North Dakota - ND Gun Laws

No state permit or license is required to buy a rifle, shotgun, or handgun in North Dakota. 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.

North Dakota 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.

North Dakota 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. North Dakota has no red-flag/extreme risk protective order law.

Legal without a permit for anyone 18 or older who can otherwise legally possess a firearm.

Permitless since August 1, 2017 (HB 1169), codified at N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-03-01(2) and 62.1-04-02(2) — anyone 18 or older who can legally possess a firearm may carry concealed without a permit, background check at the point of carry, or training requirement. North Dakota still issues an optional concealed carry permit, mainly useful for reciprocity when traveling to states that don't recognize North Dakota's permitless standard.

No permit or license is required to carry a firearm, loaded or unloaded, concealed or openly, in a vehicle in North Dakota — the state's permitless carry framework covers vehicle transport the same as carrying on foot. Under N.D.C.C. § 62.1-04-01, a firearm transported in a vehicle (including under the seat or in the glove compartment) is treated as "concealed," which is covered the same as any other concealed carry. 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.

North Dakota prohibits firearms and other dangerous weapons at K-12 schools and school functions, as well as certain public events and gatherings. Some municipalities, including Bismarck, Fargo, and Grand Forks, layer on additional local restrictions in specific circumstances. Federal restrictions still apply regardless of state law — federal buildings and other federal property remain off-limits under federal statute.

North Dakota 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. North Dakota has no magazine capacity limit and no assault weapons ban, and state preemption law (N.D.C.C. § 62.1-01-03) blocks any city or county from creating one locally.

North Dakota's justification statute (N.D.C.C. § 12.1-05-07) allows the use of force, including deadly force, in self-defense without a duty to retreat, and includes castle doctrine protections for the home, vehicle, and workplace.

North Dakota has strong state preemption under N.D.C.C. § 62.1-01-03 — cities and counties cannot regulate the possession, ownership, or use of firearms in ways that conflict with state law, though some municipalities (Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks) have layered narrow local restrictions in specific limited circumstances, such as at certain public events.

North Dakota Attorney General, concealed carry permit resources: attorneygeneral.nd.gov
North Dakota Century Code, Title 62.1 (full text): ndlegis.gov
Your local Sheriff's Office: for optional concealed carry permit applications
ATF: for federal NFA questions — North Dakota does not add state-level restrictions on suppressors beyond federal requirements