Can I Open Carry in Mississippi? Rules, Limits, and Permits

Open carry in Mississippi is legal without a permit. Any adult who can lawfully possess a firearm may carry a handgun openly in a belt holster, shoulder holster, sheath, or scabbard, and the state does not treat a holstered pistol as “concealed” even if the holster is only partially visible.¹ You must be at least 18 to carry a handgun, and location restrictions still apply.

What Counts as Open Carry Under Mississippi Law

Mississippi’s carry framework turns on a single statutory definition. A handgun carried in a belt holster, shoulder holster, sheath, or scabbard that is wholly or partially visible is not considered concealed at all.¹ That is the legal basis for permitless open carry. If the holster shows, you are carrying openly in the eyes of the law, no matter how much of the firearm itself is covered by clothing or gear.

There is no separate “open carry permit” in Mississippi, and no notification requirement when dealing with police. The state also allows permitless concealed carry in a purse, handbag, briefcase, or fully enclosed case for anyone not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm, so the practical gap between open and concealed carry has narrowed.¹

Who Can Open Carry

Mississippi sets no minimum age for possessing a rifle or shotgun. For a handgun, you must be at least 18.¹

Age alone is not enough. Federal law permanently bars several categories of people from possessing any firearm, including anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, people found mentally incompetent or committed to a mental institution, fugitives, illegal users of controlled substances, people subject to certain domestic violence restraining orders, those convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, people dishonorably discharged from the military, and anyone who has renounced U.S. citizenship.²

Mississippi stacks its own prohibition on top. Possession of a firearm by anyone convicted of a felony in any jurisdiction is itself a felony, punishable by one to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. A felon who has completed their sentence can petition the court for a certificate of rehabilitation. If the court finds the person has lived lawfully and poses no public safety risk, it may restore firearm rights.³

Where You Cannot Open Carry

Permitless carry, open or concealed, does not get you into every public space. State law bars carrying a handgun, stun gun, or revolver in:

Law enforcement stations, including police, sheriff, and highway patrol facilities
Prisons, jails, and detention centers
Courthouses and courtrooms (judges decide who else may carry in their courtroom)
Polling places
Meetings of a governing body, the Legislature, or a legislative committee
Elementary and secondary schools and college campuses, unless you are part of an authorized firearms activity
School, college, or professional athletic events not related to firearms
Any portion of a licensed establishment primarily devoted to on-premises alcohol consumption
Airport terminals, except for a firearm encased for checking as baggage
Churches and places of worship, unless the congregation has a security program under state law
Places legally designated as nuisances
Parades or demonstrations that required a permit
Any location where federal law prohibits firearms

Private property owners and businesses can add their own ban by posting a written notice readable from at least ten feet away stating that “carrying of a pistol or revolver is prohibited.” Ignoring a properly posted sign exposes you to criminal charges, and the rule applies whether you are carrying openly or concealed.

Federal facilities carry their own penalties. Bringing a firearm into a federal building (outside a court) is punishable by up to one year in prison, and up to two years for a federal court facility. Doing so with intent to commit a crime raises the ceiling to five years.⁴ Post offices have historically fallen under this ban. A federal judge in Texas ruled the post office prohibition unconstitutional in September 2025, but that ruling is limited in scope and may be appealed, so treating post offices as prohibited is still the safest approach.

Open Carry in a Vehicle and at Work

Anyone 18 or older who can lawfully possess a firearm may carry one in a vehicle without a permit, openly or concealed. The gun can be loaded, holstered, placed in a purse or briefcase, kept in the console, or simply set in the interior.¹ This covers handguns, rifles, and shotguns.

Your car at work is also protected. Employers cannot stop employees from keeping a firearm in a locked vehicle in a company parking lot, parking garage, or similar designated area. The lone exception is a private employer’s restricted-access area secured by a gate, security station, or similar barrier limiting general public entry.⁵

When an Enhanced Carry Permit Is Worth It

Permitless open carry has limits, and the Enhanced Carry Permit exists to extend them. Holders can lawfully carry in most of the places closed to permitless carriers, including courthouses (but not inside a courtroom during a proceeding), schools, college campuses, government meeting places, churches, polling places, bars, and airport terminals.⁶ Three categories stay off-limits even with the enhanced permit: law enforcement stations, detention facilities, and places designated as nuisances.

Qualifying for the enhanced permit requires Mississippi residency, an age of 21 (or 18 for active-duty military and veterans), and an eight-hour training course that includes legal instruction and a live-fire component.⁶ The initial fee is $112, with discounted renewals and reduced rates for military, veterans, retired law enforcement, and applicants over 65.⁷ If your routine takes you through government buildings, schools, or houses of worship, the permit removes most of the friction.

Penalties for Carrying Where You Shouldn’t

Carrying a firearm into a prohibited location, or carrying when you are not legally allowed to, is prosecuted on an escalating scale:

First offense: a fine of $100 to $500, up to six months in county jail, or both
Second offense: a fine of $100 to $500 and 30 days to six months in county jail
Third or later offense: one to five years in state custody, charged at the felony level
Felon in possession: one to ten years in state custody

Those come from the general carry statute.¹ Carrying on school grounds is a separate felony punishable by up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.⁸ Federal charges can stack on top; a prohibited person in possession of a firearm faces up to ten years under federal law.⁹

Local Ordinances Can’t Override State Law

Mississippi bars every city, county, and town from adopting ordinances that regulate the possession, ownership, storage, transportation, sale, purchase, licensing, or transfer of firearms or ammunition.¹⁰ The rules on this page apply the same way in Jackson, Gulfport, Tupelo, and anywhere else in the state. If a local official or business manager tells you a city ordinance bans open carry on a public street, that ordinance is unenforceable. Posted private property is a separate matter and must still be respected.

1
Justia Law. Mississippi Code 97-37-1 – Deadly Weapons; Carrying While Concealed; Use or Attempt to Use
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
3
Justia Law. Mississippi Code 97-37-5 – Unlawful for Convicted Felon to Possess Firearm
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
5
Justia Law. Mississippi Code 45-9-55 – Employer Not Permitted to Prohibit Transportation or Storage of Firearms on Employer Property
6
Cornell Law School. 31 Mississippi Code R 1-15.1 – Enhanced Conceal and Carry Endorsement
7
DPS Driver Service Bureau. Firearm Permit Fees
8
Justia Law. Mississippi Code 97-37-17 – Possession of Weapons by Students; Aiding or Encouraging
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 924 – Penalties
10
ATF. State Laws and Published Ordinances – Mississippi