North Dakota’s lack of basic gun safety laws puts its residents at risk. State lawmakers must take immediate action to protect children and adults alike from gun violence.
Since 2017, the state has allowed residents to carry loaded, hidden handguns in public without a background check or permit. In 2022, North Dakota had the twenty-second highest gun death rate among the states. In an average year, 107 people die from gun violence in the state. That means someone dies from gun violence every 82 hours. Eighty-two percent of those deaths are gun suicides, and 14% are gun homicides. In North Dakota, the rate of gun deaths increased 38% from 2013 to 2022, compared to a 36% increase nationwide.
What North Dakota Does Well
- Certain domestic violence gun laws
What North Dakota Is Missing
- Universal background checks
- Gun owner licensing
- Extreme risk protection orders
- Assault weapon restrictions
- Large capacity magazine ban
- Waiting periods
- Concealed carry permit
- Open carry regulations
- Child access prevention laws
SPOTLIGHT
GUN LAW SCORECARD
The data is clear: States with stronger gun laws have less gun violence. See how your state compares in our annual ranking.
Read MoreEXPLORE NORTH DAKOTA’S GUN LAWS
WHO CAN HAVE A GUN
OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES
CHILD & CONSUMER SAFETY
GUNS IN PUBLIC
HARDWARE & AMMUNITION
OTHER LAWS & POLICIES
SUPPORT GUN SAFETY
We’re in this together. To build a safer America—one where children and parents in every neighborhood can learn, play, work, and worship without fear of gun violence—we need you standing beside us in this fight.
