Gun Laws in Louisiana
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
Louisiana's strong score of 87 reflects the state's constitutional carry laws, minimal restrictions on firearm types, strong preemption laws, and robust self-defense protections including Stand Your Ground provisions.
Louisiana Gun Laws Summary
Louisiana has positioned itself as one of the most gun-friendly states in the nation. The state has minimal restrictions on firearms and ammunition, generally avoiding additional regulations beyond what federal law requires.
Louisiana is a shall-issue state for concealed weapons permits, though as of 2023, permits are entirely optional. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections handles permit issuance, and qualifying applicants will receive their permits without discretionary denial. While not required, obtaining a permit provides advantages including reciprocity with other states and streamlined firearm purchases.
Since June 15, 2023, Louisiana has been a constitutional carry state when Governor Jeff Landry signed HB 131 into law. Any law-abiding citizen or legal resident who is at least 18 years old and legally permitted to possess a firearm can carry a concealed weapon without a permit. Louisiana was the 27th state to adopt constitutional carry, strengthening its reputation as a state that strongly protects Second Amendment rights.
Permitting, Sales and Transfers
No permits are required to purchase firearms or ammunition in Louisiana. Background checks are conducted for sales through federally licensed dealers (FFLs) as required by federal law, using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
Private sales between individuals require no background check, permit, or registration. Louisiana law prohibits the creation of a firearms registry, ensuring that firearm ownership remains private and free from government tracking.
Firearms in Public and in the Home
Louisiana is a constitutional carry state where no permit is required for open or concealed carry. Residents aged 18 and older who can legally possess firearms may carry without a permit. Louisiana honors concealed carry permits from all states that issue them.
Open carry is legal without a permit for anyone 18 years or older who can legally possess a firearm. Certain locations prohibit carry, including government buildings, schools, places of worship (unless permission is granted), and businesses that serve alcohol (unless you don't consume alcohol and the business allows it). For those who choose to obtain a permit, Louisiana requires a firearms safety training course and a shooting proficiency demonstration. Active duty military members stationed in Louisiana and honorably discharged veterans may receive expedited processing and discounted permit fees.
Firearm, Feature and Accessory Bans
Louisiana has no bans on semi-automatic firearms, detachable magazines, or firearms with specific features. There are no magazine capacity restrictions. All NFA items (suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, machine guns, etc.) are legal to own provided federal requirements are met. Louisiana law includes strong preemption provisions that prevent local governments from enacting regulations more restrictive than state law.
Local Laws
Louisiana has comprehensive statewide preemption of firearms laws. State law explicitly prohibits parishes, municipalities, and other political subdivisions from enacting any ordinance, regulation, or rule relating to firearms that is more restrictive than state law. This ensures uniform gun laws throughout the state and prevents local governments from creating a patchwork of regulations that could confuse gun owners and potentially criminalize otherwise lawful behavior.
2025 Gun Law Checklist
Louisiana 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 (typically between 3-14 days) 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
In this piece, we dissect the firearms and ammunition rules and laws in Louisiana. To do so, the piece starts out with the ammunition laws with a focus on the process of purchasing ammo and having it shipped to a residential address in LA. After that, the piece discusses the firearms purchasing process in the state, before covering the rules for both open and concealed carry. To wrap things up, the piece leaves you with some useful resources for finding where to buy firearms and shoot them in Louisiana.
This piece is not intended as legal advice. Instead, we hope that it is a useful foundation of information for folks who want to legally purchase ammo and firearms in the state of Louisiana and carry them within the bounds of the law.
While the state itself is fairly permissive, there are a few nuances to Louisiana law that make it more restrictive and can lead to something of a legal minefield for those who do much traveling within the state.
First off, Louisiana has preemption. Normally, that means that the state declares that localities such as parishes and cities cannot make firearms laws that are stricter than those at the state level. While that is kind of true here, there is a vitally important exception: Louisiana’s preemption statute also grandfathers in all still-enforced local laws that were passed before 1985.
Given that the vast majority of the localities in the state are older than that, any given locality may well have its own gun laws. Thus, Louisiana has preemption in terms of new laws but does not, practically, have preemption. This may well get addressed in case law as the years go by, but it means that it is possible to drive to the next town over and have a fairly different set of gun laws apply.
Thus, it’s important for gun owners in the state to look up and become familiar with any relevant local gun laws and ordinances. This quasi-preemption makes things legally tricky for individual gun owners and makes the state a little less permissive than other states with full, simple preemption.
