◆ INDIANA · CARRY LAW
Indiana.
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
Yes
Open, no permit
Yes
In a vehicle, no permit
Yes
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
- This state has an extreme-risk protective order law.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Indiana requires
The state's permit is the License to Carry a Handgun, issued by the Indiana State Police superintendent.
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.
Yes
Yes, from 18. Indiana kept the license and stopped requiring it. § 35-47-2-1.5 lists who may NOT carry, and anyone 18 or older who is not on that list needs no license.
In force since July 1, 2022.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
Yes
Yes, from 18, on the same terms as concealed. Indiana’s rule does not turn on whether the handgun is visible.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
Yes
Yes, from 18. Same rule as on foot, no license needed unless you are one of the people § 35-47-2-1.5 bars.
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.
Yes, shall-issue
The State Police superintendent issues, and Indiana charges nothing for it. A lifetime license is available. Worth having even though you do not need it here. It is what other states recognize.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
Only in some cases
A non-resident may apply if they have a regular place of business or employment in Indiana. A visitor with no Indiana tie cannot, and does not need to, since Indiana is permitless.
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.
18
18, with a catch no other state here has: if you are under 23 and have a juvenile delinquency adjudication, you are barred unless separately authorized.
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.
Not required
No statute requires you to announce it. Answer honestly if you are asked.
No duty-to-inform provision in Ind. Code art. 35-47Read at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 11 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read §§ 35-47-2-1, 35-47-2-1.5 and 35-47-2-21 on 2026-09-05. The carrying, disqualification and recognition sections, which are where such a duty sits in the states that have one. None contains a notification or display requirement.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.
Not required
No permit or license to buy. A dealer sale runs the federal background check; a private sale has no state requirement.
No purchase-permit provision in Ind. Code art. 35-47Read at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 11 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the handgun regulation chapter’s licensing sections on 2026-09-05. Indiana licenses CARRYING and does not license acquisition; no permit-to-purchase or firearm owner identification appears in the chapter.Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
No limit
Indiana sets no cap on magazine capacity.
No magazine capacity provision in Ind. Code art. 35-47Read at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 11 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the prohibited-instruments chapter §§ 35-47-5-8 to 35-47-5-10 on 2026-09-05, which reach machine guns and the federally registered categories and say nothing about magazines. Indiana also preempts local firearm regulation under § 35-47-11.1, so a city cap could not fill the gap.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.
No, state law is the only law
Cities and counties cannot write their own firearm rules.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
Yes, this state has one
Yes, and one of the oldest. Indiana has had a firearm-seizure law since 2005, predating the modern wave by more than a decade.
In force since July 1, 2005.
◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Indiana honors
If you are visiting Indiana, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Indiana permits are honored
If you live in Indiana, 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 condition3
Not honored19
Not settled2
◆ 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.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork. Indiana has no statute of its own banning suppressors.
No suppressor prohibition in Ind. Code ch. 35-47-5Read at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 11 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read §§ 35-47-5-8 to 35-47-5-10 on 2026-09-05. The prohibited-instruments sections, which reach machine guns and are where a silencer ban would sit. No muffler or silencer appears among them.Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Legal
Lawful if you hold or have applied for the federal registration. Indiana bans machine guns and then exempts registered owners by name.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork, and most any-other-weapons are not reached by Indiana law at all.
◆ 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 Indiana State Police superintendent ↗
- ATF’s index
- Indiana firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)