Alabama CCW Website

Application for a Pistol Permit

Sheriff’s Office Frequently Asked Questions

2013 Changes in Alabama Laws

Code of Alabama

Alabama Administrative Code

Alabama Secretary of State

The state of Alabama honors licenses that are issued by other states. It also honors non-resident permits released by the states that they honor.

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Section 13A­11­85. Reciprocity for licenses issued in other states.

Individuals who are not residents of Alabama and are holders of carry permits issued by other states shall be permitted to carry their firearms within the state. However, they should adhere to the laws of carrying implemented in Alabama.

The Attorney General of Alabama is allowed to agree to reciprocity with other states to be able to have their residents carry their firearms in the states they honor.

Section 13A­11­73. License to Carry Pistol in Vehicle or Concealed on person – Required. Under this section, no person is allowed to carry a firearm in his possession or in a vehicle if he has no valid license to carry.

The one responsible in the issuance of a carry permit is the local sheriff. To learn more detail about the application, contact the sheriff of the county you are residing in. Validity of permits is up to 5 years.

The minimum age to apply for a license is 18 years old. Training is not required by the law to obtain a carry permit.

Section 13A­11­75. License to Carry Pistol in Vehicle or Concealed on Person – Issuance, Form, Term, Fee; Revocation.

The new license may be issued by the county sheriff within 30 days from the individuals’ submission of application. When the local sheriff sees that there is a credible risk in issuing the carry permit for an individual, the permit will not be released.

Note: Application forms and payments can that will be charged to the applicants.

Military members who are stationed in Alabama and their spouses may apply for non­resident permits as long as they have their driver’s license from the state of their residence. To know more about this, check with the sheriff of your county.

13A­11­61.2. The following areas do not allow carrying of firearms, even with a valid license to carry:

● Sheriff, police and highway patrol offices
● Correctional facilities, juvenile detention, halfway house, prison or jail
● Facilities used in caring for patients with psychiatric or mental illnesses
● Courthouses, office of the District Attorney, and buildings used by the city council or county commission for their meetings
● Sports arena or stadium during an athletic competition that is not related to or does not involve firearms
● Buildings or facilities that do not allow entrance of unauthorized persons
● Buildings or facilities that use security features like key cards, magnetometers, biometric screening devices and physical barriers. Carrying a firearm inside the vehicle in private or public parking lot is allowed, provided that the firearm is locked in a container or hidden in a compartment.

Authorized persons for the “off limits” places mentioned above shall place “No Gun” signs on the entrance of such premises to alert the visitors that firearms are prohibited in the area.

Note: The University of Alabama still does not allow firearms on their property even in the parking lots. There are also other universities that enforce the same rules for their campus, so carriers must be cautious when visiting such places,.

Section 13A­11­72. Under this section, “public school” refers to schools with grades K to 12 including the school bus used by the students. No person with harmful intentions is allowed to possess firearms inside a public school. Violation of this law is considered as Class C felony. This law does not apply to law enforcement officers and carry permit holders.

Section 13A­11­59. Possession of firearms by persons participating in, attending, etc., demonstrations at public places. Under this section, the following terms are defined:

● “Demonstration” refers to any action done by one or more persons that can draw people or onlookers including holding of vigils, speechmaking and marching. Visitors who have casual use of their property and have no intentions of attracting people’s attention shall not be included in this.
● “Firearm” refers to a pistol, shotgun, rifle or any kind of firearm that is either loaded or unloaded.
● “Law Enforcement Officers” refer to military members, investigating officers and peace officers who are appointed by the state, county or municipality to keep the peace and order or police officers who are on active duty.
● “Public Place” refers to a place that is accessible for the public including the front area and parking lot of stores, shops, malls and restaurants.

Carrying of firearms, either in a vehicle or in one’s possession, on any public place where a demonstration is being held is a violation of the law. Carrying of firearms in a vehicle or in one’s possession within 1,000 feet of a public place where there is demonstration is also prohibited. A person found carrying may be asked by the law enforcement officers to leave the place.

Note: Because Alabama has changed from a May Issue to Shall Issue state, county sheriffs will not add restrictions anymore on the carry permits they issued.

