Laws by State

Strictest Gun Laws by State 2025

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Gun Laws Strength Rank 2024

10th
20th
30th
40th
50th
State
Gun Laws Strength Rank 2024
Gifford Grade 2024
Gun Death Rate 2024 (per 100k)
Gun Death Rank 2024
California Flag
California1stA8.044
New Jersey Flag
New Jersey2ndA4.649
Connecticut Flag
Connecticut3rdA6.245
New York Flag
New York4thA4.748
Massachusetts Flag
Massachusetts5thA-3.750
Illinois Flag
Illinois6thA-13.532
Hawaii Flag
Hawaii7thA-4.946
Maryland Flag
Maryland8thA-12.337
Washington Flag
Washington9thA-13.033
Colorado Flag
Colorado10thA-16.620
Oregon Flag
Oregon11thA-14.226
Rhode Island Flag
Rhode Island12thA-4.847
Delaware Flag
Delaware13thA-12.039
Virginia Flag
Virginia14thB+13.829
Minnesota Flag
Minnesota15thB8.943
Pennsylvania Flag
Pennsylvania16thB13.631
Michigan Flag
Michigan17thB-13.928
Vermont Flag
Vermont18thB-12.038
New Mexico Flag
New Mexico19thB-25.34
Nevada Flag
Nevada20thB-18.415
Maine Flag
Maine21stC+14.027
Wisconsin Flag
Wisconsin22ndC12.735
Nebraska Flag
Nebraska23rdC-10.640
Florida Flag
Florida24thC-13.730
North Carolina Flag
North Carolina24thC-16.421
Ohio Flag
Ohio26thD-15.023
Indiana Flag
Indiana27thD-18.317
New Hampshire Flag
New Hampshire28thD-9.642
Texas Flag
Texas29thF14.924
Utah Flag
Utah29thF14.825
Georgia Flag
Georgia31stF18.613
Iowa Flag
Iowa32ndF10.541
Tennessee Flag
Tennessee32ndF22.06
Alabama Flag
Alabama34thF25.63
North Dakota Flag
North Dakota34thF12.834
South Carolina Flag
South Carolina34thF19.112
West Virginia Flag
West Virginia34thF16.819
Louisiana Flag
Louisiana38thF28.32
Oklahoma Flag
Oklahoma39thF19.911
Alaska Flag
Alaska40thF23.55
Arizona Flag
Arizona41stF18.514
Kansas Flag
Kansas42ndF16.322
Mississippi Flag
Mississippi43rdF29.41
South Dakota Flag
South Dakota43rdF12.336
Montana Flag
Montana45thF21.59
Idaho Flag
Idaho46thF17.918
Kentucky Flag
Kentucky47thF18.416
Arkansas Flag
Arkansas48thF21.97
Missouri Flag
Missouri48thF21.410
Wyoming Flag
Wyoming50thF21.58
  • Data sourced from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence’s Annual Gun Law Scorecard.
  • Gun Law Strength ranks range from 1 (best) to 50 (worst).
  • Gun Death Rate ranks range from 50 (best) to 1 (worst).
  • The difference occurs because Death Rate counts the number of gun deaths per 100k residents. This renders 1st place (highest deaths) the least desirable rank and 50th place (fewest deaths) the most desirable.