Question 1

Is North Dakota a constitutional carry state?

Accepted Answer

Yes. 'An individual who is not otherwise precluded from possessing a class 2 firearm and dangerous weapon license under this chapter and who possesses a valid driver's license or nondriver identification card issued by the department of transportation or by the individual's state or territory of residence may carry a firearm concealed.' The class 2 license requires an applicant to be 'at least eighteen years of age' and not barred under § 62.1-02-01 or federal law, and the Attorney General's constitutional-carry page states the requirement as 'Must be at least 18 years of age' (it adds: 'Must be 21 to purchase a handgun, but may possess at 18 in North Dakota'). A permitless carrier must tell an officer about the concealed firearm 'if the officer inquires' and must show the driver's license or ID on request (failure is a noncriminal offense with a $20 fee).

Question 2

How do you get a concealed carry permit in North Dakota?

Accepted Answer

License to carry a firearm or dangerous weapon concealed, issued by the director of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (Attorney General). Two classes: Class 1 firearm license — applicant 'at least twenty-one years of age', meets extra criminal-history criteria, and completes classroom instruction on weapon safety and North Dakota deadly-force law, an open-book test, and an actual shooting or certified proficiency exercise; Class 2 firearm and dangerous weapon license — applicant 'at least eighteen years of age' and passes the open-book test. 'The rights and privileges conveyed by a class 1 or class 2 firearm and dangerous weapon license within the state are identical'; the classes differ only in reciprocity elsewhere. The test administrator may charge 'up to one hundred dollars'. Application fee (AG manual): '$60'. BCI must decide 'within sixty days of receipt of the properly completed application.' 'The license is valid for five years.' Nonresidents may apply if they hold a license from their home state that has reciprocity with North Dakota.

Question 3

Is open carry legal in North Dakota?

Accepted Answer

'Unless otherwise prohibited by law, an individual may carry a handgun if the handgun is unloaded and in plain view or secured.' The unloaded limit does not apply to concealed weapons licensees, to people eligible to carry under the permitless provision (not barred from a class 2 license and holding a valid driver's license or ID), to people with reciprocity, or on one's own land, residence or fixed place of business, while target shooting or hunting, and other listed exceptions. A firearm in a belt holster that is 'wholly or substantially visible' is not considered concealed.

Question 4

How old do you have to be to buy a gun in North Dakota?

Accepted Answer

'A person under the age of eighteen years may not possess a handgun except that such a person, while under the direct supervision of an adult, may possess a handgun for the purposes of firearm safety training, target shooting, or hunting.' Anyone who 'sells, barters, hires, lends, or gives any handgun to any minor is guilty of a class A misdemeanor', except lending or giving a handgun for supervised safety training, target shooting or hunting. A parent who lets a minor 'under fifteen years of age' carry or use a loaded firearm in public without direct supervision commits a class B misdemeanor.

Question 5

Do private gun sales need a background check in North Dakota?

Accepted Answer

North Dakota has no state law that requires a background check, permit or license for private (non-dealer) firearm sales. State law bars transferring a handgun to anyone the transferor 'knows or has reasonable cause to believe is a person prohibited' from possessing a firearm (class A misdemeanor), and supplying a firearm to a known prohibited person is an offense under § 62.1-02-08.

Question 6

Is there a waiting period to buy a gun in North Dakota?

Accepted Answer

North Dakota has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery.

Question 7

Does North Dakota have a red flag law?

Accepted Answer

North Dakota has no state law that sets up extreme risk protection orders (red flag orders). Domestic violence protection orders and disorderly conduct restraining orders are sought by the person protected and require domestic violence or disorderly conduct toward that person.

Question 8

Does North Dakota ban assault weapons or high-capacity magazines?

Accepted Answer

North Dakota has no state law that bans assault weapons or limits magazine capacity. Buying, selling or possessing a machine gun, fully automatic rifle, silencer or similar federally regulated weapon without complying with the National Firearms Act is a class C felony, and state law limits state and local help in enforcing new federal rules on firearm accessories, including detachable magazines.

Question 9

Can you keep a gun in your car in North Dakota without a permit?

Accepted Answer

'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.

Question 10

Which states' carry permits does North Dakota honor?

