Indiana is a permitless carry state. Since July 1, 2022, most adults 18 and older can carry a handgun, open or concealed, without a license. The state still issues a License to Carry Handgun (LTCH), and it costs nothing. Most carriers who travel should get one anyway, because it is what lets you carry legally in about 31 other states.
This guide covers who can carry without a license, how to get the free license (including the lifetime version), where it’s honored, where you can’t carry, and how Indiana’s self-defense laws work.
Last verified: November 2, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the sources at the bottom before you rely on any detail.
Indiana Concealed Carry At A Glance
| Permitless carry | Yes, since July 1, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Minimum age to carry | 18 |
| Permit name | License to Carry Handgun (LTCH) |
| Issued by | Indiana State Police |
| Permit fee | $0 |
| Permit length | 5 years or lifetime |
| Training required | No |
| Online course counts? | Not applicable (no training required) |
| Non-resident permit | Limited (only if you work or do business in Indiana) |
| Lifetime permit | Yes |
| States that honor it | About 31 |
| Last verified | November 2, 2026 |
Do You Need A Permit To Carry In Indiana?
No, not inside Indiana. House Enrolled Act 1296 made Indiana a permitless carry state on July 1, 2022. Under IC 35-47-2-1.5, you can carry a handgun without a license if you are at least 18 and are not a “prohibited person.”
You are a prohibited person, and cannot carry with or without a license, if you:
- Have been convicted of a state or federal crime punishable by more than one year in prison
- Have been convicted of domestic violence, domestic battery or criminal stalking (unless your rights were restored)
- Are subject to a protective order issued under IC 34-26-5
- Are a fugitive from justice, or are under indictment for a felony
- Have been adjudicated dangerous under IC 35-47-14-6 (Indiana’s red flag law)
- Have been adjudicated a mental defective or committed to a mental institution
- Were dishonorably discharged from the military or National Guard
- Have renounced your U.S. citizenship, or are an alien
- Are under 18, or under 23 with certain juvenile adjudications (unless an exception under IC 35-47-10 applies)
If you aren’t sure whether one of these applies to you, the Indiana State Police recommends applying for the free license. ISP runs the background check, so an approved license confirms you qualify.
Why Get An Indiana License To Carry Handgun Anyway?
Carrying without a license only works inside Indiana. The license is free and adds three things permitless carry can’t:
- Carry in other states. About 31 states honor the Indiana license. Without one, you have no permit for other states to recognize.
- Faster gun purchases. An Indiana LTCH issued within the past five years can be used in place of the NICS background check when you buy from a dealer.
- Proof you qualify. The ISP background check settles whether you are a prohibited person before you ever need to know.
How To Get An Indiana License To Carry Handgun
The Indiana State Police issues the license through an online portal. There is no class and no shooting test.
- Apply online through the ISP Firearms License Application Portal. After you submit, you have 365 days to finish steps 2 and 3.
- Get fingerprinted. Schedule an electronic fingerprint appointment through IdentoGO. Mailed fingerprint cards are not accepted.
- Finish processing at your local police agency. Visit your county sheriff or city police department to complete the application. It’s then sent to ISP for final review.
- Watch the mail. If approved, ISP mails your license. If denied, you’ll receive a letter explaining how to appeal.
Cost: The license itself is free. The 5-year license has been fee-exempt since July 1, 2020, and the lifetime license since July 1, 2021 (IC 35-47-2-4). Duplicates cost $20. Check with IdentoGO for any fingerprinting charge.
Who can apply: Indiana residents 18 and older who are not prohibited persons. You can track your application on ISP’s check my application status page.
Do You Need A Class For An Indiana Carry Permit?
No. Indiana has no training requirement for the License to Carry Handgun, and none for permitless carry. Neither IC 35-47-2-3 nor IC 35-47-2-4 requires a course or a shooting test.
That also means nobody checks whether you know the rules before you carry. Taking a short firearm-safety course before you apply is the easiest way to learn safe handling, the places you can’t carry and when force is legally justified.
Get Started On Your Permit Online
Watch a short instructional video on firearm safety and responsible carry, take a 10-question quiz, and download your certificate of completion. Then apply for your free Indiana license through ISP.
Start The Free Online Safety Video →
The certificate is a training record, not a license or permit. In Indiana you apply for the License to Carry Handgun with the Indiana State Police.
Indiana Lifetime Handgun License
Indiana is one of the few states that issues a lifetime carry license, and since July 1, 2021 it has been free. Under IC 35-47-2-3, you choose a 5-year license, a lifetime license, or both: ISP lets you hold the two at the same time.
- Who qualifies: Indiana residents who meet the same requirements as the 5-year license. Non-residents can’t get a lifetime license (IC 35-47-2-4(d)).
- How to apply: Use the same ISP portal and choose the lifetime option.
- Why it matters: You never renew. But note that the NICS exemption for gun purchases applies only to a license issued within the past five years, so some holders keep a current 5-year license alongside the lifetime one.
Can Non-Residents Get An Indiana Carry License?
