No person under age 18 may knowingly possess a handgun unless he or she is:

• Participating in a hunter’s or a firearms safety course;

• At a lawful shooting range or organized competition;

• Hunting or trapping, when licensed to do so;

• Traveling with an unloaded handgun to or from the aforementioned activities;

• On private property under the control of an adult who has granted permission to the underage individual to possess a handgun; or

• Using a handgun to defend himself or herself from imminent danger.¹

An applicant for a license to carry a concealed handgun must be 21 years of age or older.²

Mississippi prohibits the transfer of: 1) any deadly weapon; 2) any weapon that may not by law be carried concealed; and 3) a pistol cartridge, to any person who is under 18 years of age.³

There is no minimum age to possess a rifle or shotgun in Mississippi.

MEDIA REQUESTS

Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.

Contact

1. Miss. Code Ann. § 97-37-14.[↩]
2. Miss. Code Ann. § 45-9-101(2)(b).[↩]
3. Miss. Code Ann. § 97-37-13.[↩]