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.
In 2017, Georgia began allowing people to carry concealed weapons on college campuses. In 2023, Georgia had the thirteenth highest gun death rate among the states. In an average year, 2,005 people die from gun violence in the state. That means someone dies from gun violence every four hours. Fifty-two percent of those deaths are gun suicides, and 45% are gun homicides. In Georgia, the rate of gun deaths increased 36% from 2013 to 2022, compared to a 33% increase nationwide.
What Georgia Does Well
- Certain open carry regulations
- Certain child access prevention laws
- Handgun dealer regulation
What Georgia Is Missing
- Universal background checks
- Gun owner licensing
- Extreme risk protection orders
- Domestic violence gun laws
- Assault weapon restrictions
- Large capacity magazine ban
- Waiting periods
- Concealed carry permitting
- Community violence intervention funding
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 GEORGIA’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.
