The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) has launched its 2026 FPC State Freedom Index, which the organization touts as the “most principled, transparent, and unapologetic scorecard of gun rights in America.”
The index shows the state of the law of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., as of the end of 2025, giving gun owners a single, clear tool to see exactly how their state is failing them—and what to demand their elected officials fix. Designations included “Chad States,” 100%; “Freeish States,” 85-99%; “States of Confusion,” 70-84%; and “States of Disaster,” less than 70%.
“The 2026 Index’s scores show that far too many states run by supposedly ‘pro-gun’ Republican leaders are failing their own constituents, with only Kansas and New Hampshire earning a perfect 100% score,” FPC wrote in a news release announcing the launch. “Surprising exactly no one, California finished last at 4.55%. But the real disappointments? The so-called ‘Freedom State’ of Florida scored just 81.82%. Ohio matched Florida’s poor performance. And Nebraska underwhelmed at just 77.27%.”
FPC President Brandon Combs said every state except Kansas and New Hampshire has had ample opportunity to reach 100%, but instead, politicians in those states have chosen not to.
“That’s not a minor oversight—it’s a betrayal of the people and our fundamental rights,” Combs said. “These states need to get their act together and fix their laws to fully respect the right to keep and bear arms.”
According to FPC, the index gives gun owners and elected officials one clear, consistent answer to a simple question: Does your state respect the natural, pre-existing right to keep and bear arms? Unlike rankings that rely on opaque methodologies or political favoritism, FPC says this index objectively evaluates all 50 states and Washington, D.C. across 22 specific yes/no criteria in four categories—what can you legally own, how can you get it, where can you bear it, and other criteria, including preemption, registration, and more.
Combs added that all states should be free states, which is the goal his group is working toward.
“There is no excuse for bad laws and no excuse for more excuses from politicians,” Combs concluded. “Look up your state. Find out exactly how your government is failing you—then make your elected officials answer for it. Get to 100%.”
A deep dive into individual states is an eye-opening endeavor I’d encourage readers to try. My home state of Oklahoma is rated at 90.91%, putting it into the “Freeish State” category.
The two out of 22 categories that were faulted by FPC’s index dealt with an age-based ban on the ability of 18- to 20-year-olds to acquire a permit to carry a handgun in public for self-defense and a ban on carrying firearms at government buildings (other than schools, legislative/executive office buildings, courthouses/judicial offices, jails/prisons, mental health facilities, and military installations) that are open to the public.
At the other end of the spectrum, California was only greenlighted on one of the criteria—the fact that it didn’t have a law restricting the purchase or possession of body armor by lawful residents. That earned the Golden State a “State of Disaster” distinction.
Incidentally, along with California, 12 other states were ranked as “disasters,” including New York, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Hawaii, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Washington, Delaware, and Colorado.
