Guns in Vehicles: Laws by State (2026)
Rules for having a handgun in a vehicle without a carry permit in each state.
| State | Guns in your car |
|---|---|
| Alabama | No permit is needed to have a pistol in a vehicle, loaded or concealed, since Act 2022-133 repealed § 13A-11-73 (which had required a permit to carry a pistol in a vehicle) effective January 1, 2023. Prohibited persons may not possess firearms anywhere. Employers may not bar an employee from keeping a lawfully possessed pistol in a privately owned vehicle in a parking area if the pistol is kept from ordinary observation while the employee is in the vehicle, and kept from ordinary observation and locked in a compartment, container or the vehicle's interior when the vehicle is unattended. At a § 13A-11-61.2 location (for example a police station, courthouse or secured building), a firearm on the premises must be kept from ordinary observation and locked in the vehicle. Ala. Code 1975 §§ 13A-11-73 (repealed), 13A-11-90, 13A-11-61.2(d) |
| Alaska | No permit is needed. Adults 21 and older may carry a concealed handgun, including in a vehicle, but must immediately tell a contacting peace officer about a concealed deadly weapon on their person and let the officer secure it during the contact. It is a class A misdemeanor to have a firearm on the person or in the interior of a vehicle in which the person is present while impaired by alcohol or a controlled substance. Under AS 18.65.800, the state, a municipality or a person may not prohibit someone who may legally possess a firearm from having it in their vehicle or from storing it locked in a legally parked vehicle, including on another person's property; an employer may still bar firearms in a secured restricted access area, in its own vehicles, and in its parking lot within 300 feet of that area if it posts notice. At schools and licensed child care facilities, a person 21 or older may keep an unloaded firearm in the trunk or in a closed container in a motor vehicle. AS 11.61.220(a)(1), (a)(4)(A); AS 11.61.210(a)(1), (a)(7)(A), (d); AS 18.65.800(a), (d) |
| Arizona | Adults 21 and older who are not prohibited possessors may carry a firearm, loaded or concealed, in a vehicle without a permit; concealed carry in a vehicle is an offense only if it furthers a felony or the person fails to answer truthfully when an officer asks during a lawful contact. A person under 21 may not carry a concealed deadly weapon 'within his immediate control in or on a means of transportation' (class 3 misdemeanor). On school grounds, a firearm in a vehicle is allowed only if it is unloaded, carried in a vehicle under an adult's control, and, if the adult leaves the vehicle, the firearm is not visible and the vehicle is locked. A.R.S. § 13-3102(A)(1)-(2), (I)(1) |
| Arkansas | Carrying a handgun is 'permissible' (not the crime of carrying a weapon) when the person is in his or her own automobile, and when the person is 'upon a journey' (except at airport security checkpoints and for checked baggage). The Attorney General notes that 'it is generally permissible to conceal a handgun in one's car while upon a journey without a concealed-carry license.' Concealed carry license holders may carry in a vehicle outside prohibited places. Ark. Code Ann. § 5-73-120(c)(1), (c)(4), (c)(8); Ark. Att'y Gen. Op. No. 2018-002, n.2 |
| California | Without a CCW license, a handgun may be transported by motor vehicle by a U.S. citizen over 18 who is not prohibited, only if it is unloaded and locked in the vehicle's trunk or in a locked container; the glove or utility compartment does not count. Rifles and shotguns need not be in a locked container but must be unloaded while transported. Registered assault weapons must be unloaded, in a locked container, and moved only between specified locations. Carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle in a public place or on a public street is illegal, and a driver or owner may not knowingly let a passenger carry one. CCW licensees in a sensitive place may keep a firearm locked in a DOJ-approved lock box in the vehicle. Cal. Pen. Code §§ 25610, 16850, 25850, 26100, 30945(g), 26230(b)-(c); CA DOJ Transporting Firearms in California |
| Colorado | A person who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry it without a permit, and it is not considered concealed, when in a private automobile or other private conveyance and carrying it for a legal use, including self-defense. A handgun left in an unattended vehicle must be in a locked hard-sided container out of plain view (a locked glove compartment or center console counts) inside a locked vehicle or trunk; long guns left in unattended vehicles must be in a locked container (with a locking device if soft-sided). Violation is a civil infraction. A separate section, § 18-12-105.6, limits local ordinances regarding firearms in private vehicles (its text was not summarized). C.R.S. §§ 18-12-204(3)(a)(I), 18-12-105(2)(b), 18-12-114.5, 18-12-105.6 |
