Gun-Friendly State Rankings
Every state we've published on the hub, ranked and scored using our own methodology, explained below. Grows as we add more states.
We scored every state using the objective criteria below, but "gun-friendly" always involves judgment calls. This ranking only includes states we've actually researched and published on the Gun Laws Across America hub so far, not all 50 states yet.
Click any state below for the full breakdown, sources, and current legal status.
How We Score This
Every state is scored out of 100 across eight weighted categories. Higher score, more permissive/gun-friendly the state's laws are, based on our own read of the categories below, not a claim about safety or outcomes.
| Category | Points | How it's scored |
|---|---|---|
| Carry licensing | 25 | Permitless = 25, Shall-issue = 15, Discretionary/may-issue = 5, Effectively none = 0 |
| Open carry | 10 | Legal without permit = 10, Permit-only = 5, Not legal = 0 |
| Magazine / assault weapon rules | 15 | No restrictions = 15, Restricted but struck down/under serious challenge = 8, Fully enforced ban = 0 |
| Purchase requirements | 15 | Background check only = 15, Permit for handguns only = 8, Permit/license for all firearms = 0 |
| Private transfers | 10 | No check required = 10, Required with family exemptions = 5, Universal check, no exemption = 0 |
| State preemption | 10 | Strong (no local patchwork) = 10, Weak/none = 0 |
| Suppressors | 5 | Legal = 5, Banned = 0 |
| Self-defense law | 10 | Stand-your-ground + broad castle doctrine = 10, Duty to retreat + narrow castle = 2-5 |
Grade bands: A+ 90-100 • A 80-89 • B 65-79 • C 50-64 • D 30-49 • F under 30