Rifles and Shotguns
Handguns
PurchaseNo state permit is required for the purchase of a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. It is unlawful to sell or deliver firearms or other dangerous weapons to anyone under the age of eighteen. Lack of knowledge of the minor’s age is not a defense.PossessionNo state permit is required to possess a rifle, shotgun, or a handgun. It is illegal for any person who is a national of a country with whom the United States is at war to own, possess, have custody, or use any firearm.It is unlawful for anyone who has been convicted of certain crimes of violence to possess a firearm for a period of ten years from the date of completion of the sentence, probation, parole or suspension of sentence. It is unlawful for any person under seventeen to possess a handgun on his person, but this does not apply to any person under seventeen who is attending a hunter’s safety or firearms safety course; engaging in practice in the use of a firearm or target shooting at an established range; hunting or trapping pursuant to a valid license; or traveling to or from one of the above activities. CarryingNo person shall carry a concealed firearm intentionally without a permit unless one is a peace officer in performance of his or her official duties. The Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall issue a concealed handgun permit to any citizen who qualifies for a permit.To qualify, a citizen shall:
The applicant shall demonstrate competency with a handgun by completion of certain specified courses, classes, and programs in firearms safety and training. The Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services shall, within two working days of the permit application, notify the Chief of Police of the municipality and the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the parish in which the applicant is domiciled of such application. Those officers shall have 10 days to forward to the Deputy Secretary information relating to the applicant’s legal qualification to receive a permit. The Deputy Secretary shall issue, “timely and without delay,” the permit to all qualified applicants. The permit shall be valid in all parishes statewide for a term of four years. A permittee armed with a handgun shall notify any police officer who approaches the permittee in an official manner or purpose, that he has a weapon on his person, submit to a pat down, and allow the officer to temporarily disarm him. Whenever a law enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe an armed permittee is under the influence of alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance, the officer may take temporary possession of the handgun and request submission to a chemical test. Whenever an officer is made aware that an individual is behaving in a criminally negligent manner, or is negligent in carrying a handgun, the officer may seize the handgun until adjudication by a judge. Failure to comply with these provisions shall result in a six-month automatic suspension of the permit. The permit shall be revoked under any of the following circumstances:
A permittee may not carry a concealed handgun into:
A property owner may prohibit access to his property by persons possessing concealed handguns. A permittee may not carry a concealed handgun into a private residence of another without first receiving the consent of that person. It is unlawful to possess a firearm on a school campus during regular school hours or on a school bus. It is also unlawful to possess a firearm on one’s person: on school property, at a school sponsored function, in a firearm-free zone, on a school campus, or on school transportation, or within 1000 feet of a school campus. These prohibitions do not apply to: the possession of a firearm occurring within 1,000 feet of school property and entirely on private property, entirely within a private residence, or in accordance with a concealed handgun permit; or any constitutionally protected activity which cannot be regulated by the state, such as a firearm contained entirely within a motor vehicle. National Firearms Act FirearmsState law governs a special category of firearms that is roughly similar to the category also governed by the National Firearms Act.Such items include: shotguns with barrels of less than 18 inches; rifles with barrels of less than 16 inches, any weapon made from either a rifle or shotgun if the overall length is less than twenty-six inches; machine guns, silencers, and certain specifically described weapons. No person shall possess or transfer such an item without the prior approval of the Department of Public Safety. Every person possessing such an item shall register with the Department of Public Safety. State law does not require the registration of items which are unserviceable and are transferred as a curiosity or ornament. Antiques And ReplicasLouisiana statutes are silent on antique and replica firearms. They are treated as ordinary firearms for possession, sale, and carrying purposes.MiscellaneousIt is unlawful to possess a firearm while on the premises of an alcoholic beverage outlet, which is defined as any commercial establishment in which alcoholic beverages are sold in individual servings for consumption on the premises.The governing authority of any political subdivision or local or other governmental authority of the state is preempted from bringing suit to recover against any firearms or ammunition manufacturer, trade association, or dealer for damages for injury, death, or loss or to seek other injunctive relief resulting from or relating to the lawful design, manufacture, marketing, or sale of firearms or ammunition. The authority to bring such actions as may be authorized by law shall be reserved exclusively to the state. It is unlawful to obliterate, remove, change, or alter numbers or marks of identification on any firearm. No person shall intentionally receive, possess, carry, conceal, buy, sell, or transport any firearm which has been illegally obtained or from which the serial number or mark of identification has been obliterated. This shall not apply to any firearm which is an antique or war relic and is inoperable or for which ammunition is no longer manufactured in the U.S. and is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade, or which was originally manufactured without such a number. No governing authority of a political subdivision shall enact after July 15, 1985 any ordinance or regulation more restrictive than state law concerning in any way the sale, purchase, possession, ownership, transfer, transportation, license, use, or registration of firearms, ammunition, or components of firearms or ammunition. No person shall import, manufacture, sell, purchase, possess, or transfer, any bullet that has a steel inner core or core of equivalent density and hardness, truncated cone, and is designed for use in a handgun as a body armor or metal piercing bullet, or which has been primarily manufactured or designed by nature of its shape, cross-sectional density, or any coating applied thereto, to breach or penetrate body armor when fired from a handgun. Source: National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action |