Three states, including Illinois, Florida, and California, as well as the District of Columbia, forbid the open carry of firearms in public. The open carry laws’ restrictiveness varies greatly from state to state. For example, both Georgia and Hawaii require permits and licenses but the process in Hawaii is more restrictive as compared to Georgia which issues permits on the basis of shall issue.

In certain states, open carry for non-prohibited individuals – who convicted felonies and noncitizens with no plans to immigrate permanently – needs no specific licenses or permits. Moreover, there are some states that have no single law for open carry which indicates that all regulations are typically determined on local level.

In Oregon, Portland restricts the open carry in an ordinance, although there isn’t any statewide law regarding this. States that prohibit open carry practice like Illinois and New York, have exceptions in certain cases under specific circumstances like hunting. Other states, like Texas prohibit the open carrying of handguns but allow the open carry of long guns.