Louisiana Gun Laws (2026): Constitutional Carry at 18, CHP & Stand Your Ground

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Quick Answer: Louisiana is a constitutional carry state as of July 4, 2024. Any Louisianan 18 or older who can legally possess a firearm may carry concealed without a permit. Louisiana still issues Concealed Handgun Permits (CHPs) through Louisiana State Police because they offer reciprocity with 36 other states.

Louisiana has no magazine capacity limit, no assault weapon ban, no statewide gun registration, and no waiting period for handgun purchases. Open carry is legal without a permit at age 17+.

The biggest mistake new Louisiana carriers make is forgetting that constitutional carry does not extend to K-12 school grounds or alcohol-serving establishments without prior owner consent. Only CHP holders are exempt from federal Gun-Free School Zone restrictions. Louisiana honors all valid out-of-state CCW permits. Louisiana also has stand-your-ground law and castle doctrine protections.

Last updated May 2026 · By Nick Hall, CCW instructor familiar with Louisiana gun laws including the 2024 constitutional carry statute (SB 1) and the optional CHP reciprocity system

Disclaimer: This is an editorial round-up of Louisiana gun laws. We do our best to make sure it’s correct, but do not rely on this as legal advice. If you’re unsure about anything, consult a lawyer.

Looking for a brick-and-mortar shop in Louisiana? See our best gun stores in Louisiana guide for verified FFL dealers, ranges, and gunsmiths near you.

Intro

TL;DR: Louisiana gun laws in 2026 are among the most permissive in the country. Louisiana became a constitutional carry state on July 4, 2024 under Act 1 of the 2024 Second Extraordinary Session (SB 1). Permitless concealed carry is legal for any lawful adult 18+, with an optional Concealed Handgun Permit available for reciprocity. No magazine limits, no assault weapons ban, no red flag law. Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine codified in La. R.S. 14:19 and 14:20.

La. R.S. 14:19 Louisiana Use of Force in Defense

The use of force or violence upon the person of another is justifiable when committed for the purpose of preventing a forcible offense against the person or a forcible offense or trespass against property in a person's lawful possession, provided that the force or violence used must be reasonable and apparently necessary to prevent such offense. A person who is not engaged in unlawful activity and who is in a place where he or she has a right to be shall have no duty to retreat before using force or violence.

Louisiana joined the constitutional carry club relatively late. The state had strong gun culture and shall-issue permitting for decades, but permitless concealed carry didn’t arrive until 2024, when Governor Landry signed SB 1 into law in a March 2024 extraordinary session. The effective date was July 4, 2024 — a symbolic choice that made Louisiana the 28th state to allow permitless concealed carry.

Unlike most constitutional carry states, Louisiana set the minimum age at 18 rather than 21 for permitless carry. That’s a unique feature — younger adults can carry concealed in Louisiana without jumping through the federal 21-year-old handgun-purchase barrier (since the statute doesn’t require you to have bought the gun yourself).

If you’re a Louisiana resident, moving here, or visiting, this page covers the 2026 rules with statute citations and official sources.

Louisiana Gun Laws: The Highlights

TL;DR: Louisiana gun laws now allow constitutional carry at 18+ since July 2024, optional CHP for reciprocity at 21+, no magazine or AWB restrictions, no red flag law, Stand Your Ground, strong state preemption under La. R.S. 40:1796.

• Constitutional Carry State under Act 1 of the 2024 Second Extraordinary Session (SB 1), effective July 4, 2024. Permitless concealed carry at 18+.
• Optional Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) under La. R.S. 40:1379.3, administered by Louisiana State Police. Shall-issue, 21+, useful for reciprocity.
• Open carry legal without a permit at 17+ (no statutory minimum for long guns, traditional handgun carry age of 17 for open carry).
• No state magazine capacity limit, no assault weapons ban, no firearm registration.
• Stand Your Ground codified in La. R.S. 14:19(C), (D) and 14:20(C), (D). No duty to retreat.
• Strong Castle Doctrine with statutory presumption of reasonable belief when defending home, business, or vehicle.
• No red flag law. Louisiana has rejected proposed Extreme Risk Protection Order legislation.
• Louisiana gun laws include strong state preemption under La. R.S. 40:1796. Parishes and municipalities cannot enact firearm rules stricter than state law.

For the official state CHP resource, see the Louisiana State Police Concealed Handgun Permit page.

