· gun laws · 9 min read
Indiana Concealed Carry Firearm Laws
Indiana: Gun Laws Summary
Indiana is a shall-issue state with Licenses being issued by the Indiana State Police. There is no License required to purchase a firearm, and firearms do not need to be registered. Only Indiana residents or residents of neighboring states who are at least 18 years old can buy long guns. To buy a handgun, you must be at least 21 years old and a resident of Indiana.
Self-Defense
Indiana is a Castle Doctrine state and has a “stand your ground” law. There is no duty to retreat if deadly force is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury to the person or a third person or the commission of a forcible felony.
Defense of Self or Others
A person is justified in using reasonable force to protect the person or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the imminent use of unlawful force.
A person is justified in using deadly force if the person reasonably believes that that force is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury to the person or a third person or the commission of a forcible felony.
Defense of Property
With respect to property other than a dwelling, curtilage, or an occupied motor vehicle, a person is justified in using reasonable force if the person reasonably believes that the force is necessary to immediately prevent or terminate the other person’s trespass on or criminal interference with property lawfully in the person’s possession, the possession of a member of the person’s immediate family, or belonging to a person whose property the person has authority to protect.
A person is justified in using deadly force only if that force is justified.
Immunity
No person in this state shall be placed in legal jeopardy of any kind whatsoever for protecting the person or a third person by reasonable means necessary.
Defense of Place
A person is justified in using reasonable force, including deadly force, and does not have a duty to retreat if the person reasonably believes that the force is necessary to prevent or terminate the other person’s unlawful entry of or attack on the person’s dwelling, curtilage or occupied motor vehicle.
Indiana: Gun Laws at a Glance
| Open Carry | Yes. [Ind. Code § 35-47-2-1] |
| License to Carry Concealed Firearm | Indiana is a shall issue state. [Indiana State Police] |
| Concealed Carry of Weapons Other Than Handguns | Yes. A concealed carry license in Indiana allows the carry of Tasers. [Ind. Code § 35-47-2-1] |
| Chemical Spray/Pepper Spray | Yes. There is no statute prohibiting the purchase or use of pepper spray in Indiana. [Ind. Code § 35-47-8-5] |
| Minimum Age for Concealed Carry License | You must be at least 18 years old to get a concealed carry license in Indiana. [Indiana State Police] |
| Handgun Magazine Capacity Restrictions | No. There are no magazine capacity restrictions for handguns in Indiana. [Ind. Code § 35-47-2-1] |
| Ammunition Restrictions | Yes. Armor-piercing handgun ammunition is prohibited. [Ind. Code § 35-47-5-1] |
| Constitutional Carry | Yes. Constitutional carry went into effect on July 1st, 2022. It allows anyone who is at least 18 years old that can legally possess a firearm to carry openly or concealed without a license. [Ind. Code § 35-47-2-1] |
| Taser or Stun Gun Ownership | Yes. Stun guns are legal to purchase and possess without a license for anyone at least 18 years old. Tasers can only be carried with a valid concealed carry license. [Ind. Code § 35-47-8-4] [Ind. Code § 35-31.5-2-86] |
Indiana: Carry Locations
| Can you carry a concealed firearm at roadside rest areas in Indiana? | Yes. Concealed carry is permitted at roadside rest areas in Indiana. |
| Can you carry a concealed handgun in a vehicle in Indiana? | Yes. The Gun Owners’ Bill of Rights provided by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita states, “Handguns, shotguns, and rifles are allowed in the vehicles of all persons 18 years of age and older who have not been deemed an ‘improper person’ by the state.” Any ‘proper person,’ as defined in Indiana Code Section 35-47-1-7, may have a handgun in his or her vehicle without a license. An individual without a license may carry a handgun in a vehicle that is owned, leased, rented or otherwise legally controlled by him or her or legally controlled by another person, if the handgun is unloaded, not readily accessible, and secured in a case. See Indiana Code Section 35-47-2-1. |
| Can you carry a concealed firearm in state/national parks, state/national forests and Wildlife Management Areas in Indiana? | Yes, a person may possess a handgun at DNR State Parks & Reservoir properties with the exceptions of properties that have land leased from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (e.g., Mississinewa, Salamonie, Patoka, Brookville, Cagles Mill, Cecil M. Harden and Monroe lakes) or at Falls of the Ohio State Park. Any firearm (except validly licensed handguns) BB gun, air gun, CO2 gun, bow and arrow, or spear gun in possession in a state park must be unloaded and stored in a case or locked within a vehicle, except when the owner is participating in an activity authorized by written permit. [DNR Q & A page] |
| Can you carry a concealed firearm in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol in Indiana? | Yes, there is no statute making it illegal to concealed carry with a valid license in bars or restaurants, unless posted. |
