The map above shows which countries/US states don’t require you to have a permit to buy a gun or other firearm. Yemen is allegedly the only country in the world where don’t need a permit to buy a gun no matter where you live.
This is followed closely by the United States where the majority of people live in states which don’t require a permit.
The only US states that require some form of permit are:
- California
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia (Washington DC)
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Iowa (Handguns only)
- Maryland (Handguns only)
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota (Handguns only)
- Nebraska (Handguns only)
- New Jersey
- New York (Handguns only)
- North Carolina (Handguns only)
- Rhode Island (Handguns only)
Although it should be noted that buyers in all states are required to fill out Form 4473 if they purchase a gun from a Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder (such as a gun shop).
Want to learn more about US gun laws? Have a look at the following books:
- The Gun Debate: What Everyone Needs To Know®
- Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America
- The Hidden History of Guns and the Second Amendment (The Thom Hartmann Hidden History Series)
- The Second Amendment and Gun Control: Freedom, Fear, and the American Constitution (Controversies in American Constitutional Law)
- The Behavioral Science of Firearms: A Mental Health Perspective on Guns, Suicide, and Violence (American Psychology-Law Society Series)
Find this map interesting? Please help by sharing:
Old-Dominion says
Agenda much?
Seriously, this isn’t ‘brilliant’, it’s just politics.
PokerPro says
What a stupid political map. Americans have the right to beat arms. Other countries use it as a means of control.
Plenty of guns in Mexico, Brazil, middle east. Almost every country you see on tv the people are running around with AK-47’s, unless under a restrictive strong Government or Dictatorship.
PJ says
Gosh, really! I’d love to live there.
dror says
I don’t think USA is very free country – for example after dark in many cities you can hardly see anyone walking – people are afraid to walk in “bad neighborhoods”, the guns don’t make you more free or safe – a lot of people are killed because of them and the us citizens are in constant state of fear . that’s good for the gun companies because more fear lead to more buying of guns. Government controls – is mainly done by TV / PR – no by guns. In the us people are much more believers in what the government sell to them than in other countries .. from the mid 20 century guns are no longer threat to governments – there are thanks and tanks and bombs that can crush any citizens with guns alone, and in modern army most of the soldiers are not warriors.
Roger Jerry says
Michigan also requires a pistol purchase permit issued by the local police agency. This has been the law since 1927, and was enacted to keep handguns out of the hands of southern European immigrants and African-Americans. The North Carolina pistol permit law, enacted in 1921 and still in force, was instituted for the same reason.
Gene says
Kudos to the US!
Pro Bono says
Yes, kudos to the USA – the only civilised country in the world to have a firearm related death rate of more than 10 per 100,000.
Mapman says
No, not stupid – interesting. Then lots of links to further information. The gun debate in the US is topical and divisive. Control of guns worldwide is an issue. So surely learning more about it can only be helpful. Unless of course the reader belongs to the ‘don’t confuse me with facts, my mind is made up’ school of thought.
Cerroneous says
Facts and statistics interwoven with a targeted endstate degrade the credibility of the writer…especially if only used to reinforce a political argument.
For example: You could look at the lopsided immigration:emigration ration in the United States due to the freedoms of individuals in the USA. Put that on a map and then argue that the USA system is so much better than any other country on earth that it would be foolish to try to be like them in any way. It would present facts and then draw a poorly nuanced conclusion…just like the map above.
Jacobian of Hessian says
I’m sure ISIS in Syria and Taliban in Afghanistan, not to mention everyone in Somalia got proper permits for their guns. We in the US better learn from these enlightened folks ASAP.
dror says
In all these countries and also in south and Central America the violent death toll is much higher than in Europe or east Asia or even some of middle east where its complicated to get a gun. You can see data in Wikipedia about guns and murder and also read about gun censorship – the limits that are on the CDC to prevent them from publishing data on gun violence.
Drew Drew says
This map is completely inaccurate.
only seven states do not require a permit for a handgun:
Maine, Arizona, Kansas, Wyoming, Alaska, Vermont, and now Missouri
Strazdas says
Its important to note that while you dont need a “permit”, the background check you need to pass in many states is more digid than the requirements for the permit in most european countries. So in terms of easy access to weapons europeans have it easier, they just dont see a reason to buy it.