Grading the States
To make the Gun Law Scorecard, our team analyzes every gun law in every state, including new laws as they’re enacted. Policies are assigned point values based on effectiveness, points are tallied to determine grades and rankings, and grades are compared to CDC gun death data. The conclusion might seem obvious in retrospect, especially given that it’s been consistent for the 14 years we’ve done this project: The stronger the state’s gun laws, the lower the state’s gun death rate. Yet the gun violence crisis persists, thanks to the states that sit idly by while their residents are dying.
View a state’s scorecard by selecting it on the map, or switch to the table to view a sortable list of all state grades and ranks.
| Gun Law Strength (Ranked) | State | Grade | Gun Death Rate (Ranked) | Gun Death Rate (per 100K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | A | 44 | 8.0 |
| 3 | Connecticut | A | 45 | 6.2 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | A | 50 | 3.7 |
| 2 | New Jersey | A | 49 | 4.6 |
| 4 | New York | A | 48 | 4.7 |
| 10 | Colorado | A- | 20 | 16.6 |
| 13 | Delaware | A- | 39 | 12.0 |
| 7 | Hawaii | A- | 46 | 4.9 |
| 6 | Illinois | A- | 32 | 13.5 |
| 8 | Maryland | A- | 37 | 12.3 |
| 11 | Oregon | A- | 26 | 14.2 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | A- | 47 | 4.8 |
| 9 | Washington | A- | 33 | 13.0 |
| 14 | Virginia | B+ | 29 | 13.8 |
| 15 | Minnesota | B | 43 | 8.9 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | B | 31 | 13.6 |
| 17 | Michigan | B- | 28 | 13.9 |
| 20 | Nevada | B- | 15 | 18.4 |
| 19 | New Mexico | B- | 4 | 25.3 |
| 18 | Vermont | B- | 38 | 12.0 |
| 21 | Maine | C+ | 27 | 14.0 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | C | 35 | 12.7 |
| 24 | Florida | C- | 30 | 13.7 |
| 23 | Nebraska | C- | 40 | 10.6 |
| 24 | North Carolina | C- | 21 | 16.4 |
| 27 | Indiana | D- | 17 | 18.3 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | D- | 42 | 9.6 |
| 26 | Ohio | D- | 23 | 15.0 |
| 34 | Alabama | F | 3 | 25.6 |
| 40 | Alaska | F | 5 | 23.5 |
| 41 | Arizona | F | 14 | 18.5 |
| 48 | Arkansas | F | 7 | 21.9 |
| 31 | Georgia | F | 13 | 18.6 |
| 46 | Idaho | F | 18 | 17.9 |
| 32 | Iowa | F | 41 | 10.5 |
| 42 | Kansas | F | 22 | 16.3 |
| 47 | Kentucky | F | 16 | 18.4 |
| 38 | Louisiana | F | 2 | 28.3 |
| 43 | Mississippi | F | 1 | 29.4 |
| 48 | Missouri | F | 10 | 21.4 |
| 45 | Montana | F | 9 | 21.5 |
| 34 | North Dakota | F | 34 | 12.8 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | F | 11 | 19.9 |
| 34 | South Carolina | F | 12 | 19.1 |
| 43 | South Dakota | F | 36 | 12.3 |
| 32 | Tennessee | F | 6 | 22.0 |
| 29 | Texas | F | 24 | 14.9 |
| 29 | Utah | F | 25 | 14.8 |
| 34 | West Virginia | F | 19 | 16.8 |
| 50 | Wyoming | F | 8 | 21.5 |
| Share | ||||
| Gun Law Strength (Ranked) | State | Grade | Gun Death Rate (Ranked) | Gun Death Rate (per 100K) |
QUESTIONS ABOUT GUN LAWS?
Speak with a GIFFORDS expert. We regularly team up with lawmakers across the country—at all levels of government—to draft, enact, and defend lifesaving gun laws. We’re also happy to speak with researchers, advocates, and press interested in learning more about evidence-based strategies for preventing gun violence.
