California Ranked #1 for Strongest Gun Laws in the U.S., New Study Reveals

A new study conducted by High Rise Financial reveals which U.S. states have the strongest and weakest gun laws, and how those laws correlate with changes in gun death rates over the past ten years. The analysis, based on data from the Giffords Law Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), places California at the top of the list for the strongest gun legislation in the country.

According to the report, California has retained its #1 spot on the Giffords Gun Law Strength Rank since 2014, reflecting a consistent and aggressive stance on firearm regulation. However, the state has still seen an 8.49% increase in gun deaths per 100,000 people over the last decade, a trend mirrored across most of the country.

Top 5 States with the Strongest Gun Laws (Giffords 2023 Ranking):

New Jersey, which ranks second, is the only state in the top five to see a decrease in its gun death rate over the past ten years, down by 10.30%. In contrast, Illinois, while climbing four places in legislative strength since 2014, has experienced a 46.52% spike in its gun death rate, one of the sharpest increases in the nation.

“It’s clear that strong gun laws alone aren’t a silver bullet,” said a spokesperson for High Rise Financial. “New Jersey shows promising results, but other states with strict laws,  like Illinois and Connecticut, have seen significant increases in gun-related deaths. It’s a complex issue that requires a multi-layered approach.”

Bottom 5 States with the Weakest Gun Laws (Giffords 2023 Ranking):

At the bottom of the list is Wyoming, now ranked 50th out of 50 states, dropping six positions since 2014. Wyoming’s gun death rate has surged 40.63% in ten years, reaching 22.36 per 100,000 residents, nearly three times higher than California’s rate. Other states with minimal regulation, such as Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Idaho, and Montana, also saw dramatic increases in gun-related deaths, all exceeding 29% growth in a decade.

The Bigger Picture: Legislation vs. Outcomes

The findings highlight a critical national trend: even states with robust firearm legislation are experiencing increases in gun-related deaths. New Jersey is the only state in the top five to show a decrease in gun deaths over the last decade.

“There appears to be a general correlation between stronger laws and lower gun death rates,” the spokesperson added. “California and New Jersey, for instance, maintain relatively low gun death rates compared to lenient states like Wyoming and Missouri. However, rising gun violence across the board signals that legislation must be paired with enforcement, education, and community-based initiatives.”

Methodology

The study analyzed annual Giffords Law Center scorecards from 2014 to 2023, which rank each state based on the comprehensiveness and strength of its gun safety laws. Rankings were compared year-over-year to measure changes in legislative progress or regression. Gun death data was sourced from the CDC Wonder Tool, which tracks firearm mortality rates at the state level using standardized per-capita figures. A ten-year comparison was made using data from 2014 and 2023.