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.
The state’s dangerous “stand your ground” law and weak public carry laws make it far too easy for daily arguments to turn into deadly shootouts. In 2022, Montana had the sixth highest gun death rate among the states. In an average year, 237 people die from gun violence in the state. That means someone dies from gun violence every 37 hours. Eighty-three percent of those deaths are gun suicides, and 12% are gun homicides. In Montana, the rate of gun deaths increased 43% from 2013 to 2022, compared to a 36% increase nationwide.
What Montana Does Well
- Certain domestic violence gun laws
What Montana Is Missing
- Universal background checks
- Gun owner licensing
- Extreme risk protection orders
- Assault weapon restrictions
- Large capacity magazine ban
- Waiting periods
- Strong concealed carry law
- 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 MONTANA’S GUN LAWS
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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.