| Can you carry or possess a firearm on hotel property in Indiana? | Indiana statutes don’t specifically address firearms at hotels. Please note that each hotel develops their own policies and the individual hotel should be contacted to inquire about its concealed carry policy. See the Handguns at Hotels page for additional information. |
| Does Indiana have laws relating to storing firearms in private vehicles in an employee parking lot? | No person may adopt or enforce an ordinance, resolution, policy or rule that prohibits an employee from possessing a firearm or ammunition that is locked in the trunk of the employee’s vehicle, kept in the glove compartment of the employee’s locked vehicle, or stored out of plain sight in the employee’s locked vehicle. This restriction does not apply in various, specifically named locations including school property and private residences (see section (2)(b) for the list of locations). [Ind. Code § 34-28-7-2.] |
Indiana: Key State Laws
| Are “No Weapons Allowed” signs enforced in Indiana? | No. “No Weapons Allowed” signs are not enforced in Indiana. [Ind. Code § 35-47-14-2] |
| Does Indiana have a red flag law? | Yes, Indiana has a red flag law. A law enforcement officer can file a sworn affidavit with a court for the seizure of firearms. [Ind. Code § 35-47-14-2] |
| Does Indiana have preemption laws related to concealed carry? | Yes, the state has preemption of firearms laws in Indiana, except local municipalities may prohibit the possession of a handgun in buildings containing courtrooms. There are several other areas they may restrict, however, none of the following apply to concealed carry license holders. These include the following: Municipalities may enforce: Restrictions imposed by organizers of events on property leased by local governments; Provision prohibiting or restricting the possession of a firearm in county hospitals; and The possession of firearms in buildings owned by the locality if metal detection devices are located at each public entrance and are staffed by at least one law enforcement officer to inspect people and bags. [Ind. Code § 35.47.11.1.2] |
| Does Indiana issue concealed carry licenses to non-residents? | Yes. Non-resident licenses are granted for out-of-state residents who have a regular place of business or employment in Indiana. |
| Does Indiana allow the public to access concealed carry registry information through public records law? | No. Concealed carry registry information is not available to the public, but it is available for law enforcement. |
| Do you have a duty to notify a police officer that you’re carrying a concealed firearm in Indiana? | No, there is no duty to inform a law enforcement officer that you’re carrying a concealed firearm in Indiana. [Ind. Code § 35.47.2.1] |
| Is my Indiana driver’s license linked to my Indiana carry license? | No. Your Indiana driver’s license is not linked to your Indiana carry license. Therefore, a law enforcement officer (LEO) will not be notified that you are a concealed carry license holder immediately when they run your driver’s license. LEOs have access to that information by entering your name and date of birth. |
| Does Indiana have laws regarding carrying a concealed firearm while using alcohol or prescription medication? | Not addressed in state statutes. As a responsibly armed American, regardless of the laws in your state, it is unwise to carry while under the influence of any substance that could impair your judgement, slow your reaction times, or impact your decision-making abilities. Any decision you make while carrying a firearm could have life-altering consequences. |
| Does Indiana state law define brandishing? | No definition of brandishing was found in Indiana law. A person who knowingly or intentionally points a firearm at another person commits a crime. Criminal Recklessness - A person who recklessly, knowingly or intentionally performs an act that creates a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person commits criminal recklessness. [Ind. Code § 35-47-4-3][Ind. Code § 35-42-2-2] |
Indiana: Handgun Purchase and Possession
| Minimum Age to Possess and Transport a Handgun | 18 years old. The minimum age to possess and transport a gun in Indiana is 18 years old. [Ind. Code § 35-47-2-7] |
| Possession/Carrying Handgun in Home without a License | Yes. Carrying a handgun is permitted for anyone legally entitled to carry a firearm to carry a handgun in or on the person’s property or on property another person legally controls if that person consents to the carrying of a handgun on the property. [Ind. Code § 35-47-2-1(1)(b)] |
| Permit Required to Purchase a Handgun | No. A permit is not required to purchase a handgun in Indiana. |
| Background Checks for Private Gun Sales | No. Private firearms transfers are not subject to a background check requirement, although federal and state purchaser prohibitions, including age restrictions, still apply. |
| Indiana Concealed Carry License and Background Checks | No. |
| Handgun Waiting Period | No. There is no waiting period after purchasing a handgun in Indiana. |
| Handgun Registration | No. Handguns do not need to be registered in Indiana. |