SANTA FE, N.M. — A bill to allow permitless carry of firearms has been pre-filed for the 2026 New Mexico legislative session, joining a national landscape in which a majority of U.S. states have eliminated licensing requirements for carrying a handgun in public.
House Bill 81, sponsored by Rep. John Block and Rep. Stefani Lord, would allow adults aged 18 and older to carry a loaded firearm — openly or concealed — without obtaining a state-issued permit, provided they are otherwise eligible to possess a firearm under state and federal law. The bill is currently pre-filed ahead of the regular legislative session.
Permitless carry, sometimes referred to as constitutional carry, allows individuals who may lawfully possess a firearm to carry it in public without obtaining a concealed-carry permit from the state. Under traditional permitting systems, applicants are typically required to submit to background checks and, in some states, complete training requirements.
As of 2025, at least 29 states allow some form of permitless carry. Those states include much of the Mountain West, South, and Midwest, where legislatures have moved away from licensing requirements while retaining prohibitions for certain individuals and restrictions in designated sensitive locations.
Several states have adopted permitless carry laws in recent years, while others have considered similar legislation. In most cases, permitless carry laws operate alongside existing federal prohibitions that bar firearm possession by certain categories of individuals.
New Mexico currently requires a permit to carry a concealed handgun, though open carry is generally lawful without a permit. House Bill 81 would remove the permit requirement for concealed carry, aligning New Mexico law more closely with states that have adopted permitless carry frameworks.
The 2026 New Mexico legislative session is scheduled to begin next Tuesday at noon.
