ATF rule 2021R-05F). Includes ban on 3D-printing of these parts in some states.
Ownership and Registration Requirements
Permit to Possess
Several states require a permit just to possess: a handgun (New York); any firearms or ammunition (Illinois).
State Firearm or Handgun Registry
State keeps a record of every firearm or handgun sold. Includes states with a permit to purchase and states that keep records of purchases.
Mandatory Firearms Training
Prior to purchasing a firearm, an individual must prove they completed the state ordered training. Often, this is part of the application process for a Permit to Purchase.
Secure Storage Requirement
Gun owners must lock up firearms in the home (or anywhere else a minor or prohibited person may have access).
Magazine Capacity Limits
State limits magazine capacity for some or all firearms.
"Assault Weapons" Ban
Magazine fed, semi-automatic, centerfire rifles cannot have other "features" (pistol grip, flash hider, etc.) or they are considered "assault weapons." New guns cannot be registered as "assault weapons." Possession is prohibited with limited exceptions.
Microstamping Law
State has a law banning the sale of a new pistol unless its firing can imprint its serial number somewhere on the cartridge case during firing. This technology is make-believe at present, but these laws will effectively ban the sale of new handguns in the state if/when they become effective
Penalties for Not Reporting a Lost or Stolen Firearm
Gun owners must report the loss or theft of firearms–usually within several days of the incident or first discovering the loss–or potentially face a criminal penalty.
Carry and Location Restrictions
Mandatory Permit for Concealed Carry
State requires a permit to carry a concealed pistol. This includes all states that "may issue" a permit (where officials may deny a permit for subjective reasons).
Officials Can Deny Carry Permit
State allows the carry permit officials to deny an application based on the state's own criteria.
Open Carry Limited or Banned
State restricts open carry to rifles and shotguns or bans open carry completely unless you are LE or special permit holder.
No Carry Mandate for College Campuses
State has not passed a blanket law permitting concealed carry on college campuses.
Gun Ban on Most Public Property
State limits or bans any type of carry in and around government facilities (state, county, municipal) and/or limits carry of firearms in parades and demonstrations
Guns Banned in Bars
State prohibits carry inside bars or consumption of alcohol while carrying.
No Guns in K-12 Schools
Only LE (and in some states, specially licensed school officials) may carry on school property.
Does Not Recognize Other States' Carry Permits
State doesn't consider concealed carry permits from other states valid
Prohibited Persons and Possession Restrictions
Felons are Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting felons from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this.
Fugitives are Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting fugitives from justice from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this.
Involuntarily Committed are Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting those who have been involuntarily committed (to a psychiatric hospital or mental institution), or those found to be a danger to themselves or others from owning guns and ammo. Federal law already prohibits anyone found to be mentally defective or committed to a mental institution at 16 years or older.
Violent Offenders Cannot Possess
State will take away firearms, deny future possession, or at minimum deny future purchase of firearms for certain misdemeanor crimes of violence (besides domestic violence violence).
Domestic Violence Offenders Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this
Stalkers are Prohibited Persons at the State Level
State has either made stalking a felony (instant prohibitor) or makes an individual convicted of misdemeanor stalking a prohibited person.
Intervention and Seizure Provisions
Red Flag Law
Law enforcement (and others, depending on the state) is allowed to request that firearms be taken away from others with limited due process.
Emergency Gun Seizure Before Restraining Orders
Similar to a red flag law, state will take away guns before an actual conviction. This is often during domestic disputes, before a restraining order takes effect, and in similar situations.
Guns Seized for Hate Crimes
State will take away all firearms from an individual in response to a misdemeanor hate crime conviction.
Guns Seized After Becoming Prohibited
State will quickly respond when an individual's status changes to prohibited and take away all firearms belonging to that person.
Guns Seized After Domestic Violence Conviction
State will quickly respond to take away firearms from an individual if they are convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.
Guns Seized Amid Restraining Orders
State will take away all firearms from anyone who is subject to a restraining order, even though federal law already does this.
No Stand Your Ground Law
State imposes a "duty to retreat" before using force or requires "proportional force" when responding to an attack or dangerous situation with force.
