Map of Minimum Age to Carry Concealed, State by State

(See map in full size)

Has anyone ever wondered why we trust young adults 18 and older to get married, sign legal contracts, go to battle on behalf of our Country utilizing powerful weapons and tools such as helicopters, tanks, & rocket launchers, yet in all but 13 States we don't trust the very same young adults to defend themselves with a concealed handgun while conducting their business here at home? I have. I certainly would like my daughter to not be denied the right to fight off a rapist with a concealed weapon if she were to be attacked while walking home or to her car after her college class is dismissed or while she walks down any sidewalk.

Before I go on, can I just ask my friends in Missouri, TWENTY THREE? Really? Are you kidding me? OK, I just had to get that off my chest.

Don't even get me started on all of the so-called "Gun Free Zones" that our legislators have created in many of our States, but for anyone interested there is a map of States that attempt to create gun free zones at colleges (more at concealedcampus.org) as well as a map of States that attempt to create gun free zones in restaurants that happen to serve alcohol. I say "attempt to create" because there are no metal detectors or armed guards so the only folks disarmed in such target rich victim zones are the law abiding victims.

I mentioned my thoughts on the subject of the current minimum age to defend oneself with a concealed weapon here in Arizona to Senator Harper & he asked me how Arizona compares with the rest of our Country. I did a search on the Internet for such a map, and although I did find a map for minimum age to carry openly on opencarry.org, I didn't manage to find a map for minimum age to carry concealed. As a result I decided to make one myself by going through the details for all of the States on handgunlaw.us. Please take a look at your State to compare with my map & let me know if I've made any errors so that I can make any required corrections.

As far as future legislative changes I'd like to see made here in Arizona, I'd like to see the minimum age to defend oneself with a concealed weapon lowered to a minimum of 18, and I'd like to see defenseless victim school & restaurant zones go away altogether. I'd also like to see restaurant carry in Arizona expanded to include all law abiding citizens, not just those with a CCW permit. Arizona is currently the only State in the Union to require us to carry concealed while in such restaurants (although to be fair there are eight States that forbid open carry altogether, some of which do not forbid carry in restaurants). Last but not least, I'd LOVE to get Constitutional Carry here in Arizona.

To Summarize my map, one State, Missouri sets the minimum age at 23 years old to carry concealed, thirty-four States plus DC set the minimum age at 21, eleven States set the minimum age at 18, two States set the minimum age at 16, and two States forbid concealed carry altogether.

Minimum age to carry concealed:

• 23: MO
• 21: AL, AZ, AR, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, KS, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV
• 18: CA, DE, IA, IN, MD, ME, MT, ND, SD, VT, WY
• 16: AK, NH
• No concealed carry at all: IL, WI

Note: None of this information or map is to be construed as legal advice. You are responsible to verify the laws in your own State.

H/T to the Map Maker Utility, opencarry.org, & handgunlaw.us. Be sure to check out my link to travel tools useful when you need to plan your carry methods while traveling.