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📰 Above the fold
Utah's gun laws earned a failing grade according to a new report, driven by lawmakers’ recent expansion of gun rights and resistance to new safety measures.
The annual Gun Law Scorecard from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence gave Utah an “F” grade. Giffords cited HB128, passed in the 2025 session, which allows 18- to 20-year-olds to openly carry loaded firearms in public — including on college campuses.
The report ranks Utah 28th out of 50 for gun law strength. Utah’s firearm mortality rate is nearly 14 deaths per 100,000 residents — 27th highest, about 5% above the national average.
California was at the top of the list of strongest gun laws in the country, followed by New Jersey, Connecticut and New York. Wyoming, Arkansas, Kentucky and Idaho were at the bottom of the rankings.
Giffords Executive Director Emma Brown said Utah has some of the weakest gun laws in the country.
“It’s time for leaders in Utah to step up and act to address this crisis,” Brown said in a press release. “Americans across the board including Republicans, independents and gun owners support solutions like universal background checks and extreme risk laws that reduce crime and save lives.”
Giffords evaluates state policies including background checks, domestic violence protections, safe storage requirements, concealed and open carry laws, then assigns grades based on policy strength and implementation.
The report urges Utah leaders to invest more in community violence intervention programs and for lawmakers to pass legislation requiring the safe storage of firearms and an extreme risk protection order law, more commonly known as a “red flag law.”
According to Giffords, 442 people die from gun violence in Utah annually, which translates to one gun death every 20 hours on average. Suicides account for about 83% of those deaths.
The analysis by Giffords gives Utah positive marks for its laws concerning firearms and domestic violence. Utah prohibits individuals convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from purchasing or possessing a firearm. That prohibition includes dating partners convicted of an assault within five years of the relationship. Additionally, any individual subject to a domestic violence protective order after they received due process cannot purchase or possess a firearm.
Utah’s lax gun laws came under scrutiny after the deadly “No Kings” protest in June.
Utah’s lax gun laws played a critical role during the deadly “No Kings” protest in June. Police say an armed safety volunteer saw Arturo Gamboa carrying a rifle during the march and drew his weapon. He shot at Gamboa after reportedly seeing him “manipulate” the rifle, wounding him and accidentally killing an innocent bystander, Afa Ah Loo. The Salt Lake County District Attorney has charged the volunteer, Matt Adler, with manslaughter. Gamboa was initially detained by police, but later released. He was not charged by prosecutors because he was carrying the rifle in the open legally.
Utah lawmakers have aggressively expanded gun rights in the state in recent years. The biggest move was passing a so-called “Constitutional carry” law in 2021, which allowed anyone 21 or older to carry a concealed weapon in public without a permit, with some exceptions. That was expanded earlier this year to include anyone over the age of 18.
In 2019, Utah expanded its “stand your ground” gun law, allowing a person to defend themselves with deadly force, even in public.
In 2021, the Legislature passed a bill giving themselves the sole authority to regulate firearms in the state. The legislation was in response to an effort by Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson to require federal background checks for all gun purchases at trade shows held in county facilities.
In 2023, lawmakers passed HB507, which allowed people whose domestic violence misdemeanor convictions were expunged to regain firearm rights.
Utah also has been at the forefront of the Second Amendment sanctuary movement, in which local governments refuse to enforce gun laws they deem unconstitutional. The Uintah County Commission voted to become a Second Amendment sanctuary in 2020. In 2023, lawmakers passed HB219, which blocks state and local governments from enforcing federal laws and regulations on firearms.