In Indianapolis, Indiana, gun ownership is regulated by state and local laws. The Indiana Constitution states that people have the right to bear arms for their defense and that of the State. However, municipalities can regulate the discharge of firearms and it may be illegal to fire a firearm within city limits. Some counties have adopted resolutions on Second Amendment sanctuaries.
In order to legally carry a gun, concealed or openly, or have a gun in your vehicle without a license, you must be a suitable person as defined in Ind. Code § 35-47-1.Grounds for disqualification include a conviction for a felony or for a misdemeanor domestic assault offense. A license can also be denied if the applicant has been arrested for a violent crime and a court has found good reason to believe that the person committed the crime charged. Documented substance abuse within a given period of time is also a disqualifying factor, as is documented evidence of a given person's propensity for violent or emotionally unstable behavior. Indiana residents, or non-residents with a regular place of business in Indiana, can obtain an Indiana license.
The license request must be made to the local police department or, failing that, to the county police department. Five-year and lifetime licenses are issued to Indiana residents. Residents of other states can only be issued five-year licenses, except for active duty military personnel who become stationed in Indiana. Active-duty military personnel stationed in Indiana can apply for lifetime licenses through their local city or county police department. License holders must notify the State Police within 60 days of any change in name or address.
All weapons and devices regulated by the NFA are legal in Indiana. While Indiana law reflects federal law for the most part, it does not prohibit those who commit nonviolent crimes from possessing firearms. For people who are prohibited from possession because of a conviction for domestic assault, Indiana Code § 35-47-4-7 allows asking the court to reinstate the right after 5 years from the date of conviction. Suppressors are legal in the state of Indiana with the right provisions and tax stamps for the right federal entities and can be used for hunting. Starting Friday, Indiana residents are no longer required to obtain or hold a license or permit to carry a handgun. Almost anyone in Indiana has the right to carry or own a pistol, rifle, or shotgun without a permit or license if they are 18 years of age or older.
However, they must not be labeled an “inappropriate person” as determined by the state. To become a safer state, Indiana can enact laws that require background checks on all gun sales; encourage responsible gun ownership by requiring people to obtain carrying permits; and strengthen its laws to keep guns away from domestic abusers. It is illegal for anyone, except law enforcement officers and authorized school resource officers, to own a firearm on school property (K-12 and daycare) or on a school bus, except that legal gun owners can have weapons in their vehicles on school property as long as the gun is kept in plain sight in the person's closed motor vehicle or that the driver is only transporting someone to or from a school event. Indiana has maintained its licensing law to allow people who wish to carry weapons in states that require licenses to obtain one. Neighboring Illinois does not accept concealed carrying licenses from Indiana, and Indiana residents are not eligible to obtain a concealed carrying license from non-Illinois residents. Anyone who fits the above categories and is found in possession of a gun faces a minimum charge of illegally carrying a gun, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 365 days in prison. It allows law enforcement (and often family members) to request a court order to temporarily prevent a person in crisis from accessing weapons.
A permit from another state is treated the same as in the non-resident's home state or country, meaning that any restrictions imposed on the permit by the issuing authority would also apply to the non-resident while in Indiana. Under Indiana Code 20-26-9-4, a school board can authorize a person legally allowed to operate on school facilities. Sheriff Quackenbush said that while there are provisions that make law enforcement difficult for law enforcement, he is confident that systems can be established to identify those who should not carry a gun. If someone is legally allowed to own a gun but leaves it in plain sight in the car, they are guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Before Governor Eric Holcomb signed the bill into law, Deputy Chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chris Bailey wrote an opinion piece in The Indianapolis Star calling for the legislation to be vetoed. House Bill 1296 repeals the law that requires people to obtain a license to carry a gun in Indiana.
Indiana has maintained its licensing law to allow people who wish to carry weapons in states that require licenses to obtain one. Neighboring Illinois does not accept concealed carrying licenses from Indiana, and Indiana residents are not eligible to obtain a concealed carrying license from non-Illinois residents.
