The 4 Categories of "Carrying of a Concealed Weapon" Laws

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted in 1791 with the intention of giving every American the right to legally own firearms. Despite the endless attempts by politicians to destroy this right, most States in our great Union still respect the right of the individual to legally own and carry concealed weapons.
Our Founders were strong advocates in States' rights and, thankfully, the Federal Government has yet to legislatively intrude on our 2nd Amendment right. To date, 48 States have passed individual laws allowing, in some respect, citizens to carry certain firearms in public. Each State has its own laws that are enforceable by huge fines and even jail time if they're not abided by so it is extremely important that every individual be aware of these laws.
Carrying a Concealed Weapon Regulations will differ between each state, but each state generally falls into one of four categories. The four categories are listed as follows:
Unrestricted - Also known as "Constitutional Carry," Unrestricted states do not require a permit to carry a concealed handgun.
Shall Issue - Shall Issue states require a person to have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The permit is approved or declined if specific criteria are met, i.e. criminal background check, age, paying a fee, etc. If a person meets the specific criteria, they will be approved a permit - the issuing authority does not have the authority to deny a permit based on their own discretion.
May Issue - May Issue states require a person to have a permit and, similar to Shall Issue states, require certain criteria be met before being approved for the permit to CCW. However, May Issue states are more stringent. The local government (usually a County or City) that will be issuing the permit has discretion to approve or deny any applicant even if the specific criteria are met.
No Issue - No Issue states do not allow any person to carry a concealed firearm.
The complexity of Concealed Carry Laws are constantly changing, but I have broken down each state into one of the above 4 categories below.
Unrestricted (Constitutional Carry): Alaska, Arizona, Montana (Outside of City limits), Vermont, Wyoming (as of July 1, 2011)
Shall Issue: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
*States that are both Shall Issue and Unrestricted states may allow citizens to carry without a permit, but will often grant permits to individuals who wish to have it for reciprocity reasons.
May Issue: Alabama, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island
No Issue: District of Columbia, Hawaii*, Illinois, New Jersey*, Wisconsin
*Technically May Issue states, but in reality they will not issue permits.
The laws regarding the concealed carry of handguns get more complicated by the day and will continue to change according to individual state laws. Because of this, I strongly suggest that each individual regularly visit our site and contact their local government authority to find out the exact details and laws regarding gun permits. I hope this information has helped educate you on your rights under the 2nd amendment.