Vermont Gun Laws

Concealed & Open Carry

Vermont is the original constitutional carry state — it has never required a permit to carry concealed. Any person who can legally possess a firearm may carry openly or concealed without a permit. Vermont does not issue a state carry permit, which means Vermont residents cannot obtain reciprocity through a home state permit (some residents obtain non-resident permits from other states).

Key statute: Vermont has no specific statute authorizing or prohibiting concealed carry for non-prohibited persons. The Vermont Supreme Court affirmed this right in State v. Rosenthal (1903).

Who Cannot Carry

Prohibited persons under Vermont law include: convicted felons, persons adjudicated as mentally defective, and persons prohibited under federal law. Vermont's state-level prohibitions are minimal.

Prohibited Locations

Vermont prohibits carry in: school buildings and school buses (with limited exceptions for certain authorized persons), courthouses, and state buildings with posted prohibition. In 2018, Vermont enacted restrictions prohibiting persons under 21 from purchasing handguns and expanded background check requirements.

Purchase Requirements

No permit is required to purchase any firearm. All FFL sales require a NICS background check. Private sales do not require a background check. Vermont enacted a magazine capacity limit of 10 rounds for long guns and 15 rounds for handguns in 2018 (S. 55), along with a bump stock ban and an expansion of domestic violence-related firearms prohibitions. There is no waiting period, no state firearms registry, and no assault weapons ban.

Citations

Vermont Statutes Title 13, Chapter 85 (weapons); S. 55 (2018, magazine restrictions and related provisions); State v. Rosenthal, 75 Vt. 295 (1903).

Sources & official resources