Only in a narrow case. A non-resident can apply for a 5-year Indiana license if they have a regular place of business or employment in Indiana, through the sheriff of that county (IC 35-47-2-3(a)(2)). Everyone else needs a permit from their home state, or another state’s non-resident permit, to carry under reciprocity.
Which States Honor The Indiana License To Carry Handgun?
About 31 states honor the Indiana license, according to Indiana’s official FAQ. Two big exceptions are Illinois and New York, neither of which honors it.
The Indiana State Police does not keep its own reciprocity list. Before you travel, check a current reciprocity map such as handgunlaw.us, and the laws of every state you’ll drive through. Some states also limit honored permits to holders 21 and older, which matters for Indiana license holders aged 18 to 20.
Going next door? See our Kentucky, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio guides, or the full concealed carry laws by state list.
Can You Open Carry In Indiana?
Yes. Indiana’s permitless carry law covers carrying a handgun, openly or concealed, so anyone 18 or older who isn’t a prohibited person can open carry without a license. That includes keeping a handgun in your vehicle. State law also preempts local gun ordinances (IC 35-47-11.1-2), so cities can’t set stricter carry rules than the state.
Open carry is legal, but private businesses can still ask you to leave, and it can draw more attention from police and the public than concealed carry.
Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In Indiana?
Yes. If you’re 18 or older and not a prohibited person, you can carry a handgun in your vehicle, loaded and within reach, without a license. Two parking lot rules are worth knowing:
- At work: Under IC 34-28-7-2, most employers can’t ban employees from keeping a legally owned firearm locked in the trunk, in the glove compartment of a locked vehicle, or out of sight inside a locked vehicle. Some workplaces are exempt, including schools, child care institutions, penal facilities and certain utilities.
- At school: A gun in your car in a school parking lot must be locked in the trunk, kept in the glove compartment of the locked vehicle, or stored out of plain sight in the locked vehicle (IC 35-47-9-2). Leaving it in plain view in a school parking lot is a Class A misdemeanor.
Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In Indiana
A permit or permitless status doesn’t change these. Indiana law and administrative rules prohibit firearms in places including:
- School property and school buses (IC 35-47-9), with limited exceptions
- Airports and aircraft, including secured areas (IC 35-47-6)
- Riverboat and other casinos regulated by the Indiana Gaming Commission (68 IAC 1-7-1)
- Federal buildings and courthouses, under federal law
- Private property where the owner prohibits firearms: businesses and employers can ban guns on their premises
Indiana has no state statute banning carry in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, places of worship, hospitals, or sports arenas. But property owners and administrative rules can still restrict them, so watch for posted signs.
Duty to inform: Indiana law does not require you to tell an officer you’re carrying during a stop. Answer truthfully if asked.
Indiana Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law
Indiana is a stand-your-ground state. IC 35-41-3-2 lets you use reasonable force, including deadly force, without a duty to retreat, if you reasonably believe it’s necessary to prevent serious bodily injury to yourself or someone else, or to stop a forcible felony.
- Castle doctrine: The same statute covers defending your dwelling, its curtilage (the yard and area around your home) and an occupied vehicle against unlawful entry or attack.
- Civil immunity: Since 2019, IC 34-30-31 shields a person whose use of force was justified from civil lawsuits over it.
- Limits: The justification isn’t available if you are committing a crime, provoked the fight, or were the initial aggressor and didn’t withdraw. It also doesn’t cover resisting a lawful arrest.
The law protects a justified use of force. It doesn’t stop you from being arrested, investigated or charged while prosecutors decide whether your actions were justified, and a criminal defense can be expensive even when you did nothing wrong.
Protect Yourself After A Self-Defense Incident
CCW Safe is a self-defense legal protection membership. It covers attorney fees for members involved in a self-defense incident, so you aren’t paying for a criminal defense lawyer out of your own pocket.
Indiana Concealed Carry FAQ
Yes. Since July 1, 2022, anyone 18 or older who isn’t a prohibited person under IC 35-47-2-1.5 can carry a handgun in Indiana without a license.
Nothing. Both the 5-year and lifetime License to Carry Handgun are free. A duplicate license costs $20.
18, both for permitless carry and for the License to Carry Handgun.
No. Indiana has no training or shooting test requirement, but a safety course is a smart step before you carry.
No Indiana statute bans carrying in a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol. The owner can still prohibit guns on the premises, so watch for posted signs.
Yes, unless the church prohibits it. Indiana has no state statute banning firearms in places of worship, but a church can ban guns on its property like any private property owner. Many churches allow members of a designated safety team to carry.
Indiana’s permitless carry law lets eligible adults carry without any license, so a visitor who isn’t a prohibited person generally doesn’t need Indiana to recognize their home permit. Check the current law before you travel.
Sources
- Indiana State Police, Firearms Licensing and Apply For A New License To Carry
- Indiana State Police, Permitless Carry notice (IC 35-47-2-1.5 prohibited persons)
- Indiana Code, Title 35, Article 47 (IC 35-47-2-3 and 35-47-2-4)
- State of Indiana FAQ, Which states honor my Indiana handgun license?
- State of Indiana FAQ, Places where carry is prohibited
- Giffords Law Center, Stand Your Ground In Indiana (IC 35-41-3-2)