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal: a valid license from another state 'whose state grants to residents of this state the right to carry a concealed firearm or dangerous weapon without requiring a separate license' is valid in North Dakota. The Attorney General: 'North Dakota will honor a valid concealed carry license/permit (resident and non-resident) issued by a state that has agreed to recognize a North Dakota license.' States the AG lists as recognizing the ND Class 1 license: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Separately, nonresidents may carry concealed without a license with a valid driver's license or ID from their home state if not barred from a class 2 license (§ 62.1-04-02(2)).

Question 11

Where can't you carry a gun in North Dakota?

Accepted Answer

No one may possess a firearm or dangerous weapon at 'A school or school-sponsored event on school property', 'A church or other place of worship', or 'A publicly owned or operated building' (a noncriminal offense, $100 fee). Exceptions include a firearm 'carried in a temporary residence or motor vehicle', state or federal parks, public rest areas, licensees or reciprocity holders in a place of worship whose leader or governing body approves, and school armed first responders. Possessing a firearm in the part of an establishment set aside for the retail sale and consumption of alcohol, or a bingo gaming site, is an infraction (the restaurant part is exempt if people under 21 are allowed there).

Question 12

Are ghost guns legal in North Dakota?

Accepted Answer

North Dakota has no state law that requires serial numbers on, or bans, homemade or unserialized firearms or firearm kits. State law makes it an offense to 'change, alter, remove, or obliterate any mark of identification on a firearm', including the manufacturer's number, or 'knowingly possess a firearm on which these alterations have been made' (class A misdemeanor under the chapter's general penalty).

Permitless (constitutional) carry	Yes. 'An individual who is not otherwise precluded from possessing a class 2 firearm and dangerous weapon license under this chapter and who possesses a valid driver's license or nondriver identification card issued by the department of transportation or by the individual's state or territory of residence may carry a firearm concealed.' The class 2 license requires an applicant to be 'at least eighteen years of age' and not barred under § 62.1-02-01 or federal law, and the Attorney General's constitutional-carry page states the requirement as 'Must be at least 18 years of age' (it adds: 'Must be 21 to purchase a handgun, but may possess at 18 in North Dakota'). A permitless carrier must tell an officer about the concealed firearm 'if the officer inquires' and must show the driver's license or ID on request (failure is a noncriminal offense with a $20 fee). The statute sets the age by cross-reference: § 62.1-04-02(2) allows carry by an individual not precluded from a class 2 license, and § 62.1-04-03(1)(a) sets the class 2 age at eighteen. AG page: https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/public-safety/constitutional-concealed-carry/ (no update date shown). Permitless carry applies only within North Dakota. Source: N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-04-02(2), 62.1-04-03(1)(a), 62.1-04-04(2)-(4); ND Attorney General, Constitutional Concealed Carry
Concealed carry permit	License to carry a firearm or dangerous weapon concealed, issued by the director of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (Attorney General). Two classes: Class 1 firearm license — applicant 'at least twenty-one years of age', meets extra criminal-history criteria, and completes classroom instruction on weapon safety and North Dakota deadly-force law, an open-book test, and an actual shooting or certified proficiency exercise; Class 2 firearm and dangerous weapon license — applicant 'at least eighteen years of age' and passes the open-book test. 'The rights and privileges conveyed by a class 1 or class 2 firearm and dangerous weapon license within the state are identical'; the classes differ only in reciprocity elsewhere. The test administrator may charge 'up to one hundred dollars'. Application fee (AG manual): '$60'. BCI must decide 'within sixty days of receipt of the properly completed application.' 'The license is valid for five years.' Nonresidents may apply if they hold a license from their home state that has reciprocity with North Dakota. Fee from the AG's Concealed Weapon License Manual (2025): https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CWL-Manual-2025.pdf Source: N.D.C.C. § 62.1-04-03; ND Attorney General CWL Manual 2025
Open carry	'Unless otherwise prohibited by law, an individual may carry a handgun if the handgun is unloaded and in plain view or secured.' The unloaded limit does not apply to concealed weapons licensees, to people eligible to carry under the permitless provision (not barred from a class 2 license and holding a valid driver's license or ID), to people with reciprocity, or on one's own land, residence or fixed place of business, while target shooting or hunting, and other listed exceptions. A firearm in a belt holster that is 'wholly or substantially visible' is not considered concealed. So adults eligible for permitless carry may carry a loaded handgun openly; others must carry it unloaded. Source: N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-03-01, 62.1-04-01(1)
Guns in your car	'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. A hunter in the field who violates § 62.1-02-10 commits a noncriminal offense instead (§ 62.1-02-10.1). Source: N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-02-10, 62.1-04-01
Other states' permits (reciprocity)	Reciprocal: a valid license from another state 'whose state grants to residents of this state the right to carry a concealed firearm or dangerous weapon without requiring a separate license' is valid in North Dakota. The Attorney General: 'North Dakota will honor a valid concealed carry license/permit (resident and non-resident) issued by a state that has agreed to recognize a North Dakota license.' States the AG lists as recognizing the ND Class 1 license: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Separately, nonresidents may carry concealed without a license with a valid driver's license or ID from their home state if not barred from a class 2 license (§ 62.1-04-02(2)). The AG page lists states that recognize ND licenses; it does not separately list the states whose licenses ND honors, which by statute are those that recognize ND licenses. Source: N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-04-02(2)-(3), 62.1-04-03.1; ND Attorney General, Reciprocity with Other States
Where guns are banned	No one may possess a firearm or dangerous weapon at 'A school or school-sponsored event on school property', 'A church or other place of worship', or 'A publicly owned or operated building' (a noncriminal offense, $100 fee). Exceptions include a firearm 'carried in a temporary residence or motor vehicle', state or federal parks, public rest areas, licensees or reciprocity holders in a place of worship whose leader or governing body approves, and school armed first responders. Possessing a firearm in the part of an establishment set aside for the retail sale and consumption of alcohol, or a bingo gaming site, is an infraction (the restaurant part is exempt if people under 21 are allowed there). Political subdivisions and the state board of higher education may adopt less restrictive rules (§ 62.1-02-05(3)). Employers may not bar lawfully possessed firearms locked in private vehicles in parking lots (§ 62.1-02-13). Source: N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-02-04, 62.1-02-05