| Connecticut | Without a permit, a person may not knowingly have a pistol or revolver in a vehicle they own, operate or occupy; doing so is a class D felony. Non-permit holders may transport a handgun only for listed purposes, unloaded and not readily accessible from the passenger compartment (or, if there is no separate compartment, in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console). Anyone leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle must keep it in the trunk, a locked safe or a locked glove box. Long guns may not be loaded in a vehicle. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 29-38(a), 29-35(a)(3)-(4), 29-38g(a), 53-205(a) |
| Delaware | Delaware has no state law that specifically permits carrying a handgun in a vehicle without a license. Carrying a concealed deadly weapon 'upon or about the person' without a license is a crime (a class D felony when the weapon is a firearm), but 'It shall be a defense that the defendant complied with § 1456(b) of this title.' Section 1456(b) makes it unsafe storage to knowingly leave a firearm unattended in a vehicle unless it is in a locked box or container, a locked firearms rack on a motor vehicle, or locked in the trunk; a glove compartment counts as a locked container only if it can be manually locked so the firearm is inaccessible to anyone other than the owner or an authorized person. Unsafe storage in a vehicle is a class B misdemeanor (class A misdemeanor if an unauthorized person gets the firearm and uses it in listed ways). 11 Del. C. ch. 5, subch. VII, §§ 1441-1469A (reviewed); 11 Del. C. §§ 1442(a), (b), (d), 1456(a)(2), (b), (d) |
| District of Columbia | Without a carry license, a person not prohibited from having the firearm may transport it only for a lawful purpose between places where they may lawfully possess and carry it; the firearm must be unloaded and neither it nor the ammunition may be readily or directly accessible from the passenger compartment (or, if there is no separate compartment, in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console). Licensees carrying concealed on their person are exempt from these rules. MPD advises nonresidents with unregistered firearms to travel through the District without stopping. D.C. Code § 22-4504.02(a), (b), (d) |
| Florida | A person 18 or older who lawfully possesses a handgun may keep it inside a private vehicle if it is 'securely encased or otherwise not readily accessible for immediate use,' but may not carry it on their person. Long guns may be carried anywhere in a private vehicle for a lawful use. Anyone authorized to carry concealed (licensed or permitless) may carry on their person in a vehicle, and licensees may carry or store a firearm in a vehicle for lawful purposes. Fla. Stat. ss. 790.25(4), 790.06(12)(b) |
| Georgia | A person not prohibited by law from possessing a handgun or long gun may carry it inside their own motor vehicle, and any lawful weapons carrier may transport a handgun or long gun in any private passenger motor vehicle. No loaded/unloaded or locked-container rule applies under § 16-11-126. Private property owners may still exclude people carrying weapons from their property. O.C.G.A. § 16-11-126(a), (c) |
| Hawaii | Without a carry license, firearms may be carried only unloaded in an enclosed container (a rigidly constructed receptacle or commercially manufactured gun case that completely encloses the firearm) between the possessor's place of purchase, business, residence or sojourn, or to and from a place of repair, target range, licensed dealer, firearms show, hunter or firearm training, or police station. Licensees may carry in the immediate area around their vehicle in a parking area to store or retrieve the firearm. HRS §§ 134-25, 134-9.1(b)(7) |
| Idaho | No license is needed for any deadly weapon concealed in a motor vehicle, for a firearm that is unloaded and secured in a case, or for a disassembled or inoperable firearm. Eligible adults over 18 may also carry concealed without a license under § 18-3302(4)(f). On K-12 school property, an adult who is not a K-12 student may keep a firearm secured and locked in a vehicle in an unobtrusive manner, and a person may have one in a private vehicle while delivering or picking up students. Idaho Code §§ 18-3302(4)(c)-(f); 18-3302D(4)(e)-(f) |
| Illinois | Without a concealed carry license, a firearm may be carried in a vehicle only if it is broken down in a non-functioning state, not immediately accessible, or unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box or other container by a person with a valid FOID card. A licensee may keep or carry a loaded or unloaded concealed handgun within a vehicle and may store it in a case in a locked vehicle in most prohibited-area parking lots. A non-resident who is not barred by federal law and is eligible to carry in public under home-state law (with a home-state license, if applicable) may transport a concealed firearm within the vehicle; if the vehicle is left unattended, the firearm must be stored in the locked vehicle or a locked container within it. 720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(4); 720 ILCS 5/24-1.6(c); 430 ILCS 66/10(c), 66/40(e), 66/65(b) |
