Federal Law About Carrying Concealed Weapons

The second amendment, the right to bear arms, has always been a concern that the federal government has tried to protect. There have been several laws passed over the last few decades about gun control to ensure the rights of those wanting to carry concealed weapons without allowing guns into the wrong hands.

• Gun Control Act of 1968: This law was put into place to keep guns out of the hands of certain people. According to this law, people that have been convicted of a crime and have done more than one year of jail time as well as those that have been deemed mental ill are not allowed to own or possess a gun. This law also regulated gun sales, stating that nobody under the age of 18 was allowed to own a gun, and handguns could not be sold to anyone under the age of 21.


• Firearm Owners Protection Act: This law, added in 1986, was created to protect firearm owners when traveling outside of their home state. While this law reinforces the law created in 1968 it also adds that a person cannot be arrested for a firearm offense if they are just passing through the state, especially if the gun is in an area that is not easily reached. 


• Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act: In 1993, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was put into place. This act, named after James Brady, requires that a background check be performed before the sale of any firearm from any importer, federally licensed dealer or manufacturer. Many states have their own laws about background checks, which include using the alternative concealed weapon carrying permit instead of a more extensive federal background check.