Key Information at a Glance

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Constitutional Carry: How SB 1 Changed Louisiana

TL;DR: Louisiana became the 28th constitutional carry state on July 4, 2024 under Act 1 of the 2024 Second Extraordinary Session. Any lawful adult 18+ can carry concealed without a permit. Age 18 is lower than most constitutional carry states (which typically require 21).

Louisiana had shall-issue concealed carry since 1996 but did not add permitless carry until 2024. Previous attempts to liberalize Louisiana gun laws passed the legislature only to be vetoed by Governor John Bel Edwards. Governor Jeff Landry, who took office in January 2024, called a special session that passed SB 1 in February 2024, with Landry signing it on March 5, 2024. The effective date was set for July 4, 2024.

The statute amends La. R.S. 14:95 and related provisions so that any person 18 or older who can legally possess a firearm under state and federal law may carry it concealed without a state permit. That’s a meaningful distinction: Louisiana set the bar at 18, not 21, unlike most constitutional carry states.

Note the federal handgun-purchase age barrier is still 21 under 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1). An 18-year-old Louisiana resident can legally carry a handgun concealed under state law but cannot buy one directly from an FFL dealer until age 21. The path to lawful handgun possession for 18-20 year olds is usually a family gift or private transfer.

Who Can Carry a Gun in Louisiana?

TL;DR: 17+ for open carry of handguns, 18+ for concealed carry under constitutional carry, 21+ for an optional Concealed Handgun Permit. Must not be federally prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).

Louisiana’s age rules are unusually layered. Open carry of handguns is legal at 17+ (the traditional Louisiana carry-age baseline). Constitutional carry added permitless concealed carry at 18+. The optional CHP requires 21+. Long gun possession and open carry track federal standards.

Federal prohibited-person rules under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) apply regardless of state law. Felony convictions, domestic violence misdemeanors, drug addiction, and dishonorable discharge all disqualify you.

Purchasing a Firearm in Louisiana

TL;DR: Louisiana gun laws require no state purchase permit, no waiting period, and no state background check beyond the federal NICS check administered by the ATF at licensed FFL dealers. Private sales between Louisiana residents are unregulated at the state level.

Here’s the step-by-step for a first-time Louisiana buyer:

• Choose a licensed dealer or private seller. Both are legal. For local shops, see our best gun stores in Louisiana guide.
• Complete ATF Form 4473. Required at FFL dealers.
• Pass the NICS background check. Federal requirement at dealers. Louisiana is a NICS state, meaning dealers contact the FBI directly.
• Take delivery. No waiting period. Same-day pickup.
• Optional: Apply for CHP. A valid Louisiana CHP exempts you from NICS on future purchases under federal 18 U.S.C. § 922(t)(3) and provides reciprocity in 30+ states.

Private sales between Louisiana residents are unregulated at the state level beyond federal prohibited-person rules. A bill of sale is good practice but not legally required.

Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP)

TL;DR: Shall-issue concealed handgun permit administered by Louisiana State Police under La. R.S. 40:1379.3. Requires 9-hour training course, background check, fingerprints. Fees around $125 for 5-year license, $50 for 4-year renewal. Useful for reciprocity.

Louisiana’s CHP is worth getting even after constitutional carry, for the same reasons as other states: reciprocity and NICS bypass. The Louisiana CHP is recognized in 30+ other states under their respective reciprocity statutes.

Application requirements: complete a state-approved 9-hour training course covering Louisiana firearms law, safe handling, and live-fire qualification. Submit application, fingerprints, and fee to the Louisiana State Police. Background check takes 60-90 days in most cases.

Louisiana offers lifetime CHPs as well as 5-year and 4-year variants. Lifetime permits cost more upfront ($500+) but are one-time purchases with no renewal. Non-residents can apply for a Louisiana CHP.

State Preemption

TL;DR: Louisiana gun laws include strong state preemption under La. R.S. 40:1796. Parishes and municipalities cannot enact firearm ordinances more restrictive than state law.

Louisiana’s preemption statute explicitly prohibits parishes, municipalities, and other political subdivisions from enacting any ordinance, rule, or regulation relating to firearms that is more restrictive than state law. This prevents New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and other cities from creating their own gun control schemes.

Local governments retain narrow authority around discharge of firearms for safety (you can’t fire a rifle in downtown New Orleans) and regulating firearms on specific publicly owned properties, but the core rules don’t change across parish or city lines.

