These Are The Worst States To Be A Gun Owner

Does your state support your 2nd Amendment rights or make it exceedingly difficult to keep and bear arms?

Here’s your chance to find out!

Ammo.com ranked the worst states for gun owners in 2025 by analyzing each state’s current laws, pending laws, concealed carry guidelines, self-defense statutes, and 2A-centric taxes.

Continue reading to see where your state stands!

Jump to a state: AL | AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DE | FL | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | MT | NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY | NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VT | VA | WA | WV | WI | WY

Report Highlights:

Hawaii is the #1 worst state for gun ownersdue to strict purchasing and carry laws, as well as defying the Supreme Court on the individual’s right to carry.

Massachusetts is the #2 worst state for gun owners due to its permit-to-purchase and reciprocity laws.

California, New York, and Illinois take the #3, #4, and #5 spots in our list of worst states for gun ownership due to strict purchasing and carrying requirements.

Ohio, North Carolina, and Maine take spots #25, #24, and #23 due to new restrictive legislation with some relaxed carry laws.

Some states rank worse than others due to excessive infringements, additional taxes, and the current governors’ 2A statements.

State and local laws defining “stand your ground” and “duty to retreat” vary, and should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

What Did We Measure?

Let’s take a moment to analyze which factors make a state the worst for gun ownership. If we only consider purchasing requirements, then we neglect carrying requirements and use of force thresholds. So, we came up with a list based on the following factors:

Current gun laws

Current purchase laws

Current concealed carry weapon (CCW) guidelines

Reciprocity between other states

Sales tax

Current governor’s voting history

Stand your ground laws

Note: We are not lawyers and are not qualified to give legal advice. No information onAmmo.com is intended to be construed as legal advice. It’s essential to look at each state’s current local laws in addition to federal laws. For example, most states define “stand your ground” and “duty to retreat” differently. Explore the links below to better understand your state’s laws.

Read the full report on the Worst States to be a Gun Owner (2025 Updated) here…