Alabama Gun Laws

[AL Ranger]

If you are an Alabama citizen/resident or you are traveling to or through the state and you want to know the laws regarding your firearms, please visit Alabama Open Carry at www.alabamaopencarry.com. You can find out many of the laws concerning open carry, concealed carry, reciprocity, etc. We have many of the court rulings, current laws, AG opinions and more on our Document and Tools page. Everything we have available is offered online but we have it all centrally located for your convenience.

Just for the record: Alabama IS an open carry state. The open carry of firearms was a settled matter in the 1840 Alabama State Supreme Court case of State v Reid. There is no law in Alabama forbidding the open carry of a weapon. No permit is required, no fees to be paid and no background check is necessary to carry openly. However, since it hasn't been done much over the scores of years and some people didn't know their rights, some LEOs assume that open carry is illegal. Since they can't quote any anti-OC law, they use sections 13A-11-7 (Disorderly Conduct) and 13A-11-52 (Carrying on premises not your own) to validate their arrests. The Disorderly Conduct charge can be fought if you know the law. 13A-11-52 is voided by 13A-11-55 (Carry on premises not your own only applies to concealed carry without a license), but you have to know the law.

 

[Gary Slider]

AL Ranger, Open Carry is legal in Alabama but when you get any type of transportation it must be unloaded and secured. The AL AG ruled on that. Go to this link to read his opinion. So be careful as they have laws against carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle without a valid Permit/License to Carry but when you are afoot as the AG calls it you can open carry.

http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/agopinions/ALAGOp8400205OOpenCarry.pdf

 

[jimmyraythomason]

but when you get any type of transportation it must be unloaded and secured.

This is only partially correct. The law is very specific as to when a handgun can be carried in a vehicle without a permit(see section 13A-11-74,Alabama Code). An AG's opinion is not law nor is it legally binding.

 

[AL Ranger]

As Media Director for Alabama Open Carry, I am certainly up-to-date on the carry laws. You need a license to carry concealed or in the vehicle. You can transport in a vehicle according to state and federal laws. Most of our members have a license so we can still carry openly in the vehicle.

We are working to make Alabama a "Constitutional Carry" state or at the least a "Shall Issue" state. Prior to the 1960's, open carry was legal in a vehicle without a license and we want to return to that as well.

An AG opinion is not law but when it is used in a court case it gets the strength of law. Several AG opinions concerning firearms have been used in court cases (AG opinion 1955, AGO 1984-205) both of these state that open carry is legal, unlicensed and unrestricted. The most recent one is from AGO 2007-054 and states that non-commissioned animal control officers can carry a pistol "if they follow the same procedures as any other citizen". The opinion later states they can carry openly while on foot or in a vehicle with a permit.