open carry

noun

: the act or practice of carrying a firearm openly in public or the legal right to do so

In Pennsylvania, open carry is generally allowed without a license, but Philadelphia does require a license.—

Joshua Gillin

The next frontier for gun-rights advocates is "open carry," epitomized last year by protests in which permitted gun owners carried firearms in plain view at Starbucks coffee shops.—

Patrik Jonsson

Three more states ban concealed carry but not open carry.—

Hank Johnson and Mitch Seabaugh

—often used before another noun

open carry laws/legislation

compare concealed carry

Examples of open carry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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In March 2024, South Carolina legalized the open carry of firearms without a permit to anyone 18 years of age or older that is not prohibited by law. —

Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024 These bills cover everything — from banning books and restricting healthcare to permitting open carry. —

Colleen Hamilton, Them, 11 Dec. 2024 The bills come after Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in 2020 issued a directive banning open carry of guns at the polls that was struck down in the Michigan Court of Claims. —

Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 3 Dec. 2024 Criminals don’t follow permitting requirements, and Florida is out of step with the much of the rest of the country in prohibiting open carry, Valdes said. —

Skyler Swisher, Orlando Sentinel, 29 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for open carry