Gun Laws in North Dakota
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
North Dakota's outstanding score of 95 reflects the state's constitutional carry laws, minimal restrictions on firearm types, strong preemption laws, and robust self-defense protections.
North Dakota Gun Laws Summary
North Dakota stands as one of the most gun-friendly states in the nation, ranking #2 nationally. The state has minimal restrictions on firearms and ammunition, often avoiding duplication of federal regulations and not imposing additional burdens beyond what federal law requires.
North Dakota is a shall-issue state for concealed weapons permits, though permits are entirely optional for residents. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation 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 August 1, 2017, North Dakota has been a constitutional carry state when Governor Doug Burgum signed HB 1169 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 within the state. North Dakota's adoption of constitutional carry further solidified its position as a state that strongly protects Second Amendment rights.
Permitting, Sales and Transfers
No permits are required to purchase firearms or ammunition in North Dakota. 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. North Dakota law does not require registration of firearms, and the state has strong protections against the creation of firearm registries.
Firearms in Public and in the Home
North Dakota is a constitutional carry state where no permit is required for concealed carry by residents. Residents aged 18 and older who can legally possess firearms may carry concealed without a permit, while non-residents must have a valid concealed carry permit from their state of residence. North Dakota recognizes concealed carry permits from all states.
Open carry is legal without a permit for anyone 18 years or older who can legally possess a firearm. Certain locations prohibit carry, including federal buildings, schools, and establishments that serve alcohol for on-site consumption. For those who choose to obtain a permit, North Dakota requires completion of an approved firearms safety course or evidence of equivalent training. The state offers reciprocity with 36 other states for permit holders.
Firearm, Feature and Accessory Bans
North Dakota 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. North Dakota law prevents local governments from enacting any firearms regulations more restrictive than state law.
Local Laws
North Dakota has comprehensive statewide preemption of firearms laws. State law explicitly prohibits counties, cities, townships, and other political subdivisions from enacting any ordinance, regulation, tax, 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 confusing patchwork of regulations that could criminalize otherwise lawful behavior.
2025 Gun Law Checklist
North Dakota 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
This piece discusses the ammunition and firearms laws of the state of North Dakota. To do so, the piece starts off with the relevant ammunition laws, with an eye on explaining the legal processes for having ammunition shipped to a residential address in the state. From there, the piece then covers the firearms laws, both in terms of buying guns in the state as well as the carriage of firearms. To finish things up, the piece concludes with some resources we think you’d find useful if you are interested in legally buying, owning, and carrying firearms in the state of North Dakota.
This piece is not intended as legal advice. Instead, We hope that you take the information here into consideration when you make your own, informed decisions.
Like many states, North Dakota has preemption: this means that the state government forbids smaller political units such as counties, cities, and towns, from making firearms laws that are stricter than those at the state level. This is good news for gun owners in the state, as it means that your understanding of state law applies to the entire state on a practical level.
North Dakota is one of the most permissive states in the USA in terms of its ammunition and firearms laws: the state has no outright bans on guns, accessories, or ammunition, and the process for carrying a firearm in the state is a very simple one. These permissive rules make North Dakota an extremely gun-friendly state.
Ammo Laws/Buying Ammo in North Dakota
First, we will cover the ammo laws of the state.
North Dakota’s ammunition laws are highly permissive: the state does not have any laws that ban any specific types of ammunition. Because the state has little ammunition regulation, buying ammo in the state follows the federal processes outlined by the ATF.
The ATF stipulates two sets of requirements to purchase ammunition. The first is an age requirement: buyers have to be eighteen years of age or older to buy ammunition for long guns such as rifles and shotguns, and at least twenty-one to buy ammo for handguns. Second, buyers cannot be prohibited persons, which the ATF defines as people who have been convicted of a felony or domestic violence, those who have been found mentally unfit in a court of law, and people who have been involuntarily committed to an inpatient mental health facility for treatment.
Assuming that the buyer meets ATF’s requirements to purchase ammunition, North Dakota’s state laws allow that ammunition to be shipped to a residential address in the state. Some carriers might impose their own rules, however, such as asking for an adult with valid identification to be present to sign for packages that contain ammunition.
Because the rules for buying ammunition and having it shipped to a home in North Dakota are governed by federal rules, the state can be considered highly permissive when it comes to the buying of ammo: online retailers are happy to ship ammo to the state and this is often a great way for shooters to get the best deals.
Gun Laws/Buying Guns in North Dakota
Next, we will do the same for gun laws.
The gun laws in North Dakota are similarly permissive when compared to its ammunition laws. The state does not ban magazines of any capacity, and there’s no assault weapons ban that would ban weapons by either naming them or by a list of prohibited features. This state is also fine with its residents owning NFA items such as machine guns, suppressors, and short-barreled rifles and shotguns. Of course, with NFA items, federal restrictions and legal processes apply in North Dakota, just like they do in the rest of the country.
Buying a firearm from an FFL in North Dakota follows the federally mandated process. Thus, the buyer should bring both a valid form of identification and a form of payment to their chosen firearms retailer. Once there, the FFL will have the buyer fill out Form 4473 from the ATF, which both records the purchase and begins a background check. As soon as the aforementioned background check clears, the buyer can leave with their firearm the same day.
North Dakota does not mandate waiting periods when purchasing firearms, and neither does the state require background checks for selling firearms between private parties. In effect, buying a gun in North Dakota is only governed by federally set regulations, which makes the state highly permissive in terms of buying firearms.
This permissiveness continues in terms of carrying firearms as well. North Dakota allows its residents to carry firearms either openly or concealed. Neither method of carry requires a permit. Like most states that have adopted permitless carry, North Dakota still does issue concealed carry permits on a shall-issue basis. Although this permit does not have much benefit for folks who only plan to carry a firearm within North Dakota, it does allow North Dakota residents to carry legally in the states that recognize the North Dakota Permit.
All states have a list of places where it is prohibited to carry firearms. In North Dakota, that list includes:
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Federal Facilities (Including Post Offices, which is true in the whole country)
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Airport Terminals
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Airplanes
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The State Capitol Building
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K-12 Schools, Unless with a Concealed Carry Permit
This list is among the shortest in the nation, thus North Dakota is permissive in where and when its citizens can carry firearms as well.
Overall, North Dakota’s firearms and ammunition laws are among the most permissive in the country. The state does not have any onerous bans on ammunition, firearms, or accessories. Additionally, the purchasing and carriage processes are virtually free from state-level interference, and thus the majority of the gun laws enforced in North Dakota are Federal. This permissiveness extends even to contemporary issues. For example, North Dakota has been sure to clarify that binary triggers are not machine guns, and thus will not be considered as such within the state.
Sales Tax on Guns/Ammo in North Dakota
The state of North Dakota assesses a base sales tax rate of 5%. Some localities impose additional taxes up to an effective sales tax rate of 8.5%, making this a state where it might be worth shopping around for an FFL that is in one of the lower-taxed areas. North Dakota does not impose special, additional taxes on firearms or ammo.
More Resources:
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The ATF maintains a list of every FFL in the country, including those located in North Dakota. This list can be used to locate local gun stores, which are usually Type One or Type Two FFLs.
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Wheretoshoot.org is an excellent tool for finding conveniently located ranges. Use the mileage, zip code, and city filters to locate a range that works for you. Users can add new ranges, too, and the information is checked for accuracy regularly.
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There are a number of well-rated gun stores in the state.
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There is a North Dakota Fishing and Hunting Forum that, while not specific to only firearms, has an active community that shares relevant events, local deals, and information for shooting and firearms in the state.