| Indiana | No license is needed. A person who is at least 18 and not prohibited may carry a handgun without a license, including in a vehicle; the statute sets no loaded/unloaded or case requirement for such persons. An employer generally may not bar an employee from keeping a firearm or ammunition locked in the trunk, in the glove compartment of a locked vehicle, or out of plain sight in a locked vehicle. On school property, a legally possessed firearm may be kept in a vehicle, but leaving it in plain view in a vehicle parked in a school parking lot is a Class A misdemeanor. IC 35-47-2-3(a); IC 35-47-2-1.5; IC 35-47-2-1(c)(2); IC 34-28-7-2; IC 35-47-9-1(a)(4), (a)(6), 35-47-9-2(d) |
| Iowa | Adults who are not ineligible may carry a firearm, including a loaded firearm, openly or concealed in a vehicle without a permit. It is a serious misdemeanor to carry a dangerous weapon within immediate reach in a vehicle while intoxicated. A minor may not knowingly carry or transport a pistol or revolver in a vehicle. On school grounds, an unloaded firearm may be transported in a vehicle only inside a closed and fastened container or package too large to be concealed on the person, or in a cargo or luggage compartment not readily accessible to occupants. Iowa Code §§ 724.5, 724.4C(1)(b), 724.4E(2), 724.4B(2)(f) |
| Kansas | No license is needed for an adult to have a handgun, loaded or unloaded, openly or concealed, in a vehicle; the license law does not impose a general prohibition on unlicensed carry. The under-21 concealed-carry offense applies to a firearm concealed 'on one's person.' No employer may prohibit possession of a handgun in a private vehicle, even when parked on the employer's premises. On K-12 school grounds, a parent or guardian delivering or collecting a student may have a firearm secured in the vehicle. K.S.A. 75-7c03(a); 21-6302(a)(4); 75-7c10(b); 21-6301(j)(3) |
| Kentucky | A loaded or unloaded firearm is not considered concealed if it is in an enclosed container, compartment or storage space installed by the vehicle manufacturer (glove compartment, center console, seat pocket), locked or not, so anyone not barred from possessing firearms may keep one there without a license. Adults 21 and over may also carry concealed without a license. No person or organization, public or private, may prohibit a person from keeping a firearm in a vehicle in compliance with these rules. On school property, an adult who is not a secondary pupil may keep a firearm in the vehicle if it is not removed or brandished. KRS 527.020(4), (8); 527.070(3)(a) |
| Louisiana | Because anyone eighteen or older who may legally possess a firearm may carry a concealed handgun without a permit (since July 4, 2024), such a person may keep a handgun concealed in a vehicle; no state rule requiring it to be unloaded or locked was found. The school firearm-free-zone law exempts a firearm contained entirely within a motor vehicle. Permit holders and permitless carriers must tell an officer who approaches in an official manner that they are armed. La. R.S. 14:95(M); R.S. 14:95.2(C)(5); R.S. 40:1379.3(I)(2) |
| Maine | Maine generally prohibits having a loaded firearm in or on a motor vehicle (a firearm with a cartridge in the chamber or an attached magazine, clip or cylinder). Exception: a person 21 or older who may lawfully possess a firearm, or a person 18 to 20 on active military/National Guard duty or an honorably discharged veteran, may have a loaded pistol or revolver in or on a vehicle. Long guns must be unloaded in a vehicle. The hunting-license exception to the concealed-carry ban does not allow carrying a concealed or loaded firearm in a motor vehicle. 12 M.R.S. §11212-A(1)-(3)(E); 25 M.R.S. §2001-A(2)(E) |
| Maryland | Without a carry permit, a handgun may not be carried or knowingly transported in a vehicle on a public road or parking lot, except in listed situations where the handgun is unloaded and in an enclosed case or enclosed holster, such as traveling to or from a purchase or sale, a repair shop, between the person's residences or residence and business, or to or from target shooting, hunting or a firearms safety class. In sensitive places, a firearm in a motor vehicle is exempt from the place ban if it is locked in a container, or if it is a handgun carried by a permit holder. Md. Code, Crim. Law §§4-203(a)(1)(ii), (b)(3)-(5), 4-111(b)(11) |
