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205-981-2450
Adults in Alabama can purchase a handgun from a private individual without a permit, going through a background check, or registering your firearm. To buy a handgun from a licensed dealer, you must be at least 21 years old and will need to go through a background check. Once you possess a firearm, there are still more Alabama gun laws to follow regarding where you can take it (loaded and unloaded) and whether you can conceal your weapon or not.
You can also be charged with a crime if the police believe you used your firearm in a criminal or criminally negligent manner. Our criminal defense lawyers are well versed in Alabama’s gun laws for pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic firearms, and other weapons.
You can contact us online or call (205) 981-2450 to schedule a free consultation.
As long as you are 19 and able to possess a firearm legally, you can openly carry a firearm in Alabama without a permit. However, there are restrictions as to where you can take your openly carried firearm, including schools and courthouses. If you take a firearm into a place where it is not allowed, you can be arrested and charged with a crime.
To obtain a concealed carry permit in Jefferson County, Shelby County, or any other location in Alabama, you must apply with the county sheriff.
Alabama is a “shall issue” state. If you meet all of the requirements for a CCW permit, it must be issued or renewed under AL Code §13A-11-75. Alabama’s concealed carry age is 19 years old. If you are at least 19 years old, a U.S. citizen or lawful immigrant, then you can apply for a permit in the county where you reside.
Other requirements for a concealed carry permit include:
The sheriff has the right to deny you a permit if you are prohibited from owning a firearm by state or federal law, or if the sheriff has a reasonable suspicion you may use the weapon unlawfully or endanger yourself or others.
When determining whether your permit request should be denied, the sheriff will consider whether you:
No safety or training course is required to obtain a permit.
If you are arrested in Alabama for carrying a concealed weapon on your person or for having a loaded firearm in your vehicle without a current, valid concealed carry permit, contact a concealed carry lawyer immediately.
Under AL Code §13A-11-50, you can be fined between $50 and $500 and incarcerated in the county jail or sentenced to hard labor for the county for up to six months.
At Alabama Criminal Lawyers, we understand these situations regularly arise out of misunderstandings. You may have intended to openly carry your handgun in a lawful manner. You may also have, in good faith, believed your permit to be current.
Our CCW lawyers will thoroughly review the allegations against you and defend you against a gun crime conviction.
There are dozens of gun laws in Alabama. Many are specific to handguns, while others deal with rifles and shotguns. Still, others apply to other types of weapons.
Some of the most common charged we handle are:
Alabama law does not allow individuals convicted of certain felonies or misdemeanor domestic violence to possess or own a firearm. Federal law is even broader, and all convicted felons are prohibited from owning, possessing, or controlling a gun. If you have a felony on your record and are found with a firearm, you should call a lawyer right away.
If you unlawfully possess, obtain, receive, sell, or use a short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun, you will be charged with a Class C felony, punishable by between one year and one day and 10 years in prison. This law is one of many that prohibits possession of certain types of weapons and firearms. If you are arrested for possessing a prohibited weapon, contact Alabama Criminal Lawyers right away.
If you alter, remove, or obliterate a firearm’s maker, model, or manufacturer’s number or any other identifying mark, or you possess a firearm with an altered or removed identifying mark, you will be charged with a Class C felony.
If you knowingly carry or possess a firearm in certain places without authority to do so, like a courthouse, police station, or mental health facility, you will be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to three months in jail.
It is illegal to shoot or discharge a weapon into any occupied or unoccupied dwelling, building, railroad car, aircraft, vehicle, or vessel. If the building or vehicle was occupied, this is a Class B felony, punishable by between two and 20 years in prison. If it was unoccupied, it is a Class C felony.
If you believe you have been wrongfully charged with a gun crime, do not hesitate to call a gun rights lawyer for help. Alabama Criminal Lawyers will fight hard to protect your right to own a firearm.
Alabama has made significant changes to state gun laws in the past five years, and more changes may be on the way. It can be difficult to keep up with your rights and responsibilities as a lawful gun owner. When you make a careless or honest mistake, you could suddenly find yourself facing serious charges.
To learn more about Alabama firearms laws and the charges and penalties you face, contact Alabama Criminal Lawyers at (205) 981-2450 or use the online form to request your free evaluation.