Firearms on Tennessee Valley Authority(TVA)

TVA Rules. Hunters are prohibited from carrying firearms but TVA allows unloaded and enclosed firearms. Carrying of firearms on TVA public ramps, parking lots and public roads is allowed. The Day Use Areas, Campgrounds and the recreational areas of TVA are considered off limits.

“No Gun” signs in the state of Alabama have the force of the law. An owner should be legally allowed to post “No Firearm” signs on his property. If not, people may file complaints and the owner may be charged with a class C misdemeanor.

As per recommendation of the nationalcarryacademy.com, when you come across a building with a “No Gun” post, you should leave the premises. As responsible gun owners, the right of the property owner should be respected as well.

Carriers are not obliged to inform police officer on contact immediately when they are carrying. The Alabama law does not clearly state that carriers must present their carry permits when asked by a law enforcement officer, but the law said that the permit must be brought whenever a person carries a firearm either in his possession or in a vehicle.

13A­11­90. Public and private employers are allowed to restrict possession of firearms from their employees, even those who are carry permit holders, while they are inside the employer’s property. However, transporting and storing of a firearm or ammunition in a vehicle which is parked on the employer’s property should not be prohibited, as long as the employee meets the following:

a. There is a valid carry permit
b. The weapon is legally used for hunting in Alabama and the owner has a valid Alabama hunting permit
c. The firearm is unloaded, enclosed in a container, or separated in a compartment if unattended by the employee
d. No crime was charged against the employer before
e. The employer was not involved in physical injuries and threats
f. The parking lot

13A­11­61.2. No person carrying his firearm shall be allowed to enter buildings or facilities that do not allow unauthorized persons or those that use security features like key cards, magnetometers, biometric screening devices and physical barriers. Carrying the firearm in a private vehicle in a private or public parking lot is permitted, but the firearm must be kept in a container or separate compartment away from ordinary observation.

Possession of firearms on state parks, state forests and national forests is allowed.

A valid permit to carry is required when carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle.

13A­11­73. A person that is legally allowed to carry a firearm, but does not have a carry permit, may still carry an unloaded firearm in his vehicle or possession provided that the firearm is locked in a container or separated in a compartment that is not accessible for the owner.

The Alabama law allows transporting of firearms from a state where a person is legally allowed to carry to another state without any type of permit, as long as he satisfies the following:

● The firearm is kept unloaded.
● The firearm is in a separate compartment of the vehicle and is not accessible for the driver.
● The firearm is locked in a container and is away from ordinary observation if the vehicle has no separate compartment.

The state of Alabama allows open carrying. The places that are “off limits” as listed in the “Carry Permit Limitations” section above is applicable for open carriers. Carrying a firearm in a vehicle is allowed as long as there is a valid permit to carry. To learn more about carrying a firearm in a vehicle, see the “Traveling in a Vehicle with a Firearm without an Alabama Permit” section above.

State and local authorities are not allowed to pass laws and ordinances to prohibit open carrying. If such ordinances exist, they are considered void. Carriers, on the other hand, must leave a property when asked by the owner to do so. Refusal to leave may result in Criminal Trespass. Open carry requires an individual to be at least 18 years of age.

13A­11­7. Carrying openly on a public place is not a violation of the law. Some states do not allow open carrying even for those who are permit holders. To understand better the laws on open carrying for different states, visit the website at www.opencarry.org or search the keywords “Alabama Open Carry” on Google for more information. You may also check the “Relevant Court Cases and Opinions of Alabama AG” section below for open carry opinions and court decisions.

§13A­11­7. An individual should not be prohibited by the sheriff from obtaining a carry permit for the purpose of carrying a firearm that is not concealed or not kept in a vehicle.

13A­11­61.3. No political subdivision in the state of Alabama is authorized to establish ordinances, orders and rules to regulate the possession and use of firearms, ammunition and gun accessories. If there are existing orders or ordinances made by any political subdivision, they are considered null and void.

An individual who is affected by an order or ordinance that is promoted by a political subdivision may file a petition against the involved body.

Title 13A. Criminal Code
Article 1. Responsibility
Section 13A­3­1. Mental disease or defect.
Section 13A­3­2. Intoxication.
Section 13A­3­3. Immaturity.