| Massachusetts | A license or card is required to have a firearm under one's control in a vehicle (c. 269, §10(a)). A licensed person carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle must keep it under his or her direct control ($500 fine). A large-capacity rifle or shotgun must be unloaded and secured in a locked container in a vehicle ($500-$5,000 fine). Possessing a firearm in a vehicle in a prohibited area (such as a government building parking area) is a defense if the licensed person securely stored it in the vehicle as required. M.G.L. c. 140, §131C(a)-(b); c. 269, §10(a), (k)(4) |
| Michigan | Without a CPL, a pistol may not be carried in a vehicle, concealed or openly (felony). Exception: a pistol licensed to the vehicle's owner or an occupant may be transported for a lawful purpose if it is unloaded in a closed case designed for firearms and kept in the trunk (or, in a vehicle without a trunk, not readily accessible to occupants). A CPL holder may carry a concealed pistol in a vehicle subject to the license's restrictions. MCL 750.227(2); MCL 750.231a(1)(d)-(e) |
| Minnesota | A firearm may be transported in a motor vehicle only if it is unloaded and in a fully enclosed, fastened gun case, unloaded and in the closed trunk, or a handgun carried in compliance with the permit-to-carry law. Without a permit, a pistol may be transported only unloaded in a closed and fastened case, gunbox or securely tied package. Limited exceptions allow unloaded, uncased long guns (not pistols) at ranges and while hunting outside the Twin Cities metro counties and larger cities. Minn. Stat. §97B.045, subds. 1, 3; §624.714, subds. 1a, 9(5) |
| Mississippi | 'It shall not be a violation of this section for any person over the age of eighteen (18) to carry a firearm or deadly weapon concealed in whole or in part within the confines of his own home or his place of business, or any real property associated with his home or business or within any motor vehicle.' No license is needed for this. Miss. Code Ann. § 97-37-1(2) |
| Missouri | The ban on concealed carry into restricted areas 'does not apply to any person nineteen years of age or older or eighteen years of age or older and a member of the United States Armed Forces, or honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces, transporting a concealable firearm in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, so long as such concealable firearm is otherwise lawfully possessed.' It also does not apply when the gun is unloaded with ammunition not readily accessible, or not readily accessible, or when traveling 'in a continuous journey peaceably through this state.' For many listed restricted places (police stations, polling places, courthouses, schools, bars, hospitals and others), keeping the gun in the vehicle on the premises is not a crime so long as it is not removed or brandished. RSMo §§ 571.030.3, 571.107.1 |
| Montana | Montana does not require a permit to carry a concealed firearm, including in a vehicle, for anyone 'eligible to possess a firearm under state or federal law'. No separate vehicle rule (loaded/unloaded or locked) was found in the weapons chapter. MCA § 45-8-316(3) |
| Nebraska | Adults who are not minors or prohibited persons may carry a concealed handgun, including in a vehicle, without a permit. Driving into a public parking area of an off-limits place is not a violation if, before leaving the vehicle, the handgun is 'locked inside the glove box, trunk, or other compartment of the vehicle,' a storage box securely attached to the vehicle, or a hardened compartment on a motorcycle (unless federal law bans guns in that parking area). Employers may ban concealed handguns in employer-owned vehicles. For school grounds, unloaded firearms in a nonstudent adult's private vehicle that are cased or in a locked rack are allowed. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 28-1202.01(1), (6), (7); 28-1204.04(2)(h) |
| Nevada | Nevada has no state law that requires a handgun carried in a vehicle by a person without a permit to be unloaded, cased or locked; the concealed-carry permit requirement applies to weapons carried concealed upon the person. Separately, it is unlawful to carry a loaded rifle or loaded shotgun (a cartridge or shell in the firing chamber) in or on a vehicle on or along a public highway or other way open to the public, with exceptions for certain persons with disabilities and on-duty peace officers and military members. Dangerous weapons may not be possessed in a vehicle of a school or child care facility. NRS 202.253-202.369 (reviewed); NRS 202.350(1)(d), (8); NRS 503.165; NRS 202.265 |
| New Hampshire | No license is needed: RSA 159:6, III says the license law does not prohibit 'the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle ... whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded' by anyone not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm. Separately, employers that receive public funds may not prohibit an employee who may legally possess a firearm from storing it in the employee's locked vehicle on the employer's property if the firearm is not visible (RSA 159:27, effective January 1, 2025). RSA 159:6, III; 159:27 |
