Louisiana - LA Gun Laws

No state permit or license is required to buy a rifle, shotgun, or handgun in Louisiana. Dealer purchases run through the standard federal NICS background check (Form 4473), with federal age minimums of 18 for a long gun and 21 for a handgun. There's no state waiting period and no state-added purchase restrictions beyond what federal law already requires.

Louisiana does not require a background check for private, face-to-face firearm sales between people who can legally possess firearms. Federal law still applies — a private seller may not knowingly transfer to someone they believe is a prohibited possessor.

Louisiana follows the standard federal prohibited-persons categories: felony conviction, certain domestic violence convictions or active protective orders, unlawful drug users, individuals adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, fugitives from justice, dishonorable military discharge, undocumented immigration status, and renunciation of U.S. citizenship. Louisiana has no red-flag/extreme risk protective order law.

Legal without a permit for anyone who can otherwise legally possess a firearm.

Permitless since July 4, 2024 (SB 1 / Act 1, codified at La. R.S. 14:95(M) and 40:1379.3) — anyone who can legally possess a firearm may carry concealed without a permit, background check at the point of carry, or training requirement. Louisiana still issues an optional concealed handgun permit, mainly useful for reciprocity when traveling to states that don't recognize Louisiana's permitless standard.

No permit or license is required to carry a firearm, loaded or unloaded, concealed or openly, in a vehicle in Louisiana — the state's permitless carry framework covers vehicle transport the same as carrying on foot. The main restrictions are the same sensitive-location rules that apply anywhere else (see Restricted Locations) and the standard prohibition on possession by someone legally disqualified.

Louisiana's restricted-location list includes K-12 schools, courthouses, and certain government buildings. Federal restrictions still apply regardless of state law — federal buildings and other federal property remain off-limits under federal statute.

Louisiana does not set a comprehensive statewide minimum age for possessing a firearm beyond the federal purchase-age framework (18 for long guns, 21 for handguns through a dealer). Supervised possession and use by minors below these ages — for hunting, target shooting, or firearms safety instruction under adult supervision — is common practice and not separately restricted by a dedicated state age-floor statute.

None. Louisiana has no magazine capacity limit and no assault weapons ban, and state preemption law blocks any city or parish from creating one locally.

Louisiana is a genuine Stand Your Ground state — no duty to retreat before using force, including deadly force, in any place a person has a legal right to be — paired with castle doctrine protections for the home, vehicle, and place of business.

Louisiana has state preemption — local municipalities and parishes cannot enact firearm ordinances stricter than state law, keeping carry, purchase, and possession rules uniform statewide.

Louisiana State Police, firearms/concealed handgun permit resources: lsp.org
Louisiana Revised Statutes, Title 14 and Title 40 (full text): legis.la.gov
Your local Sheriff's Office: for optional concealed handgun permit applications
ATF: for federal NFA questions — Louisiana does not add state-level restrictions on suppressors beyond federal requirements