Alabama Gun Laws
(a) Every citizen has a fundamental right to bear arms in defense of himself or herself and the state. Any restriction on this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.
(b) No citizen shall be compelled by any international treaty or international law to take an action that prohibits, limits, or otherwise interferes with his or her fundamental right to keep and bear arms in defense of himself or herself and the state, if such treaty or law, or its adoption, violates the United States Constitution.
Gun Laws Overview
RIFLES & SHOTGUNS | HANDGUNS | |
---|---|---|
Licensing of Owners | No | No |
Permit to Carry | No | Yes |
Permit to Purchase | No | No |
Registration of Firearms | No | No |
The list and map below are included as a tool to assist you in validating your information. We have made every effort to report the information correctly, however reciprocity and recognition agreements are subject to frequent change. The information is not intended as legal advice or a restatement of law and does not include: restrictions that may be placed on non-resident permits, individuals under the age of 21, qualifying permit classes, and/or any other factor which may limit reciprocity and/or recognition. For any particular situation, a licensed local attorney must be consulted for an accurate interpretation. YOU MUST ABIDE WITH ALL LAWS: STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL. |
STATE STATUS | |
---|---|
Castle Doctrine | Enacted |
No-Net Loss | Enacted |
Right to Carry Confidentiality | Provisions Enacted |
Right to Carry Laws | Shall Issue |
Right to Carry Reciprocity and Recognition | Outright Recognition |
Right to Carry in Restaurants | Legal |
Right to Keep & Bear Arms State Constitutional Provisions | With Provisions |
Alabama Attorney General: IMPORTANT RECIPROCITY NOTES: Alaska, Colorado and Iowa permit holders must be 21 years of age to carry in this state. A Class 1 North Dakota permit holder must be 21 years of age, a Class 2 permit holder, at least 18 years of age. Florida recognizes an Alabama permit if the permit holder is 21 years old or older. |
Laws on Purchase, Possession and Carrying of Firearms
Purchase and Transfer
No state permit is required to purchase a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. MORE |
Possession
No state permit is required to possess a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. MORE |
Carrying
With some exceptions, the open carry of firearms is lawful. Under Alabama law, it is a rebuttable presumption that the mere carrying of a visible handgun, holstered or secured, in a public place, in and of itself, is not a violation of the disorderly conduct law. Ala. Code § 13A-11-7(c). MORE |
Antiques and Replicas
“Antique handguns,” being handguns possessed or sold “as curiosities or ornaments” are exempt from the provisions on purchase, possession, or sale. Such handguns may be transported unloaded and in a bag, box, or securely wrapped package, but not concealed on the person. Ala. Code §§ 13A-11-83, 13A-11-50 (prohibition on concealed carry). |
Machine Guns, “Assault Weapons,” Magazines, etc.
Alabama has no state law defining or regulating “assault weapons” or “large capacity magazines.” It does not specifically regulate machine guns as a class of firearm. MORE |
Preemption
Under Ala. Code § 13A-11-61.3(c), the “entire field of regulation in this state touching in any way upon firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories” is reserved to the state legislature, “to the complete exclusion of any order, ordinance, or rule promulgated or enforced by any political subdivision.” MORE |
Restoration of Rights
Alabama has a restoration of rights procedure for persons under a mental health-based firearm disability. Gun rights lost due to a criminal conviction may be restored through a pardon. MORE |
Range Protection
State law protects “sport shooting ranges” from certain kinds of civil and criminal liability arising from the operation or use of the range. MORE |
Miscellaneous
Ala. Code § 11-80-11 reserves to the state’s Attorney General (by and with the consent of the Governor) the authority to bring or settle any lawsuit in which the state has an exclusive interest or right to recover against a firearm or ammunition manufacturer, trade association, or dealer, and the authority to bring or settle any lawsuit on behalf of any governmental unit created by or pursuant to an act of the state legislature or the state constitution for damages, abatement, injunctive relief, or other equitable relief relating to the design, manufacture, marketing, or lawful sale of firearms or ammunition. This does not prohibit a county or municipal corporation from bringing an action against a firearms or ammunition manufacturer or dealer for breach of contract or warranty as to firearms or ammunition purchased by the political subdivision or local governmental authority. MORE |
SOURCES: Code of Alabama §§11-80-11, 6-5-341, 9-11-304, 9-11-257, and 13A-11-50 through 13A-11-85. |
Saturday, August 1, 1987
A 78-year-old Crestwood, Ala., widow heard a noise at her back door and saw a man cutting a ...
Monday, June 1, 1987
Joe Aycock was asleep in his Gardendale, Ala, home when he heard someone try to break in and ...
Wednesday, April 1, 1987
An 81-year-old Andalusia, Ala., woman turned the tables on an intruder she discovered in her bedroom. Awakened by ...
Sunday, March 1, 1987
Seeing a man enter a Tuscaloosa, Ala., convenience store, the night manager noticed it was the same person ...
Thursday, January 1, 1987
In an attempted robbery of an Indian Springs, Ala., drugstore, an armed man grabbed a female customer around ...
Monday, December 1, 1986
A man purchased some beer at an Inglewood, Ala., convenience store and then raised a machete over his ...
Saturday, November 1, 1986
With an escaped killer on the loose in Fort Payne, Ala., Dale McDow took his shotgun along when ...
Tuesday, July 1, 1986
He had just opened the store for the day, so Birmingham, Ala., pharmacist William Camp hadn't yet taken ...
Sunday, June 1, 1986
"Give me the money!" the robber demanded, shoving a revolver in the face of Birmingham, Ala., grocery-store-owner Norman ...
Thursday, May 1, 1986
The robber had just made a clean getaway and pulled into the Pelham, Ala., service station. He found ...