Mississippi Gun Laws in Plain English
In Mississippi, you can carry a gun openly or concealed without a permit if you are at least 18 and not a felon. You can buy any type of gun or magazine you want. However, to carry in sensitive places like schools, bars, or churches, you must obtain an 'Enhanced' Concealed Carry Permit. Your car is considered an extension of your home, so you can keep a loaded gun there freely.
Critical: Mississippi Gun Law Gotchas
These are the most important things to know that could get you arrested or charged with a crime:
- #1Constitutional Carry does NOT exempt you from the Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act (18 U.S.C. § 922(q)). You need a physical state permit to be within 1,000 feet of a school legally.
- #2Carrying in a church is illegal unless you have an Enhanced Permit OR specific permission from the church leadership (Miss. Code Ann. § 97-37-7(2)).
- #3Carrying in a bar or restaurant serving alcohol is illegal unless you have an Enhanced Permit (Miss. Code Ann. § 97-37-7(2)).
- #4Even with an Enhanced Permit, you cannot carry in an active courtroom or a detention facility.
- #5Signs posted by private business owners prohibiting guns carry legal weight; ignoring them can lead to trespassing charges (Miss. Code Ann. § 45-9-101(13)).
- #6While medical marijuana is state-legal, you are still federally prohibited from owning firearms if you use it (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3)).
- #7You must be 21 to buy a handgun from a dealer, even though you can legally possess one at 18.
- #8The 'Enhanced' status is a specific endorsement (IC sticker) on the permit; a standard permit does not grant campus carry rights.
- #9Possession of a firearm on the property of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is subject to tribal law, which may differ from state law.
- #10It is illegal to give a weapon to a minor (under 18), though parents can consent to their child's possession for hunting/sport (Miss. Code Ann. § 97-37-13).
- #11Suppressors are legal for hunting, but you must have your federal tax stamp paperwork with you.
- #12If you are an Enhanced Permit holder, you can carry on college campuses, but you cannot brandish or show the weapon unnecessarily.
- #13Federal property (Post Offices, VA hospitals, Corps of Engineers land) remains off-limits even with an Enhanced Permit.
Read these carefully - they cover common mistakes that lead to felony charges.