Food for thought on open carry state laws

[cluttonfred]

Not trying to launch a political thread here, just thought I'd share a piece of info that is new to me.

According to the folks at OpenCarry.org, there are only three states that allow what they call "Constitutional Carry," meaning that state law "allows both open and concealed carry of properly holstered handguns without requiring any permit to do so," again their words.

Not surprisingly, the first two states are Alaska and Arizona, but the third may surprise you....

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It's Vermont.

 

[Mainsail]

No, it doesn't surprise me. Vermont was the first, then Alaska, and recently Arizona. Your thread title is somewhat incorrect. In most states where open carry is lawful, it is lawful due to the lack of laws prohibiting it, not due to legislation allowing it. That's an important distinction.

 

[Quiet]

Vermont was the first state to have "constitutional carry".
Not sure when they enacted it, I know for sure it was in effect in 1986. Which makes it 17 years before Alaska and 24 years before Arizona.

 

[cluttonfred]

I thought it was interesting given the usual East/West, North/South and political party generalizations that often get tossed around.

As an aside, at one point it was also true that Vermont led the nation in Iraq and Afghanistan war casualties per capita, thanks to a small population and the significant role of Vermont National Guard units in both conflicts.

And, before you ask, nope, I'm not from Vermont, though I have spent some time there and like it a lot.

 

[average_shooter]

Open and concealed carry has always been constitutional in Vermont. It actually IS in their state constitution and has been from the beginning, they can't touch it without changing the constitution. So they're the "first" by, what, 150 years or so?

EDIT: Thanks yeti (below) for the actual dates.

 

[yeti]

Not sure when they enacted it

1777 in the Republic of Vermont's Constitution, then again in 1793 in the State of Vermont's Constitution.