| New Jersey | Without a carry permit, firearms may be transported only within the 2C:39-6 exemptions (for example between home, place of purchase, a range, hunting, or repair); while traveling the firearm 'shall be carried unloaded and contained in a closed and fastened case, gun box, securely tied package, or locked in the trunk of the automobile in which it is being transported' (NJSP). For permit holders, 2C:58-4.6(b)(1) (handguns in vehicles must be unloaded and cased) is listed by NJSP as NOT currently enforceable as of 12/11/2025; 2C:58-4.6(b)(2) still bars a permit holder from leaving a handgun in a parked vehicle outside immediate control unless it is unloaded in a closed, fastened case or gunbox not visible from outside, or locked unloaded in the trunk or storage area (a fourth-degree crime). A permit holder stopped while carrying or traveling with a handgun in a vehicle must immediately disclose it and display the permit. N.J.S. 2C:39-6(e)-(g); N.J.S. 2C:58-4.6(b); NJSP Firearms FAQ 11; NJSP Concealed Carry FAQs 8, 11 |
| New Mexico | DPS: 'New Mexico law allows a person who is not otherwise prohibited to have a concealed loaded firearm in his/her vehicle (including motorcycles and bicycles).' Without a license (New Mexico or recognized state), the person 'may not have the weapon concealed on your person' after leaving the vehicle. The one-concealed-handgun limit for licensees 'does not apply to firearms carried in your vehicles'. Persons over 19 may keep a firearm in a vehicle on school and university premises (DPS). Statute: the concealed-carry offense does not apply to carrying 'in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance, for lawful protection of the person's or another's person or property' (§ 30-7-2(A)(2)); on school and university premises the vehicle exception is limited to 'a person older than nineteen years of age' (§§ 30-7-2.1(A)(5), 30-7-2.4(A)(5)). NMSA 1978, §§ 30-7-2(A)(2), 30-7-2.1(A)(5), 30-7-2.4(A)(5); NM DPS Concealed Carry FAQs |
| New York | A handgun may not be possessed at all without a New York license (§ 265.20(a)(3)). For any rifle, shotgun or firearm left in a vehicle: 'No person shall store or otherwise leave a rifle, shotgun, or firearm out of such person's immediate possession or control' in a vehicle 'without first removing the ammunition from and securely locking such rifle, shotgun, or firearm' in 'an appropriate safe storage depository out of sight from outside of the vehicle.' In the version effective until January 19, 2027, the first-degree offense is a class A misdemeanor; the later version classifies failure to store as a violation. N.Y. Penal Law §§ 265.20(a)(3), 265.45(2) |
| North Carolina | The statute bars carrying a pistol 'concealed about his or her person' without a permit (G.S. 14-269(a1)); permittees may carry concealed, including in vehicles, outside the excluded areas. On State-owned or State-leased parking areas, permit holders may keep a handgun in a closed compartment or container in a locked vehicle (§ 14-269(a2)); similar locked-vehicle exceptions apply to permit holders on educational property ('in a closed compartment or container within the person's locked vehicle', § 14-269.2(k)) and at courthouse/State Capitol grounds (§ 14-269.4). N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-269(a1)-(a2), 14-269.2(k), 14-269.4 |
| North Dakota | 'An individual may not keep or carry a loaded firearm in or on any motor vehicle, including an off-highway vehicle or snowmobile' (an infraction), but this does not apply to: concealed weapons licensees or people with reciprocity (handguns, and rifles or shotguns when not hunting); any adult with a handgun who is 'not otherwise precluded from possessing a class 2 firearm and dangerous weapon license' and has a valid driver's license or ID; such a person with a rifle or shotgun when not in the field hunting or trapping; and other listed exceptions. A firearm under the person's control in a vehicle, such as 'beneath the seat or in a glove compartment', is concealed; one 'Locked in a closed trunk or luggage compartment' is not, and an unloaded handgun, rifle or shotgun carried in a motor vehicle is not considered concealed. N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-02-10, 62.1-04-01 |
