◆ AMERICAN SAMOA · CARRY LAW
American Samoa.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
No
Open, no permit
No
In a vehicle, no permit
No
Getting a permit
Maybe, at an official's discretion
- You must produce your permit if an officer asks for it.
- A permit is required to buy a firearm, not just to carry one.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What American Samoa requires
The state's permit is the License to Possess Arms, issued by the Commissioner of Public Safety.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
No
No, and there is no permit that would allow it. Carrying a firearm concealed on or about your person is itself the crime of unlawful use of weapons, and the exemptions run to peace officers and the like, not to licensees.
A.S.C.A. § 46.4203(a)(1), (b)(1)Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
No
No. Possessing any “arms” at all without a license from the Commissioner of Public Safety is unlawful, and a license may only ever be issued for shotguns and .22 rifles.
A.S.C.A. §§ 46.4221(a), (c), 46.4202(a)(8)Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
No
No, on the same footing as on foot. The licensing rule is about possession, and it reaches you wherever you are, including aboard a vessel in any harbor.
A.S.C.A. § 46.4221(a)Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Maybe, at an official's discretion
May-issue, and narrow: the Commissioner of Public Safety cannot issue at all without the Attorney General's approval, and a license may only be issued for 12, 16, 20 and .410 gauge shotguns and .22 caliber rifles. There is no license to CARRY. Only to possess.
A.S.C.A. § 46.4221(b), (c)Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
No
None, and the licensing rule expressly reaches temporary residents and people aboard vessels in harbor, so arriving with a firearm does not put you outside it.
A.S.C.A. §§ 46.4221(a), 46.4222Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
No permit issued
There is no carry age, because there is no lawful civilian carry to set an age for.
No carry-age provision in A.S.C.A. tit. 46 ch. 42Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the whole of Title 46, Chapter 42 on 2026-09-06 and searched it for an age. The chapter sets none, not for the possession license under § 46.4221(b), whose criteria are felony record, mental disorder and membership of an organization advocating overthrow of the government, and not anywhere else.If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Only if asked
On request. A licensee carrying arms must have the license with them and must produce it for inspection on the demand of any officer or official of the government.
Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Required
Yes. A license from the Commissioner of Public Safety, approved by the Attorney General after a background investigation, and it must specify the number and description of the arms it covers.
A.S.C.A. §§ 46.4221(a), (b), 46.4224(b)Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
No limit
No capacity limit, but the license itself limits you to shotguns and .22 rifles, which settles the question more firmly than a number would.
No capacity provision in A.S.C.A. tit. 46 ch. 42Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Searched the whole of Title 46, Chapter 42 for “magazine” on 2026-09-06, no hits of any kind.How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
Sometimes, check the city
No preemption provision. The Territory legislates arms directly, and villages have no role except the one the Governor may grant.
No preemption provision in A.S.C.A. tit. 46 ch. 42Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read Title 46, Chapter 42 in full on 2026-09-06. Nothing addresses local regulation. The single mention of village authority runs the other way: § 46.4233(b) lets the Governor authorize a village pulenu'u or police to possess arms for official duties without a license.Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
No, none in this state
No extreme-risk order.
No extreme-risk order in A.S.C.A. tit. 46 ch. 42Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Searched Title 46, Chapter 42 for “risk protection”, “extreme risk” and “red flag” on 2026-09-06, no hits. The nearest thing is § 46.4226, which lets the issuing authority revoke a license, and § 46.4232, which authorizes judicially ordered searches for arms.◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits American Samoa honors
If you are visiting American Samoa, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Not honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where American Samoa permits are honored
If you live in American Samoa, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored30
Honored, with a condition1
Not honored23
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Prohibited
Prohibited. A firearm silencer is a prohibited weapon and a class C felony.
A.S.C.A. § 46.4202(a)(5), (d)Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Prohibited
Prohibited. “a short barreled rifle or shotgun” is named, and it is a class C felony.
A.S.C.A. § 46.4202(a)(4), (d)Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Prohibited
Prohibited. The same clause covers short barreled shotguns, a class C felony.
A.S.C.A. § 46.4202(a)(4), (d)Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Prohibited
Prohibited outright, and singled out: a machine gun may not be possessed even as an inoperable curio or keepsake, which every other prohibited weapon may be.
A.S.C.A. § 46.4202(a)(2), (b), (d)Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
Can I possess an AOW here?
Prohibited
Prohibited in effect. § 46.4202(a)(8) sweeps up “any other arms” for which no license has been obtained, and § 46.4221(c) allows a license only for shotguns and .22 rifles.
A.S.C.A. §§ 46.4202(a)(8), 46.4221(c), 46.4220Read at the American Samoa Bar Association ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- the Commissioner of Public Safety ↗
- ATF’s index
- American Samoa firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)