Monitoring and Threat Assessment
Mental Health Database
State maintains records of anyone that has been committed or involuntarily committed to psychiatric hospitals. They send this information to the FBI for use by the NICS (or when conducting a state background check, if applicable).
School Officials Conduct Threat Assessments
Teams of mostly school officials are empowered by law to refer children for mental health assessments or take more drastic action if they believe the child poses a threat to themselves or others.
Mandatory Tracing of "Crime Guns"
Law enforcement must use either a state system or the federal firearm tracing system to research any firearm recovered from a crime scene or used in a crime.
Law Enforcement Oversight and Accountability
No LE Officers Bill of Rights
Some states never passed (or passed and later repealed) a set of basic protections for public safety officers. These protections vary by state. They often include the right to engage in political activity and run for public office, and the right to refuse a lie detector test, among other things.
Heavy Restrictions on LE Use of Deadly Force
State laws severely limit the discharge of firearms to apprehend criminals, including against individuals suspected of murder or fleeing a felony in many cases.
Reports for LE Deadly Force Incidents
Law enforcement agencies are required to report any officer-involved shootings that result in serious injury or death. Monthly or annual reports are compiled using this data and made available to the public.
No Qualified Immunity Defense Laws
In civil court, LE officials may not use a defense of qualified immunity if they are accused of certain civil rights violations. This includes situations in which a firearm was used.
Prevention and Support Programs
Dedicated Office of Gun Violence Prevention
Some states have passed legislation creating gun violence prevention offices that target "community gun violence." Taxpayer funds are used to support these programs, which may have little to no effect on violent crime.
Funding for Services of Victims of Gun Violence
Some states maximize the use of federal money intended for victims of violent crime by increasing pool of eligible claimants. Money is paid out to families of convicted felons in many cases.
Local Control
Counties / Cities / Towns Can Pass Stricter Gun Laws
Local governments are free to pass their own gun control laws in addition to any existing laws at the federal and state levels. Some states prohibit local governments from passing laws about specific things-including guns. This is known as preemption.
Conclusion
Georgia is one of the most gun-friendly states in the United States. While the laws themselves make this clear, Georgia also goes out of its way to promote both shooting and firearms businesses as a core part of its identity.
Georgia’s firearms laws are consistent throughout the state: a state appeals case ruled that localities such as counties and cities cannot make or enforce gun or ammunition laws that are more restrictive than those at the state level.
That means that this guide, though it is not intended as legal advice, applies to the current state of ammunition and gun laws in the entire state of Georgia. In general terms, the GA laws that regulate firearms and ammunition are to be found in Title 16 of the Georgia Code.
Specifically, § 16-11-121 defines some of the restrictions on owning explosives in the state and clarifies NFA definitions, and § 16-11-126 outlines who can carry firearms and where. With those two major statutes in mind, this piece focuses on the process for, and restrictions on, purchasing and carrying firearms and ammunition within Georgia.
Ammo Laws/Buying Ammo in Georgia
First, we will cover the ammo laws of the state.
Georgia is one of the simplest states in which to buy ammunition. To order ammunition in Georgia, the buyer cannot be a prohibited person as defined by the ATF at the federal level, which includes most people convicted of a violent felony, people who are in the US illegally, or folks who have been declared mentally defective by a court.
Assuming the buyer is not a prohibited person and is of the requisite age (18 for rifle and shotgun ammo, 21 for handgun ammo) age, the only major restriction on ammunition in Georgia is to be found in § 16-11-121, which is more or less redundant since the ATF requires people to have a permit to possess or manufacture explosives anyway.
Because of the permissive laws in Georgia, most people over 18 years of age can simply order ammunition online or buy it in person from their preferred retailer. The only other restrictions that one is likely to face are those from package carriers: some might require a signature from an adult for ammunition deliveries. The only exception here is a federal one: the ATF requires that handgun ammunition purchasers have to be 21 years of age or older.
