Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (such as a handgun) in public in a concealed manner, either on one's person or in close proximity. CCW is often practiced as a means of self-defense. Following the Supreme Court's NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022) decision, all states in the United States were required to allow for concealed carry of a handgun either permitlessly or with a permit, although the difficulty in obtaining a permit varies per jurisdiction.
There is conflicting evidence regarding the effect that concealed carry has on crime rates. A 2020 review by the RAND Corporation concluded there is supportive evidence that shall-issue concealed carry laws, which require states to issue permits to applicants once certain requirements are met, are associated with increased firearm homicides and total homicides.[1] Earlier studies by RAND found that shall-issue concealed carry laws may increase violent crime overall, while there was inconclusive evidence for the effect of shall-issue laws on all individual types of violent crime.[2] A 2004 literature review by the National Academy of Sciences concluded that there is no link between the existence of laws that allow concealed carry and crime rates.[3]
- ^ Smart, Rosanna; Morral, Andrew; Smucker, Sierra; Cherney, Samantha; Schell, Terry; Peterson, Samuel; Ahluwalia, Sangeeta; Cefalu, Matthew; Xenakis, Lea; Ramchand, Rajeev; Gresenz, Carole (2020). The Science of Gun Policy: A Critical Synthesis of Research Evidence on the Effects of Gun Policies in the United States, Second Edition. doi:10.7249/rr2088-1. ISBN 9781977404312. S2CID 51928649.
- ^ "Effects of Concealed-Carry Laws on Violent Crime". RAND Corporation.
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