| Ohio | 'No person shall knowingly transport or have a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle in such a manner that the firearm is accessible to the operator or any passenger without leaving the vehicle.' Without a license, a firearm in a vehicle must be unloaded and carried 'In a closed package, box, or case', 'In a compartment that can be reached only by leaving the vehicle', 'In plain sight and secured in a rack or holder made for the purpose', or (for long guns of specified length) in plain sight with the action open or stripped. These limits do not apply to a handgun carried by a concealed handgun licensee (or qualifying adult, who is treated as a licensee) or a trained active-duty service member who is not in a prohibited place. A licensee stopped by police with a loaded handgun in the vehicle must disclose it when an officer asks. No one may have a loaded handgun in a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. R.C. 2923.16(B)-(E), (F)(5); 2923.111(C) |
| Oklahoma | Anyone not barred from having or buying a firearm, and not carrying it in furtherance of a crime, may transport a firearm in or on a vehicle, loaded or unloaded, at any time. A person 18 to 20 who is not barred may transport an unloaded firearm, open or concealed. If an officer asks during an arrest, detention or traffic stop, the person must say they have a firearm; refusing can bring a citation of up to $100. Employers and businesses may not ban storing firearms in a locked vehicle in a parking area (convicted felons excepted). 21 O.S. §§ 1289.7, 1290.22(B) |
| Oregon | Without a concealed handgun license, a handgun may not be concealed and readily accessible inside a vehicle. A handgun in the passenger compartment counts as readily accessible. In a vehicle with no storage outside the passenger compartment, a handgun is not readily accessible if it is in a closed, locked glove box, center console or other container with the key not in the lock. On motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles it must be in a locked container or have a trigger lock. Long guns are not covered by this vehicle rule. ORS 166.250(1)(b), (4) |
| Pennsylvania | A license is required to carry a firearm in any vehicle, loaded or not. Exceptions include: carrying an unloaded firearm in a secure wrapper from the place of purchase to home (and certain other trips listed in § 6106(b)(8)); licensed hunters, trappers and fishers while actually hunting or fishing; and visitors licensed by a state Pennsylvania recognizes. Without a license or an exception, it is a third-degree felony, or a first-degree misdemeanor for an otherwise eligible person. 18 Pa.C.S. § 6106(a), (b)(8), (b)(9), (b)(15) |
| Rhode Island | A license or permit is required to carry a pistol or revolver in any vehicle, visible or concealed. Visitors with another state's permit may transport a handgun only while passing through Rhode Island without intending to stop or stay. A loaded rifle or shotgun may not be carried on public roads (hunters excepted). On school grounds, an unloaded firearm in a locked container or locked rack in a vehicle is allowed. R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-47-8(a), 11-47-51, 11-47-60(d) |
| South Carolina | Anyone not otherwise barred by law from carrying a firearm may lawfully store a firearm anywhere in a vehicle, whether occupied or unoccupied, openly or concealed. There is no duty to tell an officer you are carrying a firearm. S.C. Code § 16-23-20(D) |
| South Dakota | No permit is needed to carry a pistol, including in a vehicle, for people who may lawfully possess one. Permit holders may keep a pistol inside a motor vehicle on public school premises, and may secure it in or retrieve it from the vehicle there. SDCL 23-7-7; 13-32-7(4) |
| Tennessee | A person who may carry without a permit (21 or older, or 18 or older with qualifying military service, lawfully possessing the handgun and lawfully present) may carry a handgun, openly or concealed, including in a vehicle, under the general permitless-carry exception. In a public or private parking area, a permit holder or a person lawfully carrying a handgun may transport and store a firearm or ammunition in a vehicle parked where it is permitted to be; it must be kept from ordinary observation while the person is in the vehicle, and when the person is not in the vehicle it must also be locked in the trunk, glove box or interior, or a container securely affixed to the vehicle. Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 39-17-1307(g); 39-17-1313(a) |
| Texas | Anyone not prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a handgun inside of, or directly en route to, a motor vehicle or watercraft they own or control, even if under 21 and without a license. In the vehicle the handgun may not be in plain view unless the person is 21 or older or holds a license and the handgun is in a holster; it is also an offense while engaged in criminal activity (other than a Class C traffic or boating violation) or while prohibited from possessing a firearm. No locking or unloading requirement appears in the statute. Tex. Penal Code § 46.02(a)(3)(B), (a-1) |
