With so many states passing new restrictive gun legislation, it’s challenging to keep up with the worst states for gun owners. Fortunately, we’re doing our best to keep up with the changes in laws in every state – not an easy task, let me tell you! – and our latest article highlights this year’s most anti-2A states.
For those in a hurry, here are the highlights:
- Hawaii is the worst state for gun owners. The state has defied the Supreme Court, neglected the Constitution, and enacted strict legislation hindering Second Amendment rights.
- California is the second worst state for gun owners due to its strict gun control laws, bans, and proposed legislation.
- New York, Illinois, and New Jersey round up the top five worst states due to their extremely strict purchase and carry laws.
Americans need to know which states are infringing on the Second Amendment rights of peaceable citizens, and we’d love for you to help us spread the word!
Worst States to be a Gun Owner
Does your state support your 2nd Amendment rights or make it exceedingly difficult to keep and bear arms? We’ve ranked the worst states to be a gun owner below. How? By analyzing each state’s current laws, upcoming laws, concealed carry guidelines, self-defense statutes, and 2A-centric taxes in order to identify the worst states for gun owners in 2024.
Jump to a state: AL | AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DE | FL | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | MT | NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY | NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VT | VA | WA | WV | WI | WY
Report Highlights:
- Hawaii is the #1 worst state for gun owners due to strict purchasing and carry laws, as well as defying the Supreme Court on the individual’s right to carry.
- California is the #2 worst state for gun owners due to its permit-to-purchase and reciprocity laws.
- New York, Illinois, and New Jersey take the #3, #4, and #5 spot in our list of worst states for gun ownership due to strict purchasing and carrying requirements.
- North Carolina, Maine, and Ohio fall into spots #25, #24, and #23 due to new restrictive legislation with some relaxed carry laws.
- Some states rank lower than others due to excessive infringements, additional taxes, and the current Governor’s 2A statements.
- State and local laws defining Stand Your Ground vs. Duty to Retreat vary and should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Our ranking factors and how we weighed each of those factors are detailed here: “Ranking Factors: What Did We Measure?“. Our sources are listed here. Without further ado, please scroll down to see how we ranked America’s worst states for gun owners in 2024.