There are no state-level bans on magazines, stocks, or firearms accessories that would not require a tax stamp from the ATF: this makes purchasing ammunition, magazines, and accessories in Georgia an exceptionally simple process. In effect, Georgia itself has little to say about buying ammunition; so as long as buyers follow Federal law and carrier guidelines, buying ammunition in Georgia is straightforward.
Gun Laws/Buying Guns in Georgia
In terms of purchasing a firearm, GA’s process is also a straightforward one. Since there are no additional regulations placed on the majority of gun purchases in the state beyond federal regulations, buying guns in GA is simple. For rifles and shotguns, anyone 18 or over can simply go to an FFL, fill out form 4473, pay for the firearm, and leave with it the same day. Due to the federal age requirement for handguns and their ammunition, folks have to be 21 to do the same for a handgun. But, either way, most firearm purchases do not have a waiting period in GA.
The only exception to this is for suppressors, short-barreled rifles/shotguns, and other items regulated by the National Firearms Act. While those items are legal to own in Georgia, anyone wishing to purchase them in the state will have to follow ATF’s tax stamp procedures, which will likely include long wait times, up to several months.
Georgia is, officially, an extremely firearms-friendly state. The state’s Department of Economic Development, for example, has a page dedicated to the gun industry in the state, and it provides some useful information for the firearms purchasing process within the state. It outlines specifically that firearms can be sold between private parties without a background check: of course, the seller is obligated to be reasonably sure that the buyer is not a prohibited person. Buying a firearm in Georgia, whether from an FFL or a private person, is as simple as federal law allows at this time.
Georgia is also a Constitutional Carry state: this means that, currently, adult residents of Georgia do not need a permit to concealed carry a firearm within the state. As is typical in even the most permissive of states, the right to carry a firearm in Georgia has some restrictions on it. Namely, people cannot carry a firearm in the state in:
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Court buildings
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Jails/prisons
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Churches without permission of the leadership
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Mental health facilities
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Nuclear power plants
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Polling places on election day
These restrictions are the norm, even in especially permissive states.
While Georgians do not need a permit to concealed carry a firearm within the state, Georgia does maintain a Weapon Carry License Program. The state is clear about the purpose of this on its website: the permit in Georgia allows permit holders to concealed carry in other states.
The application for the permit is relatively straightforward: as long as the person is 21 (18 if in the military or honorably discharged) and is not a prohibited person, it’s a matter of a background check with some fingerprints and a $75 fee. About two months later, the permit will arrive by mail. While the Georgia Weapon Carry License does not do much good within the state itself, about two dozen states recognize the GA permit, so it is handy for folks who travel or do business in other states.
The combination of constitutional carry, a permitting program that gives wide reciprocity for concealed carriers, and a relative lack of state-level waiting periods makes Georgia one of the most gun-friendly states in the US. It is so gun-friendly, in fact, that Remington has made the state the home of their global headquarters. Firearms are a large part of the Georgia economy, so this gun-friendly attitude is very unlikely to change, which makes things much simpler for those who want to buy and carry firearms in the state.
Sales Tax on Guns/Ammo in Georgia
While the firearms laws in Georgia are straightforward, the tax code is slightly less so. The baseline sales tax in the state is 4% on most goods. With that said, counties, cities, and other political units can impose additional sales taxes, sometimes up to 9%. There is a handy interactive map online that will help any potential buyers figure out the sales tax in a given city within Georgia, which might make a fairly large difference in the final purchase price of a firearm or ammunition. There are no additional taxes on firearms or ammunition levied by the state of Georgia.
More Resources
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The ATF maintains a list of all FFLs in the country, including in Georgia. Usually, gun stores are type 1 or 2 FFLs, and this list is relatively up-to-date.
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The state of Georgia maintains a list of firearms manufacturers with a major presence in the state, adding to the state’s friendliness to the firearms industry.
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As Google Maps confirms, there are many gun stores in the state: chances are you would never be more than a half hour’s drive from one that will fit your needs.
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In addition to the private ranges at many gun stores, the state’s Department of Natural Resources has several shooting and archery ranges that the public can use.
Georgia Packing is a lively forum that has news, reviews, and relevant information for firearms laws, updates, events, and permitting within the state.