| Utah | Without a permit: a person 21 or older may carry a loaded or unloaded handgun, openly or concealed, in a vehicle they are lawfully present in (own or possess it, or have the possessor's consent), but rifles, shotguns and muzzle-loading rifles must be unloaded. A person 18 to 20 may carry a loaded or unloaded handgun in such a vehicle (concealed carry in a vehicle they are lawfully in is not the under-21 concealed-carry offense) and an unloaded long gun. Carrying a loaded rifle, shotgun or muzzle-loading rifle in any vehicle, or a readily accessible firearm in a vehicle one is not lawfully present in, is a class B misdemeanor unless the person holds a Utah or other state's concealed carry permit. A vehicle's owner may forbid others from carrying in it. Utah Code §§ 53-5a-102.2(1)(a)-(b); 76-11-202(2)(e)(iii), (5); 76-11-204 |
| Vermont | No permit is needed to have a handgun in a vehicle, loaded or unloaded, concealed or not. For long guns, a person may not carry or possess, in or on a motor vehicle within the right-of-way of a public highway, a rifle or shotgun with a loaded cartridge or shell in the chamber, mechanism, magazine or clip (or a charged and capped muzzleloader), and must show the long gun to an enforcement officer on demand. Firearms stored in a motor vehicle are exempt from the polling-place ban. 10 V.S.A. § 4705(b); 13 V.S.A. §§ 4003; 4027(c)(3) |
| Virginia | A person who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry a handgun without a permit in a personal, private motor vehicle or vessel if the handgun is secured in a container or compartment in the vehicle; otherwise a hidden handgun requires a concealed handgun permit. Since 2026, a handgun left in an unattended vehicle (on public property or in a commercial or retail parking area, where no occupant can observe the vehicle) must be out of plain view in a locked hard-sided container, such as a locked glove compartment or center console (Class 4 misdemeanor). Va. Code §§ 18.2-308(C)(8); 18.2-308.7:2 |
| Washington | Without a concealed pistol license, a person may not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle. A CPL holder may have a loaded pistol in a vehicle only if it is on the person, the licensee stays in the vehicle, or the licensee is away and the pistol is locked inside and concealed from view. Anyone 18 or older leaving an unloaded pistol in a vehicle must lock it inside, concealed from view. Carrying a rifle or shotgun with a cartridge in the chamber in a motor vehicle or off-road vehicle is a misdemeanor, with exceptions (for example on-duty officers and certain disability permits). RCW 9.41.050(2)-(3); 77.15.460 |
| West Virginia | No permit is needed: any U.S. citizen or legal resident 18 or older who is not prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a concealed handgun, and no separate loaded/unloaded or locked-container rule for vehicles was found. Specific vehicle rules: on the State Capitol Complex a lawful possessor may keep a firearm in a locked vehicle with the weapon out of normal view; in public-school parking areas only a person 21 or older with a valid concealed handgun license may keep a concealed handgun, stored out of view (and the vehicle locked when unoccupied), while others may keep only an unloaded firearm in a vehicle or locked vehicle; in municipal public parking a lawful weapon may be kept in a locked vehicle out of view; and property owners and employers generally may not ban a lawfully possessed firearm kept out of view and locked in a vehicle in a parking lot. W. Va. Code §§ 61-7-7(c), 61-6-19(b), 61-7-11a(b)(2)(G), (L), 8-12-5a(c)(3), 61-7-14(d) |
| Wisconsin | A handgun may be possessed or transported in a vehicle loaded or unloaded, but a person without a concealed carry license who keeps a handgun hidden within reach commits the crime of carrying a concealed weapon; the Wisconsin Supreme Court has said an unlicensed person can comply by placing the loaded handgun out of reach (State v. Grandberry, 2018). Long guns (rifles and shotguns) must be unloaded in or on a vehicle, except when the vehicle is stationary; no one may load a non-handgun firearm in a vehicle. Violations of the vehicle rule carry a forfeiture of up to $100. Licensees may keep weapons in their own vehicles, and employers may not forbid licensees from storing a weapon in their own vehicle. Wis. Stat. §§ 167.31(2)(b), (c), (e), (4)(ag); 941.23(2); 175.60(15m)(b) |
| Wyoming | Wyoming has no state law in its weapons chapter that sets a separate rule for handguns in vehicles. A handgun in a vehicle is governed by the general concealed-carry law: a permit holder, a holder of a recognized out-of-state permit, or a person who qualifies for permitless carry under W.S. 6-8-104(a)(iv) may carry it concealed, loaded or unloaded, without any locked-container requirement in Title 6. W.S. 6-8-104(a); W.S. tit. 6, ch. 8 (reviewed) |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.