States

State

Alabama

Alabama has some of the weakest gun laws in the country and the fourth-highest gun death rate.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Alaska

Alaska has some of the weakest gun laws in the country and the sixth highest gun death rate, which can only be reversed by enacting the gun safety policies proven to save lives.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Arizona

Arizona’s weak gun safety laws put its residents at risk. State lawmakers have an obligation to act—immediately—to protect their communities from gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Arkansas

Arkansas has some of the weakest gun laws in the country and the ninth-highest gun death rate. State lawmakers must act to close loopholes and enact lifesaving reforms.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

California

Overall, California has the strongest gun safety laws in the nation and has been a trailblazer for gun safety reform for the past 30 years.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A

State

Colorado

Colorado lawmakers have enacted a number of strong gun safety laws, despite facing reactionary recall petitions, and should keep up the fight to save lives.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A-

State

Connecticut

After the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, Connecticut enacted a host of gun safety laws and now has some of the strongest laws in the country.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A

State

Delaware

Delaware has stronger gun safety laws than many other states, but is still missing key policies that can further protect its residents.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A-

State

Florida

In the wake of the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida significantly improved its gun laws, but still has a long way to go.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: C-

State

Georgia

Georgia has very weak gun laws and is a major exporter of crime guns to other states. Lawmakers have an obligation to do more to save lives from gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Hawaii

Hawaii has taken courageous steps to protect its residents, enacting some of the strongest gun laws in the country and setting an example for other states.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A

State

Idaho

Idaho lacks many basic gun safety protections and has weakened its gun laws in recent years. State lawmakers must take immediate action to reverse this deadly trend.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Illinois

Illinois has some of the strongest gun laws in the country, and much of its gun violence is due to guns trafficked in from neighboring states with weak laws.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A

State

Indiana

Though Indiana has enacted a few gun safety policies, it has unacceptably weak gun laws overall. State lawmakers must do more to protect their constituents.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: D-

State

Iowa

Iowa’s lawmakers recently repealed key gun safety measures, and must do much more to close loopholes and keep guns from being used irresponsibly.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Kansas

Kansas lawmakers have failed their communities, refusing to pass even the most basic gun safety laws or to close deadly loopholes that enable gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Kentucky

Kentucky’s lack of basic gun safety laws and adoption of reckless, gun lobby–backed policies critically endangers public safety.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Louisiana

Louisiana has some of the country’s weakest gun laws and has repeatedly suffered some of the highest gun death rates. Enacting even modest gun safety legislation would go a long way to improve community safety in the state.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Maine

Following the tragic mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston, Maine enacted important improvements to its gun laws. However, there are still basic gun safety measures which are missing, putting Mainers at grave risk.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: C+

State

Maryland

Maryland has enacted strong gun safety laws, though some of this lifesaving progress is undermined by guns trafficked in from states with weaker laws.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A-

State

Massachusetts

Massachusetts has some of the strongest gun laws in the country and leads the nation in investing in community violence intervention strategies.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A

State

Michigan

Michigan has enacted several critical gun safety measures in recent years, but is still missing a number of lifesaving policies that can combat gun violence in the state.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: B-

State

Minnesota

Minnesota has enacted modest gun safety measures in recent years, but is still missing a number of lifesaving policies that can combat gun violence in the state.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: B

State

Mississippi

Mississippi has the weakest gun laws in the country and the highest gun death rate. Lawmakers must stop failing their communities and take action to save lives.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Missouri

Missouri has appallingly weak gun laws and one of the country’s highest gun death rates. Lawmakers owe it to residents to start putting the safety of their communities first.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Montana

Montana’s lack of even the most basic gun safety laws puts its residents at enormous risk, and the failure of state lawmakers to save lives from gun violence is unconscionable.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Nebraska

Nebraska has enacted modest gun safety measures, but can do much more to protect its communities from entirely preventable gun deaths.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: C-

State

Nevada

In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, Nevada acted to significantly strengthen its gun safety laws, but still has much more it can do to save lives.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: B-

State

New Hampshire

New Hampshire lacks many basic gun safety protections, and in fact has weakened its gun laws in recent years—state lawmakers must reverse this deadly trend.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

New Jersey

New Jersey has taken decisive action to protect its residents, setting an example for other states by enacting some of the country’s strongest gun laws.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A

State

New Mexico

In recent years, New Mexico has taken important steps to improve its gun laws, but still has significant room for improvement when it comes to fighting gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: B-

State

New York

New York has taken bold action to save lives from gun violence and serves as a national model for many gun safety policies and programs.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A

State

North Carolina

North Carolina’s weak gun laws put its residents at risk. Lawmakers must do better to reduce gun violence in their state and save lives.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: C-

State

North Dakota

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.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Ohio

Ohio has weak gun laws and a correspondingly high gun death rate. State lawmakers owe it to their constituents to do more to protect communities.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma lacks many basic gun safety protections, and in fact has weakened its gun laws in recent years. Lawmakers must take immediate action to reverse this deadly trend.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Oregon

Oregon voters enacted a strong gun safety ballot initiative in 2022 and the state has meaningfully reformed its gun laws in recent years. Oregon’s laws are still generally weaker than its neighbors in CA and WA, however.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A-

State

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has made modest improvements to its gun safety laws in recent years, but can do much more to protect residents from gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: B

State

Rhode Island

Rhode Island’s gun safety laws are more comprehensive than most other states, but lawmakers can still do more to save lives from gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A-

State

South Carolina

South Carolina has some of the weakest gun laws in the country. State lawmakers must take immediate action to protect residents from gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

South Dakota

South Dakota lacks many fundamental gun safety protections and in fact has weakened its gun laws in recent years, putting its residents at grave risk.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Tennessee

Tennessee’s gun laws are weak and its gun death rate is high. State legislators have an obligation to enact the laws proven to save lives from gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Texas

In recent years, Texas has suffered some of the deadliest mass shooting incidents in modern US history, yet Texas lawmakers have responded by continuing to weaken the state’s most basic gun safety laws.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Utah

Utah has weak gun laws overall and a correspondingly high gun death rate. Lawmakers owe it to their constituents to take action to reduce gun violence in their state.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Vermont

In recent years Vermont significantly strengthened its gun laws, but still has much more to do to better protect its residents from gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: B-

State

Virginia

In 2021, Virginia enacted a strong package of strong gun safety laws, but there remains much more the state should do to protect its communities from gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: B+

State

Washington

In recent years, Washington has made significant progress on gun safety, passing a number of lifesaving pieces of firearm legislation.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: A-

State

West Virginia

West Virginia has shamefully weak gun laws and one of the highest gun death rates in the United States. Lawmakers must take immediate action to reverse this deadly trend.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

State

Wisconsin

While Wisconsin has enacted several basic gun safety laws, the state still lacks a number of key policies that would go a long way toward reducing gun violence.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: C

State

Wyoming

Wyoming has some of the weakest gun laws in the country. Adopting proven gun safety policies would save a significant number of lives.

Gun Law Scorecard Grade: F

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