Federal Law Still Sets the Ceiling

TL;DR: Louisiana’s permissive laws operate inside federal constraints. NFA rules, federal prohibited-person lists, and gun-free federal buildings apply regardless of state law.

Louisiana cannot override federal firearm law. Federal prohibited-person rules under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) apply even with constitutional carry. Federal buildings remain gun-free zones under 18 U.S.C. § 930. NFA items require ATF approval through the Form 4 tax-stamp process.

Reciprocity: Out-of-State Permits

TL;DR: Louisiana honors valid concealed carry permits from every other state under La. R.S. 40:1379.3. The Louisiana CHP is recognized in approximately 30+ states.

Louisiana is generous on reciprocity. The state recognizes any valid concealed carry permit or license from any other state. Visitors with a Texas LTC, an Arkansas CHCL, or any other state permit can carry concealed in Louisiana under the same rules as residents.

Outgoing reciprocity covers most shall-issue and permissive states. Non-residents can apply for a Louisiana CHP for travel in states that do not recognize their home-state permit.

Louisiana Gun Laws for Out-of-State Visitors

Louisiana honors every other state’s concealed carry permit under La. R.S. 40:1379.3. Out-of-state visitors without a permit can also carry under Louisiana’s constitutional carry framework as long as they’re 18+ and can legally possess a firearm under federal law. The prohibited-places list in state law applies equally to visitors and residents — schools, courthouses, and posted private property stay off-limits regardless of permit status.

States That Recognize the Louisiana CHP

Full Reciprocity (~35)	NOT Recognized In
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming	California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Washington D.C.

Reciprocity is subject to change. Verify through the Louisiana State Police CHP reciprocity chart before traveling.

Where You Can’t Carry

TL;DR: Schools, courthouses, police stations, polling places, bars (alcohol consumption primary), parades, churches (unless authorized), and posted private property. Full list in La. R.S. 40:1379.3(N).

Under Louisiana law, concealed carry is prohibited in:

• K-12 schools, school buses, and school-sponsored events
• College and university campuses (with institutional variation)
• Courthouses and court facilities
• Police stations and sheriff’s offices
• Correctional facilities
• Polling places on election days
• Parades and demonstrations (where alcohol is served)
• Bars and establishments where alcohol consumption is the primary purpose
• Churches, mosques, synagogues, and other places of worship (unless specifically authorized by the congregation)
• Federal buildings under 18 U.S.C. § 930
• Posted private property where the owner has communicated a no-firearms policy

Carrying under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited independently of permit status and can trigger additional charges.

Louisiana Self-Defense Laws: Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine

TL;DR: Stand Your Ground codified in La. R.S. 14:19(C), (D) and 14:20(C), (D). No duty to retreat anywhere you have a legal right to be. Strong Castle Doctrine with statutory presumption of reasonable belief when defending home, business, or vehicle.

La. R.S. 14:20 Louisiana Justifiable Homicide and Stand Your Ground

A homicide is justifiable when committed in self-defense by one who reasonably believes that he is in imminent danger of losing his life or receiving great bodily harm and that the killing is necessary to save himself from that danger. There is a presumption that a person lawfully inside a dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle held a reasonable belief that the use of deadly force was necessary...when the person against whom deadly force was used was in the process of unlawfully and forcibly entering...A person who is not engaged in unlawful activity and who is in a place where he or she has a right to be shall have no duty to retreat before using deadly force...and may stand his or her ground and meet force with force. No finder of fact shall be permitted to consider the possibility of retreat as a factor in determining whether the person who used deadly force had a reasonable belief that deadly force was reasonable and apparently necessary.

Louisiana codified Stand Your Ground through its 2006 self-defense statute updates. La. R.S. 14:19 covers use of force in defense of a person, and La. R.S. 14:20 covers justifiable homicide. Subsections (C) and (D) of both statutes explicitly state that there is no duty to retreat before using force, and the possibility of retreat cannot be considered as a factor when determining the reasonableness of force used.

The Castle Doctrine provides additional statutory protection. Louisiana law presumes that a person using deadly force within their home, place of business, or motor vehicle does so with reasonable belief and in self-defense when an unlawful intruder is attempting to commit a forcible felony.

As with any self-defense statute, you cannot be the initial aggressor and must have a reasonable belief of imminent unlawful force. Deadly force requires a reasonable belief of imminent death or great bodily harm. Misuse is still prosecuted.