Article 2. Justification and Excuse
Section 13A­3­20. Definitions. Section 13A­3­22. Execution of public duty.
Section 13A­3­23. Use of force in defense of a person.
Section 13A­3­24. Use of force by persons with parental, custodial or special responsibilities.
Section 13A­3­25. Use of force in defense of premises.
Section 13A­3­26. Use of force in defense of property other than premises.
Section 13A­3­27. Use of force in making an arrest or preventing an escape.
Section 13A­3­28. Use of force in resisting arrest prohibited.
Section 13A­3­30. Duress.
Section 13A­3­31. Entrapment.

To know more about the laws for carrying knives in Alabama, click on this link.

No law in Alabama states that restaurant carrying is illegal. “Restaurant carrying” means carrying a firearm in a place that serves intoxicating liquor. Entering the place is allowed as long as the individual will not consume alcohol. This may or may not mean that an individual is allowed to occupy the seat on the bar area, because some states would consider it illegal for a carrier to sit on the bar area.

There are places that use the “No Gun” signs, and carrying of firearms on such places should be avoided. Nationalcarryacademy.com recommends that you should not drink alcohol while carrying a firearm, because in most states, taking a single drink is already unlawful. Check the laws of your state to know more about restaurant carrying.

Mobile, Alabama – Code of Ordinances
Section 62­63.Permit to Carry Required
To be able to carry a tear gas fountain pen or tear gas gun, a person must obtain a permit from the local police.

Section 18­114. Tear gas and stun guns are not allowed inside the school campus and in a vehicle in a school’s parking space.

Alabama Attorney General on Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act

● Alabama Attorney General on Carrying Firearms in Parks
● Alabama Attorney General on City Employees and Firearms
● Alabama Attorney General on Open Carrying
● Alabama Attorney General on Military Members on Active Duty and their Spouses
● Alabama Supreme Court on Open Carrying without Permit
● Alabama’s Letter Regarding Colleges and Universities
● Alabama Supreme Court on Ruling 13A­11­52 Unconstitutional

Carrying of firearms in parking lots and outside the secured area of the terminals are allowed. There is no set time period for the validity of training. The minimum age to be able to obtain a carry permit is 18 years old.

Laws on State Reciprocity: §13A­11­85
Laws on Using Firearms: 13A­11­50 thru 13A­11­85
Laws on Using Deadly Force: 13A­3­1 thru 13A­3­31
Laws on Using Knives: 13A­11­50 and 13A­11­55
Laws on Using Chemical and Electric Weapons: 13A­6­27

No laws are found using body armors.

The law of Alabama does not have a definition of a loaded gun, so we can assume that a loaded firearm has a cartridge in the firing chamber or have an attached magazine.

State of Emergency
Section 31­9­8. The Powers of the Governor
Under this section, the powers of the governor shall apply during a state of emergency only, which will be identified and proclaimed by the Governor himself when there is an attack, natural disaster or emergency that may endanger the lives of the public. The state of emergency shall last for 60 days only, unless a joint resolution extends the emergency.

During the emergency period, the Governor have the following powers:
● Appoint agencies and offices on jobs that are necessary to address the situation. Under this section, confiscation of a firearm or ammunition for a lawful carrier shall not be allowed. A law enforcement officer may disarm an individual if he is proven to endanger the safety of the residents. When the person is discharged, the officer must return the confiscated firearm unless that person is charged with crime.

Section 31­9­10. Local Emergency Management Organizations: Emergency Powers of Political Subdivisions

Political subdivisions are allowed to establish organizations during a state of emergency if it is believed to be necessary to carry out the emergency management plans. Such organizations should perform their functions within the limits of their territory.

This section does not allow confiscation of a firearm or ammunition from an individual who is legally carrying.

Note: During a state of emergency, federal laws are applicable if the state is receiving financial assistance from the federal government. To learn more about the federal laws for state of emergencies, check the US Code 42-5207.

The minimum age required to be able to possess and transport an unloaded pistol in a vehicle without the need for any type of permit. To learn more about carrying of firearms in a vehicle, check the “Traveling in a Vehicle with a Firearm without an Alabama Permit” section above.

Note: There are instances when the Alabama law permits carrying of firearms for a minor. To know more about this, see the statute of Alabama. Some states are very strict when it comes to the possession and transportation of firearms that they only allow transporting to and from the gun shops, repair shops, shooting ranges and own business, home or other property. Other states do not have restriction.

4/12/15 – Initial page created.