Campus carry in the United States

Campus carry in the United States refers to the possession of firearms on College or University campuses in the United States. Each state has its own discretion on laws concerning campus carry.

File:Campus carry map of US states.svg

A map of which US states have what kind of campus carry laws:

  Mandatory (Guns always allowed)

  Institutional (Campuses can choose)

  Non-Permissive (Guns banned)

Campus Carry by State

There are three different forms of Campus carry that states enact: Mandatory, Institutional, or Non-permissive.

Mandatory refers to a law or court decision which requires a publicly funded institution to generally allow firearms on campus, though some locations may be exempted depending on the school policy (e.g. a secure area, at a sporting event, etc.). Restricted areas will vary by state and individual school; refer to your school's specific policy for details. Some states require the firearm to be concealed (e.g. Texas) while others allow concealed or open carry (e.g. Utah).

Institutional refers to the decision of each institution to determine whether to allow firearms on campus or not. The majority of institutions in these states opt to ban guns with a few exceptions (e.g. Liberty University).

Non-Permissive refers to the prohibition of firearms on any institutional property by law.

For full details for each state, including references to state laws and campus policies, see references.

Status of campus carry, by jurisdiction

Jurisdiction	Mandatory	Institutional	Non-Permissive	Notes
Alabama		Y
Alaska		Y
Arizona		Y		May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Arkansas		Y
California			N
Colorado	Y
Connecticut		Y
Delaware		Y
District of Columbia			N
Florida			N	May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Georgia			N	May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Hawaii		Y
Idaho	Y			Enhanced concealed carry permit holders only. Concealed carry only; open carry is forbidden.
Illinois			N	May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Indiana		Y
Iowa		Y
Kansas	Y			Takes effect July 2017. Gun ban allowed only if "adequate security measures" are in place.
Kentucky		Y		May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Louisiana			N
Maine		Y
Maryland		Y
Massachusetts			N
Michigan			N
Minnesota		Y		May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Mississippi	Y
Missouri			N
Montana		Y
Nebraska			N	May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Nevada			N
New Hampshire		Y
New Jersey			N
New Mexico			N
New York			N
North Carolina			N	May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
North Dakota			N	May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Ohio			N	May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Oklahoma		Y		May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Oregon	Y			Campus buildings are exempted.
Pennsylvania		Y
Rhode Island		Y
South Carolina			N	May carry only with permission of institutional authorities, otherwise guns banned. May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
South Dakota		Y
Tennessee			N	Full-time employees of public colleges/universities with handgun carry permits may carry concealed; students cannot; takes effect July 1, 2016. May keep a gun in a locked car in parking lot.
Texas	Y			Concealed carry only; open carry is forbidden. Takes effect August 2016 (August 2017 for Community Colleges).
Utah	Y			Both concealed and open carry is allowed.
Vermont		Y
Virginia		Y
Washington		Y
West Virginia		Y
Wisconsin	Y			Campus buildings are exempted if signs posted.
Wyoming			N

See also

• Gun politics in the United States
• School shootings
• Higher education in the United States
• Concealed carry in the United States
• Gun politics