Campus Carry: Are Guns Allowed at Your College?

Among them, Utah and West Virginia are unique in requiring that campus carry be permitted at all public colleges and universities. Utah’s law dates back to 2004, while West Virginia adopted its Campus Self‑Defense Act just last year. It can be expected, given the recent tragic assassination of political activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus, that politics will follow its usual pattern as some leaders will use the incident as a call to do away with such laws in Utah and elsewhere. That despite the alleged killer was not a student of Utah Valley University and smuggled the alleged murder weapon on campus to commit a crime that was already as illegal as it gets.

Most recently (and prior to Kirk's death), Wyoming’s legislature voted to allow concealed carry on campus and the law passed without the governor’s signature. The University of Wyoming’s Board of Trustees voted to allow guns on campus, not because all of them believed that was best, but because voting against it could have been a criminal act by the way the recent legislation was worded.

Other states—Arkansas, Colorado (must be a CCW holder), Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Tennessee (faculty only), Texas, and Wisconsin—allow campus carry under specified conditions.

Meanwhile, 19 states delegate the decision to colleges themselves (though most colleges choose to ban the practice), offering a potential patchwork of campus policies. And 19 states maintain explicit bans on concealed carry at post‑secondary institutions.

If you are a student at a college and university, be sure to check with your school's administration or campus police to ensure you know the laws before carrying your gun on campus.

For College Students Who Hunt or Target Shoot: Be sure to double-check your university’s rules before bringing firearms, including your favorite rifle or shotgun, onto campus property or any student housing. Many schools prohibit keeping guns in dorms, vehicles or other facilities, even if locked and stored. Instead, they require students to store firearms in a designated, secure location, most often at campus police headquarters. Property management companies that lease to students may have restrictions as well. Checking in with your campus public safety office and housing office ensures you stay compliant and safe. Violations of these rules can lead to expulsion from school and even criminal charges.