Gun Related
Duty to Inform States 2026
State Has Duty to Inform
No
Only If Asked
Other
Permit Dependent
Yes
State | State Has Duty to Inform↓ | Additional Duty to Inform Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Alaska | Yes | |
 | Arkansas | Yes | |
 | District of Columbia | Yes | |
 | Hawaii | Yes | |
 | Louisiana | Yes | |
 | Michigan | Yes | |
 | Nebraska | Yes | |
 | New Jersey | Yes | |
 | North Carolina | Yes | |
 | Texas | Yes | |
 | Alabama | Only If Asked | |
 | Arizona | Only If Asked | |
 | Florida | Only If Asked | |
 | Illinois | Only If Asked | |
 | Kentucky | Only If Asked | |
 | Minnesota | Only If Asked | |
 | Missouri | Only If Asked | |
 | New York | Only If Asked | |
 | Ohio | Only If Asked | |
 | Oklahoma | Only If Asked | |
 | Oregon | Only If Asked | |
 | Pennsylvania | Only If Asked | |
 | Tennessee | Only If Asked | |
 | Virginia | Only If Asked | |
 | Washington | Only If Asked | |
 | Wisconsin | Only If Asked | |
 | Wyoming | Only If Asked | |
 | Maine | Permit Dependent | Yes, if carrying without a permit. No, if you are concealed carrying with a permit. |
 | North Dakota | Permit Dependent | Yes, if a North Dakota resident is constitutionally carrying without a permit. No, with a concealed carry permit. |
 | California | Other | While there are no duty to inform law at the state level, some localities are known to have duty to inform requirements. |
 | Colorado | No | |
 | Connecticut | No | |
 | Delaware | No | |
 | Georgia | No | |
 | Idaho | No | |
 | Indiana | No | |
 | Iowa | No | |
 | Kansas | No | |
 | Maryland | No | |
 | Massachusetts | No | |
 | Mississippi | No | |
 | Montana | No | |
 | Nevada | No | |
 | New Hampshire | No | |
 | New Mexico | No | |
 | Rhode Island | No | |
 | South Carolina | No | |
 | South Dakota | No | |
 | Utah | No | |
 | Vermont | No | |
 | West Virginia | No |
- In states with duty to inform laws, individuals carrying a firearm may be required to disclose that information during interactions with law enforcement.
- In some states, the person must proactively inform an officer that they are carrying a firearm upon first contact. In others, disclosure is required only if the officer asks about the presence of a firearm.
- Some states apply duty to inform rules only under certain conditions, such as when a person is carrying without a permit. In states without statewide duty to inform laws, counties or municipalities may establish their own requirements.
Duty to Inform Firearm Law A law requiring a person carrying a firearm to disclose its presence to law enforcement during an official encounter, such as a traffic stop.
Duty to Inform Firearm Laws
States take different approaches to whether individuals carrying a firearm must disclose that information to law enforcement. In some states, a person must notify an officer that they are carrying a firearm during an official interaction, such as a traffic stop. In others, disclosure is required only if the officer asks, while many states impose no such obligation.
Because firearm laws are primarily determined at the state level, these requirements vary widely across the country. The table above shows how duty to inform laws are structured across the United States.
Types of Duty to Inform Laws
States classify duty to inform requirements in several ways. In some states, individuals carrying a firearm must proactively notify a law enforcement officer during an official interaction. In others, disclosure is only required if the officer asks about the presence of a firearm.
A few states apply the requirement only under certain conditions, such as when a person is carrying without a permit. Other jurisdictions may leave the issue to local governments or apply unique rules that do not fit standard categories. Finally, many states do not require firearm carriers to inform law enforcement at all.
States With Duty to Inform Requirements
Some states require individuals carrying a firearm to disclose that information to law enforcement during an official encounter. In certain states, the person must notify the officer proactively, while in others disclosure is required only if the officer asks about the presence of a firearm.
States with some form of duty to inform requirement include Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Maine and North Dakota apply duty to inform rules only under specific conditions related to permit status.
States With No Duty to Inform Requirement
Many states do not require individuals carrying a firearm to inform law enforcement during an encounter. In these jurisdictions, disclosure is generally optional unless another law or circumstance requires it.
States with no statewide duty to inform requirement include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia.