Best & Worst
In 2024, many states stepped up and passed new gun safety laws, saving lives in the process. But it was a slow year for others: 11 states didn’t pass any gun safety legislation at all. A handful even weakened existing laws or enacted dangerous new ones.
Here are the best and worst states of 2024.
Gun Laws vs. Gun Deaths
So much has changed since we began the Gun Law Scorecard in 2010, but the takeaway never has: Gun laws work. When we plot state gun law strength against gun death rates, the correlation between gun safety laws and reduced gun violence is undeniable.
Plenty of states are paying attention—a record 13 earned A’s or A-’s this year. But, as usual, other states—almost always ones with a strong gun lobby presence—weakened existing gun laws and blocked new ones. You can see this reflected in their elevated levels of violence: Of the 10 states with the highest gun death rates, nine received F’s.
Gun violence is preventable, and ignoring it is a policy choice—an unpopular one, since the public overwhelmingly supports gun safety laws. The more lawmakers start listening to their constituents instead of the gun lobby, the safer we’ll all be.
Tracking State Trends
In 2024, 28 states passed 88 gun safety laws, bringing the total number of new gun safety laws since the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012 to over 700. This is tremendous progress, but it’s imbalanced across the states, with some passing no laws at all and others completely overhauling their firearm regulations.
These numbers only tell part of the story, because the impact of individual laws can vary. Maine, historically resistant to regulating firearms, passed just four gun safety bills this year, but these new laws—instituting a waiting period to buy a gun and expanding background checks, among other things—were significant enough that its grade leapt from a D- to a C+.
Unfortunately, this goes both ways. South Carolina passed only one law this year, but its grade dropped to an F because it legalized carrying a concealed firearm without a permit, an extremely dangerous policy that directly contributes to the gun violence crisis.
As states continue to pass gun laws, new trends are emerging, like gun industry accountability laws and funding community violence intervention. Gun safety victories in Maine and states like it show that preventing gun violence isn’t at odds with responsible gun ownership—most gun owners are in favor of their legislators taking action to save lives.
New State Gun Laws Passed in 2024
Guns & Democracy
It’s no secret that there’s been a disturbing increase in political violence in America. Assassination attempts, kidnapping plots, even an insurrection at the US Capitol. It’s not uncommon to read stories about extremists staking out polls on Election Day or statehouses during legislative sessions, armed to the teeth and dressed for war.
The presence of guns acts as a means of intimidation to voters, election workers, and government officials alike. Since January 6, 2021, at least 14 states have responded by passing 52 new laws to limit the presence of firearms in democratic spaces, like polling places and government buildings, or banned paramilitary groups. Our rights come with responsibilities, and strong gun safety laws are crucial to maintaining a safe and free democracy.
New State Laws Limiting Guns in Democratic Spaces
The Year in Litigation
The legislature is just one front in the fight for gun safety laws. The gun lobby is vigorously challenging commonsense laws in courts across the country, and a cornerstone of our work at GIFFORDS Law Center is defending those laws. We advise local governments, partner with law firms, and draft amicus briefs in key Second Amendment cases, all the way up to the Supreme Court. We also file our own lawsuits to hold the gun industry accountable, ensure gun laws are being enforced, and protect communities from deadly new products like ghost guns and Glock switches.
This was an especially busy year for gun safety litigation, and here are a few of the highlights.
Banning Ghost Guns in Philadelphia
Protecting Domestic Abuse Survivors
Suing Social Media Companies in Buffalo
Treating Ghost Guns Like Guns
Going after Glock Switches
Take Action
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Annual Gun Law Scorecard
South DakotaF- Gun Law Strength Rank43 out of 50
- Gun Death Rate Rank36 out of 50
- Gun Deaths per 100K12.3
- % difference from national average↓10%
What Changed This Year
Made it easier to carry a concealed gun on school grounds
123 people die from gun violence each year in South Dakota
How To Improve
- Require universal background checks
- Enact a waiting period law
- Pass an extreme risk protection order law