In the United States, carrying concealed weapon (CCW, also known as concealed carry) is the legal authorization for private citizens to carry a handgun or other weapons in public in a concealed manner, either on the person or in close proximity to the person. The choice of permitted weapon depends on the state; some states restrict the weapon to a single handgun, whereas others permit multiple handguns or even martial arts weapons to be carried. CCW is a more generalized form of what some states call a concealed handgun license (CHL).

The current trend towards adopting concealed carry laws has been met with opposition; however, no state which has adopted a ""shall-issue"" concealed carry law has reversed its decision as of yet. Currently, 48 US states allow some form of concealed carry and about half provide for some variant on non-concealed ""open-carry"". In 13 states, the same permit or license is required to open-carry a handgun, but most states do not require a permit or license to carry openly; in six states, even with concealed-carry licenses or permits, open-carry is prohibited.

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