{"id":372751,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:02","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/georgia-law\/georgia-gun-control-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-10-30T11:40:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T16:40:00","slug":"georgia-gun-control-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/georgia-law\/georgia-gun-control-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Georgia Gun Control Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Georgia Gun Control Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By John Mascolo, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by John Mascolo, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

In the U.S. today, gun violence<\/a> remains a significant problem. But, political consensus on how to best address it is not easy to find. Gridlock in Congress prevents new federal legislation. As a result, states must balance the rights of gun owners with public safety concerns.<\/p>\r\n

Georgia strikes that balance in favor of gun rights. It does not ban assault weapons and keeps gun regulations to a minimum. In 2022, it removed the rule that people seeking to carry a concealed handgun in public first pass a criminal background check and get a state firearms license.<\/p>\r\n

Federal Firearms Law<\/h2>\r\n

A key component of federal gun law appears in the Second Amendment<\/a> to the U.S. Constitution. The constitutional right to bear arms has supported citizens’ efforts to own guns for self-protection in the home for many years. More recently, the U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the Second Amendment to encompass a broad right to have firearms for self-defense in public as well.<\/p>\r\n

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives<\/a> (ATF) oversees the licensing of gun dealers. It also acts as a law enforcement agency that pursues federal gun crimes like illegal firearms trafficking and unlawful possession of firearms by felons.<\/p>\r\n

Georgia Gun Control Laws<\/h2>\r\n

States govern how their residents may buy, have, and use firearms. They also govern the prohibition of certain types of guns and weapons. Georgia gun control laws are less restrictive than many other states.<\/p>\r\n

In Georgia, there is no waiting period to buy guns. If you buy a firearm through a federally licensed gun dealer, then the dealer will conduct a background check on the buyer’s criminal history before delivery of the weapon. If you buy a gun through a private transaction or at a gun show, the seller has no duty to run a background check.<\/p>\r\n

As in most other states, Georgia law bans convicted felons and mentally ill people from owning firearms. State law does not ban those with domestic violence convictions or protection orders from possessing guns. But, in most circumstances federal law prohibitions<\/a> will apply and cover such situations.<\/p>\r\n

Georgia Firearm Carry Laws<\/h2>\r\n

In 2022, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law allowing permitless carry<\/a> of handguns by Georgia residents who are not prohibited from possessing firearms. Permitless carry laws (or constitutional carry) operate on a version of the honor system. State law leaves it to you to determine if you are a "lawful weapons carrier" \u2014 a person not otherwise banned from having a gun under state or federal law. Before, state residents had to file an application and pass a criminal background check before the state granted them a weapons carry license (WCL).<\/p>\r\n

The Georgia General Assembly also passed a campus carry law in 2017 (and amended it in 2022) that allows a lawful weapons carrier to carry concealed handguns on public college campuses. There are certain exceptions where people can’t carry firearms, including campus housing, sporting events, preschool or childcare spaces, faculty or administrative offices, and classes where there are high school students.<\/p>\r\n

Many people still apply to their county probate judge for a WCL to qualify for reciprocity with other states’ gun laws. Eligibility criteria include being 21 years old, submitting your fingerprints, and not being a prohibited person under state or federal law.<\/p>\r\n

Whether a lawful weapons carrier has a WCL permit, they must still follow location restrictions on where they can carry a firearm. In Georgia, you can’t bring a firearm to the following places:<\/p>\r\n