State rankings
CCW Age by State
New York has the highest CCW Age Minimum (21), followed by Pennsylvania (21) and Illinois (21). California has the lowest (18).
CCW Age MinimumBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
23 of 51 statesCCW Age Minimum
Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.
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All 23 ranked
Highest first.
Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →
Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.
Median
21
Middle half 21 – 21
Average
20.87
23 states
Highest
21
New York
Lowest
18
California
Data
Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.
27 states · # = rank by CCW Age Minimum
| # | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New York | 21 | The application process may differ depending on the type of license and the issuing county. NY doesn’t recognize permits/licenses from any other states. Only residents, part-time residents, or anyone who is principally employed or has his or her principal place of business can… |
| 1 |  Pennsylvania | 21 | — |
| 1 |  Illinois | 21 | A 16-hour firearms training course conducted by a state-approved instructor is required for all new concealed carry license applications. Non-resident licenses are only available for residents of Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas and Virginia. |
| 1 |  North Carolina | 21 | Concealed carry is legal for residents with a North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) and for non-residents with any valid license/permit. |
| 1 |  Michigan | 21 | Concealed carry is legal for residents with a Michigan Concealed Pistol License (CPL) and for non-residents who are at least 21 years old and who have licenses/permits from their state of residency. |
| 1 |  New Jersey | 21 | Concealed carry is only legal with a New Jersey Permit to Carry a Handgun (PCH). A firearms training course is required for new applicants. |
| 1 |  Virginia | 21 | Requires a state-approved firearms training course and demonstrated competence with the firearm. |
| 1 |  Washington | 21 | — |
| 1 |  Massachusetts | 21 | Concealed carry is legal in Massachusetts for individuals who have a Massachusetts License to Carry (LTC) or a formerly issued, valid Class A LTC. LTCs are issued to residents and non-residents. LTCs require a state-approved firearms training course. |
| 1 |  Maryland | 21 | Open and concealed carry are legal in Maryland only for Maryland Wear/Carry Handgun Permit (WCHP) holders. |
| 1 |  Colorado | 21 | Concealed carry permits require completion of a state-approved firearms training course. |
| 1 |  Wisconsin | 21 | CWLs are only issued to residents and military personnel stationed in Wisconsin. Requires firearms training course and other criteria. |
| 1 |  Minnesota | 21 | Both open carry and concealed carry are legal with a Minnesota Permit to Carry a Pistol (PCP) or a permit from a state Minnesota honors, as there is no stipulation in the law regarding whether that weapon must be concealed. |
| 1 |  South Carolina | 21 | — |
| 1 |  Louisiana | 21 | Permitless carry is legal for active duty military and veterans only. Concealed carry is legal for residents with a Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) and for non-residents with a permit/license from a state recognized by Louisiana. |
| 1 |  Oregon | 21 | Requires approved firearms training course or participation in organized shooting competition or military experience. |
| 1 |  Connecticut | 21 | Requires a state-approved firearms training course that includes live-fire exercises. In terms of reciprocity, Connecticut does not honor permits from any other states. |
| 1 |  Nevada | 21 | Minimum age drops to 18 for military servicepeople. Concealed carry is legal for residents with a Nevada Firearm permit and for non-residents with a license/permit from a state Nevada honors. An approved course in firearm safety and demonstrate competence (qualify) with any ha… |
| 1 |  New Mexico | 21 | A New Mexico Concealed Handgun License (CHL) is required for residents and a permit from a state that New Mexico honors is required for non-residents to carry a concealed loaded firearm. A 15-hour handgun safety course that includes live-fire instruction is required. |
| 1 |  Hawaii | 21 | Concealed carry permits require completion of a state-approved firearms training course. |
| 1 |  Rhode Island | 21 | Applicants are required to explain why they need a firearm and how it will remedy their problem and must provide three notarized references. |
| 1 |  Delaware | 21 | A firearms training course that includes live-fire shooting exercises is required to obtain a permit. |
| 23 |  California | 18 | A licensing authority has the discretion to require applicants to be older than 18 years of age. Requires minimum eight-hour firearms training course. |
| — |  Tennessee | — | 18 for military servicepeople. |
| — |  Missouri | — | 18 for military servicepeople. |
| — |  Oklahoma | — | 18 for military servicepeople. |
| — |  North Dakota | — | For residents only and concealed carry only. |
What correlates with CCW Age Minimum?
Pearson r against 2,112 other state metrics sharing at least 14 states, 20 near-identical series hidden. Correlation is not causation.
Higher together
Places that have a higher CCW Age Minimum tend to score higher on these
Opposite directions
Places that have a higher CCW Age Minimum tend to score lower on these
Quick answers
- Which state has the highest CCW Age Minimum?
- New York has the highest CCW Age Minimum, at 21, followed by Pennsylvania (21) and Illinois (21).
- Which state has the lowest CCW Age Minimum?
- California has the lowest CCW Age Minimum, at 18.
- What is the median CCW Age Minimum across US states?
- The median is 21 across the 23 US states with data.
- Where does this ccw age by state data come from?
- Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Constitutional Carry/Unrestricted/Permitless Carry - United States Concealed Carry Association.