Gun Rights Update: 90% of States Now Have Open Carry

AmmoLand ^ | September 15, 2025 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Open carry of handguns as of September 10, 2025

The number of states that ban the open carry of firearms has again been reduced to five. Before 2022, it was four, but New Jersey criminalized open carry, even with a permit, in 2022. New Jersey permit requirements and processes for obtaining a permit are being challenged in the courts. Connecticut banned open carry in 2023, making six states that generally banned open carry. Open carry with a permit is allowed in some rural parts of California. The California ban is being challenged in the Ninth Circuit.

On September 10, 2025, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal published a unanimous opinion that the Florida ban on the open carry of firearms in public is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment, and can not be enforced in Florida. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeir supports the Florida case and has decided not to appeal it to the state Supreme Court. On a Youtube video, at  about 1:13, reporter for 10 Tampa Bay, Jennifer Titus says “Florida’s Attorney General says he doesn’t plan to have the case heard again.”  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis  says the court decision “aligns state policy with my long-held position and with the vast majority of states throughout the union.” This means the case becomes binding law in Florida.

The general ban on the open carry of firearms in Florida was relatively new. It was enacted in 1987, after heavy lobbying by Janet Reno, who became famous for her part in the massacre at Waco, Texas, during the Clinton administration. The open carry ban was part of a legislative compromise that enacted the extremely successful shall-issue concealed carry permit scheme

[Tudorfly]

Registration of guns is the first step toward confiscation of guns. Unconstitutional. “Shall not be infringed.”

[rarestia]

They didn’t say it wasn’t common practice. It was considered “ungentlemanly” to carry concealed, but yes, it happened probably far more often than most realized.

[CodeToad]

“It was considered “ungentlemanly” to carry concealed”

BY whom?? Liberals today say that too.

[Z28.310]

It was also considered ungentlemanly to take cover behind a tree, or rock and shoot the british lieutenant, or gerneral first, rather than stand in a “proper” line and exchange musket rounds.

Glad we didn’t follow THOSE rules!

Personally, prefer CCW, BUT... now that FL has voided laws against open carry, I’m looking forward to wearing a drop holstered hicap .45 1911... just...well...because.

Will wait for the Barney Fife’s to get up to speed and harass others who venture sticking their toe in those waters. Not interested in suicide-by-Fife in my quest to live to 99.

[NorthMountain]

Will wait for the Barney Fife’s to get up to speed

In many ways, uniformed, uninformed, ignorant, arrogant public servants are the biggest problem we armed citizens face as armed citizens.

We can deal with common criminals in the way common criminals deserved to be dealt.

When uniformed, uninformed, ignorant, arrogant public servants violate the law and our rights, even to the point of assault, battery, armed robbery, and kidnapping, there's very little we can do to them ... the government doesn't allow us to hold them accountable for their crimes.

[Dead Corpse]

Start here...

https://firearmslaw.duke.edu/assets/1813,-la,-acts-passed-by-the-general-assembly-of-the-state-of-louisiana,-1st-legis.,-2nd-sess.,-act-of-mar.-25,-1813,—1-3.pdf

Or here...

https://www.jstor.org/stable/23383191

If you don’t already have an account, they are easy enough to set up and give you access to a lot material.

Again, as stated... many of these early laws were later struck down or revised as they rightly should be... However, it does point out the language and attitudes towards carrying.

We are fighting the same fight for our rights today against the same kinds of people trying to keep us weak.

[rarestia]

Take 2 minutes, ask Grok or ChatGPT. I got at least 10 links from each citing articles wherein 19th century etiquette considered concealed carry “unmanly.” It’s not a modern idea. I’m all for concealed carry, and I don’t care about historical precedent; but there’s plenty to support that social norms were that it was considered impolite.

[rarestia]

I’m not going to stop carrying concealed. Just glad we finally got out of our own way with this stupid prohibition.

[Dead Corpse]

Ugh... drop holsters... Might be fine if you are on a motorcycle or on horseback... but they suck for everywhere else.

I’m a, ahem... larger person and Smartcarry and other IWB holsters aren’t always that comfortable. Off body holsters, like fanny packs, have their own issues that IMO minimize their affectiveness.

I prefer a comfortable OWB holster with thumb-break retention that I can cover with a jacket, overshirt, etc... I’m also left-handed... so I don’t have nearly as many options as right-handers do. This has perhaps colored my opinions a bit, so take that for what it’s worth.

[Z28.310]

You actually need permits to gather in MANY instances. Your name is on your writings and speeches and you’re listed in church records.
If the gun gets stolen and you report it...it is to the owners advantage.
~~~

Breaking this down...
*Permits for parades, protests & events using public spaces & thru fares isn’t registration to exercise free speach, or religion. Fail.
*church records are part of voluntary participation, not government mandated registration. Fail again.
*if a firearm is stolen, it is wise to report such. No infringing registration is required to be wise. Fail once again.

You have consistently failed to make a valid point to support your suggestion for a federal gun registration and still have not addressed the “shall not be infringed” part.

With that in mind, two possibilities remain;
1-you havent thought this through
2-your’re merely parroting Marxist talking points.

In the spirit of civility I’ll assume that #1 is the case.

[Z28.310]

On the Mc!

Other than that, normal is ITWB for shorts & light attire and OTW for full frame, with forward cant.

[aimhigh]

Oregon state law allows open carry, but open carry is banned in all the large cities.