Magazine Capacity and Assault Weapons

TL;DR: No state magazine capacity limit. No assault weapons ban. No feature-test restrictions on rifles, shotguns, or pistols.

Louisiana imposes zero state-level restrictions on magazine capacity or “assault weapon” features. Standard 30-round AR-15 magazines are legal. 17-round Glock magazines are legal. Drum magazines are legal. Louisiana has never passed an assault weapons ban.

NFA Items: Suppressors, SBRs, and Machine Guns

TL;DR: NFA items (suppressors, SBRs, SBSs, pre-1986 machine guns) are legal in Louisiana with federal ATF approval. No additional state-level restrictions.

Louisiana does not add state-level restrictions to federal NFA items. Suppressors are legal for ownership and hunting (Louisiana allows hunting with suppressors). SBRs, SBSs, AOWs, and pre-1986 civilian machine guns are all legal with the standard federal ATF Form 4 process and $200 tax stamp.

Red Flag Laws

TL;DR: Louisiana has no red flag law. The legislature has rejected proposed Extreme Risk Protection Order legislation.

Louisiana has not passed an Extreme Risk Protection Order statute. Law enforcement and family members cannot petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone perceived as a danger outside the existing criminal process and involuntary commitment procedures.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

TL;DR: SB 1 of 2024 (constitutional carry) remains the most significant recent change. 2026 session has House Bill 99 pending to allow campus carry at public and private colleges receiving state funding.

The 2024 constitutional carry law (Act 1 of the 2024 Second Extraordinary Session, SB 1) is the transformative recent change. It remains in effect and is unlikely to be rolled back under the current political landscape.

The 2026 regular session saw House Bill 99 introduced, which would remove colleges and universities from the definition of “school” under existing firearm-free zone statutes, effectively allowing campus concealed carry by any person 18+ who can lawfully possess a firearm. As of publication, the bill is still working through the legislative process — check the Louisiana Legislature bill tracker for current status.

Our Take

TL;DR: Louisiana is now a top-tier pro-gun state. Constitutional carry at 18+, no magazine or AWB restrictions, no red flag law, Stand Your Ground, strong preemption. Get the CHP anyway for reciprocity and NICS bypass.

Louisiana’s 2024 switch to constitutional carry brought it in line with most of the pro-gun South. The age-18 threshold is unusually low and gives younger adults more carry rights than most comparable states, though the federal handgun-purchase age of 21 at FFL dealers still applies.

For practical everyday carry in Louisiana, learn the prohibited-places list at La. R.S. 40:1379.3(N) — the church, parade, and alcohol-serving restrictions trip up a lot of carriers. Get a CHP (or a lifetime CHP if you plan to stay) for out-of-state travel. And understand that the strong Castle Doctrine presumption gives you genuine legal protection for home and vehicle defense.

Bookmark the Louisiana State Police CHP page and Louisiana statute search for current law.

Louisiana-Specific Carry Questions

When did Louisiana adopt permitless carry, and does the permit still matter?

Louisiana enacted permitless concealed carry in 2024 under HB 131, signed by Governor Landry. The Concealed Handgun Permit still has value: it unlocks reciprocity in states that recognize Louisiana permits but not its permitless-carry framework, and it can streamline routine identification with law enforcement. Pre-2024 permits remain valid through their original expiration date.

Does Louisiana’s Stand Your Ground require me to verbally challenge an attacker first?

No. Louisiana law removes the duty to retreat for a person lawfully present at the location, and it does not impose a verbal-warning prerequisite. The defender must reasonably believe deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, and the force used must be proportional to the threat — but no statute requires speaking first.

Can I carry into a Louisiana restaurant that serves alcohol?

Louisiana statute restricts carry inside the bar area of any establishment whose primary business is dispensing alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption. A restaurant where alcohol sales are incidental to food sales is treated differently — carry is generally permitted in the dining area but prohibited at the bar itself. Posted no-carry signage from the property owner overrides the default in either case.

How does Louisiana’s castle doctrine apply to vehicles?

Louisiana extended Castle Doctrine protection to vehicles in 2006, codifying a presumption that a person inside an occupied vehicle who uses force against an intruder is acting in reasonable fear. The presumption is rebuttable but it shifts the practical burden onto the prosecution. The vehicle must be occupied by the defender at the time of the use of force; an unoccupied parked vehicle does not qualify.

Frequently Asked Questions