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Michigan Open Carry Laws (2026)
Conditional: A Concealed Pistol License (CPL) is not required to carry a pistol openly if you are 18 or older, may lawfully have a firearm, and hold the pistol license Michigan law requires.
A Concealed Pistol License (CPL) is not required to carry a pistol openly if you are 18 or older, may lawfully have a firearm, and hold the pistol license Michigan law requires. A pistol holstered in plain view is not concealed. In a vehicle you need a CPL or home-state concealed license unless the pistol is unloaded in a case in the trunk. Without a concealed license you may not carry in banks, churches, courts, theaters, sports arenas, day care centers, hospitals or liquor-licensed places unless the owner allows it. Schools, polling places and clerk offices near elections are off limits too. A visitor with no carry license from their home state is not clearly covered (see the transport rule) and should not carry openly.
Official source: michigan.gov →
General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.
Open Carry in states bordering Michigan
The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.
- IndianaPermitted
Open carry of a handgun is allowed in Indiana without a permit for any proper person 18 or older. Indiana draws no distinction between open and concealed carry.
Verified May 31, 2026 · Source: in.gov · Full Indiana rule →
- OhioPermitted
Open carry of a handgun is legal in Ohio without a license. Ohio's concealed-carry law does not regulate open carry, and federal law bars handgun possession under 18. Openly carrying into a bar or other liquor-permit premises where people are drinking is a felony unless you hold a license and are not drinking. Schools, courthouses and other restricted places are off-limits, and owners can post signs banning firearms.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: ohioattorneygeneral.gov · Full Ohio rule →
- WisconsinPermitted
Open carry of a handgun is legal at 18 or older, with no license, for anyone who may lawfully have one. Without a license it is also illegal in government-owned or leased buildings, in taverns and other places licensed to sell alcohol for drinking on site, and within 1,000 feet of a school. A licensee may not carry in a place licensed to sell alcohol while drinking there. On school grounds it is a felony even with a license. Courthouses, police stations and jails are also off limits, even with a license.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov · Full Wisconsin rule →
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