Ammo Laws/Buying Ammo in Louisiana
Now, we will cover the ammo laws of Louisiana.
The ammunition laws in Louisiana tend towards the more permissive side. The state has a ban on armor-piercing ammunition, however. Aside from that ban, the buying process for ammunition in the state is regulated mostly by the federal government’s rules.
To purchase ammunition in Louisiana, the buyer has to meet two sets of federal requirements. The first is an age requirement: one has to be eighteen years old to purchase long gun ammunition, and twenty-one or older to purchase handgun ammo.
Secondly, the buyer of ammunition cannot be a prohibited person. Generally, prohibited persons are those who have been convicted of felonies or domestic violence, people ruled mentally unfit in a court of law, or people who have been involuntarily committed to an inpatient mental health facility.
Assuming that the buyer meets both of those requirements, Louisiana is fine with people having ammunition shipped to residential addresses within the state. Do keep in mind, though, that carriers can and do sometimes impose their own requirements. Commonly, carriers might ask for an adult with valid identification to sign for the package containing ammunition.
Louisiana does not regulate magazines, so once the ammunition shows up, buyers can put the ammo into whatever magazines they deem fit.
Gun Laws/Buying Guns in Louisiana
Next, we will do the same analysis for LA’s gun laws.
Much like the ammunition laws in the state, buying guns is relatively regulation-free in Louisiana. The state does not have an assault weapons ban that either bans guns by name or by a list of prohibited features. Similarly, the state does not ban people from owning NFA items.
Buying a gun in the state follows federal guidelines. Just like with ammunition, the buyer has to meet both the age requirement and cannot be a prohibited person. From there, the buyer should bring a valid form of identification and payment to the gun store. The FFL will have the buyer fill out ATF Form 4473 for a background check. Once both the background check and payment are clear, the buyer is free to leave with their new firearm the same day.
Louisiana does not place additional waiting periods on gun sales, nor does it require that private persons who are selling guns run a background check on potential buyers. It is generally advisable, however, for anyone selling a gun to be reasonably sure that the buyer is both of age and not a prohibited person.
While buying both ammunition and firearms in Louisiana is permissive, carrying is a little less so. Technically, open carry is not forbidden at the state level, but keep in mind that any local gun laws before 1985 might well still prohibit it, so this is down to the city/town/parish level.
To concealed carry a firearm in the state, a permit is required: permits are handled by the state police and are issued on a shall-issue basis. The Louisiana concealed carry permit is fairly widely recognized, especially by surrounding states.
Like all states, there are places where firearms are prohibited even with a concealed carry permit. In Louisiana, those places include:
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Police stations
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Correctional Facilities
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Courthouses
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Polling places
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Meeting places for local authorities
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The State Capitol
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Airport terminals
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Places of worship
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Permitted parades
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Bars
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All schools
This list is not unusual, even for the most permissive states.
Louisiana is home to several firearms manufacturers, including Wise Arms, who make AR-style rifles and pistols in the state.
While the process for purchasing ammunition and firearms in Louisiana is permissive, there are a few sticking points in the state’s laws that make it less permissive. The fact that the state mandates a permit to carry a firearm concealed makes it a little more restrictive.
The bigger issue at hand is that laws passed at the local level before 1985’s state preemption statute are still enforceable: this means that local laws, which can vary widely just a few miles from one another, are the practical laws of the land in the state. This patchwork approach to gun laws makes the state more restrictive in that no one understanding of firearms laws can be said to apply to the state as a whole.
Sales Tax on Guns/Ammo in Louisiana
The general state sales tax in Louisiana is 4.45.. But, as is the case with the gun laws, localities vary a good bit here, and the effective sales tax can be as high as 11.45%. It might well be worth it to shop around within the state for an FFL in one of the lower-taxed areas.
More Resources:
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The ATF maintains a list of every FFL in the country, including those in Louisiana. The list is kept up to date and can be used to find gun stores. Generally, gun stores are Type One or Type Two FFLs.
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Wheretoshoot.org has a very useful tool that can be used to find gun ranges in Louisiana. Taking a moment to use the city, zip code, and mileage filters will help to find good places to shoot. Users submit ranges to the site, which is fact-checked regularly.
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There are a number of well-rated gun stores in the state.
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Bayou Shooter is mainly focused on being a classifieds page, but it is an active forum for the state and has information on local events and news that might be worthwhile for folks interested in firearms more generally.