Some states require you to tell a police officer you are carrying before they ask. Others only if they ask. Of the states we have verified, most do not require it at all. Here is the rule in each state, with the law it comes from.
Duty to inform verdicts are published for 31 of 50 states. The table below lists every state with its rule and a link to its guide.
CCW Hub has verified the rule against the state's own published law for 31 of 50 states. The remaining 19 are shown as unverified rather than guessed at. Where a guide exists, it is linked and worth reading.
Alaska has a mandatory duty to inform law.
California does not have a statewide statutory duty requiring a concealed carry weapon (CCW) license holder to proactively tell a law enforcement officer that they are armed during a traffic stop or other encounter.
Read the California ruleDelaware does not have a statutory duty to inform law enforcement that you are carrying a concealed weapon during a routine traffic stop or other law enforcement encounter.
Read the Delaware ruleFlorida does not have a statutory duty to inform a peace officer that you are armed.
Read the Florida ruleGeorgia imposes no statutory duty to inform law enforcement that you are carrying a firearm during a traffic stop or other encounter.
Read the Georgia ruleIllinois has a duty to inform upon request, not a proactive duty.
Read the Illinois ruleKansas does not have a statutory duty to inform law enforcement that you are carrying a concealed firearm or that you possess a concealed carry handgun license (CCHL) during a law enforcement encounter.
Read the Kansas ruleMaine does impose a statutory duty to inform law enforcement, but only for individuals carrying a concealed handgun without a permit under the state's permitless (constitutional) carry law.
Massachusetts does not impose a general statutory duty to inform a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a concealed firearm.
Mississippi imposes no statutory duty to inform a peace officer that the carrier is armed.
Read the Mississippi ruleMissouri has no statutory duty to inform a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a firearm.
Montana has no statutory duty to inform law enforcement that you are carrying a concealed weapon.
Nebraska is a "Duty to Inform" state.
New Mexico does not have a statute that requires a concealed handgun licensee to proactively tell a police officer that they are carrying a firearm.
Read the New Mexico ruleNew York does not impose an affirmative duty to inform. A licensed carrier is not required by statute to proactively announce to a police officer that they are armed during a traffic stop or other encounter.
Read the New York ruleIf you carry a concealed handgun under a CHP, you have a statutory duty to disclose that you hold a valid permit and are carrying when a law enforcement officer approaches or addresses you.
Read the North Carolina ruleNorth Dakota's duty to inform a law enforcement officer of a concealed firearm depends on the legal authority under which the person is carrying.
Oklahoma imposes a duty to inform law enforcement and to produce a Self-Defense Act license when contacted, codified at Section 1290.14 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
Oregon does not have a statute that requires concealed handgun license (CHL) holders to proactively inform law enforcement officers that they are carrying a concealed firearm during a traffic stop or other law enforcement contact.
Read the Oregon rulePennsylvania does not have a statutory duty to inform a peace officer that you are armed.
Read the Pennsylvania ruleSouth Carolina does not impose a statutory duty to inform law enforcement that you are carrying a concealed weapon.
South Dakota has no statutory duty to inform law enforcement that you are armed.
Read the South Dakota ruleTennessee has no statutory duty to inform a law enforcement officer that you are armed.
Read the Tennessee ruleTexas does not have a statutory duty to inform a peace officer that you are armed.
Read the Texas ruleVermont has no statutory duty to inform law enforcement that you are carrying a concealed firearm during a traffic stop or other encounter.
Virginia has no statutory duty to inform a law-enforcement officer that you are carrying a concealed handgun.
Read the Virginia ruleWest Virginia has no statutory duty to inform a peace officer that you are armed.
Read the West Virginia ruleWisconsin does not impose a statutory duty to inform a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a concealed weapon during a routine stop or encounter.
A duty to inform is a statutory obligation to tell an officer you are carrying. Whether one exists, when it applies, and what happens if you stay silent are all set by each state separately, which is why this page reports them one state at a time rather than as a rule of thumb.
A state having no duty to inform tells you only that: that no statute requires you to volunteer it. It says nothing about other obligations that may apply in the same stop, such as carrying or producing a permit, or answering an officer truthfully. Those are separate rules and are covered on each state guide, not here.
Rules change. Each state guide cites the statute it relies on so you can check the current text yourself.
Browse all state concealed carry guides