Louisiana concealed carry laws and reciprocity

Both permittees and persons carrying under R.S. 14:95(M) must notify any police officer who approaches in an official manner that they have a weapon, submit to a pat down, and allow temporary disarming (R.S. 40:1379.3(I)(2)). Permittees must also produce the permit on request.

LSP states carrying a handgun in a motor vehicle is legal under most circumstances, and persons 18+ may carry concealed without a permit; a firearm contained entirely within a vehicle is exempt from the school firearm-free zone (R.S. 14:95.2, 14:95.6).

Since July 4, 2024, the concealed-carry prohibition in R.S. 14:95(A)(1)(a) does not apply to anyone 18 or older who is not prohibited from possessing a firearm; permitless carriers remain subject to the restrictions in R.S. 40:1379.3(I) and (L)-(O).

The deputy secretary of public safety services shall issue, timely and without delay, a statewide five-year concealed handgun permit to all qualified applicants aged 21 or older (R.S. 40:1379.3).

Acts 2025, No. 273 repealed the residency qualification in R.S. 40:1379.3(C)(3), and the LSP FAQ states an applicant does not need to be a Louisiana resident to obtain a permit.

Louisiana's Constitution makes the right to keep and bear arms fundamental, and R.S. 14:95 criminalizes concealment rather than open carry. Possession is still barred in places such as school firearm-free zones (R.S. 14:95.2) and alcohol outlets (R.S. 14:95.5).

La. R.S. 40:1379.3(O)(1) preserves a property owner's or lessee's right to prohibit or restrict access by permit holders and by persons carrying under R.S. 14:95(M), but no provision makes ignoring a posted sign itself an offense; the statute's only private-premises offense is 40:1379.3(O)(2), which bars carrying a concealed handgun into another person's private residence without first receiving that person's consent, punishable under subsection L. The Louisiana State Police prohibited-locations page repeats the same rule.

Possessing a firearm on the premises of an establishment selling alcohol by the drink is prohibited (R.S. 14:95.5), except that permittees and permitless carriers may carry in places holding a Class A-Restaurant permit. Carrying while at .05 BAC or higher is prohibited (R.S. 40:1379.3(I)).

Office of State Parks rules state that a person who lawfully possesses a firearm may possess or transport it within a state park, state historic site, or state preservation area (LAC 25:IX.313(C)).

Concealed carry is prohibited in a tax-exempt church, synagogue, mosque, or similar place of worship unless authorized by the person with authority over its administration (R.S. 40:1379.3(N)(8)).

R.S. 14:95.2 makes possessing a firearm on a school campus, including colleges and universities, a felony. Exceptions include firearms entirely within a motor vehicle, students in their dorm room or going to or from their vehicle, and persons with administration permission.

R.S. 40:1379.3(N) bars concealed carry in law enforcement buildings; jails and prisons; courthouses and courtrooms; polling places; buildings used as meeting places of a political subdivision's governing authority; the state capitol; secured airport areas; places of worship unless authorized; permitted parades or demonstrations (for participants); Class A-General bars; and schools. R.S. 14:95.2 and 14:95.6 make school campuses (including colleges) and the area within 1,000 feet firearm-free zones, with exceptions for permitted or permitless concealed handgun carry within 1,000 feet and firearms kept in vehicles.

A person not engaged in unlawful activity who is in a place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat before using force or deadly force (R.S. 14:19(C), 14:20(C)).

Louisiana's weapons statutes contain no magazine capacity limit, and R.S. 40:1796 bars political subdivisions from regulating firearms, ammunition, components, or accessories more restrictively than state law.

Louisiana restricts only NFA-type items (R.S. 40:1781-1785) and does not ban semi-automatic rifles; local regulation is preempted by R.S. 40:1796, and the state constitution subjects firearm restrictions to strict scrutiny.

Louisiana prohibits possessing a silencer only if it is not registered or transferred in accordance with federal law (R.S. 40:1781, 40:1785).

Rifles with barrels under 16 inches may be possessed if registered or transferred in accordance with federal law (R.S. 40:1781, 40:1785).

Shotguns with barrels under 18 inches may be possessed if registered or transferred in accordance with federal law (R.S. 40:1781, 40:1785).