Age to buy a gun	'A person under the age of eighteen years may not possess a handgun except that such a person, while under the direct supervision of an adult, may possess a handgun for the purposes of firearm safety training, target shooting, or hunting.' Anyone who 'sells, barters, hires, lends, or gives any handgun to any minor is guilty of a class A misdemeanor', except lending or giving a handgun for supervised safety training, target shooting or hunting. A parent who lets a minor 'under fifteen years of age' carry or use a loaded firearm in public without direct supervision commits a class B misdemeanor. No state minimum age for buying rifles or shotguns was found in chapters 62.1-02 and 62.1-03. Source: N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-02-01(1)(d), 62.1-03-02, 62.1-02-07
Background checks and private sales	North Dakota has no state law that requires a background check, permit or license for private (non-dealer) firearm sales. State law bars transferring a handgun to anyone the transferor 'knows or has reasonable cause to believe is a person prohibited' from possessing a firearm (class A misdemeanor), and supplying a firearm to a known prohibited person is an offense under § 62.1-02-08. Source: N.D.C.C. chs. 62.1-01 to 62.1-05 (reviewed); N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-02-02, 62.1-02-08
Waiting period	North Dakota has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. Source: N.D.C.C. chs. 62.1-01 to 62.1-05 (reviewed)
Ghost guns and homemade firearms	North Dakota has no state law that requires serial numbers on, or bans, homemade or unserialized firearms or firearm kits. State law makes it an offense to 'change, alter, remove, or obliterate any mark of identification on a firearm', including the manufacturer's number, or 'knowingly possess a firearm on which these alterations have been made' (class A misdemeanor under the chapter's general penalty). Source: N.D.C.C. chs. 62.1-01 to 62.1-05 (reviewed); N.D.C.C. §§ 62.1-03-05, 62.1-03-06

North Dakota Gun Laws: Concealed Carry, Open Carry and Buying a Gun

Quick answers for North Dakota

Carrying a gun

Buying a gun

Red flag law and weapon limits

Gun Laws FAQ

More North Dakota law