For a shall-issue gun law, authorities (usually the local police) are required to issue a concealed carry permit to any individual who request it if he meets the state's issuance criteria, often a background check and a safety class.
The following are undisputed shall-issue states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Alaska is both a "shall-issue" and an "unrestricted" state. Alaska does not require a permit for any law-abiding individual to carry a handgun, either openly or concealed, within the state's borders. However, the state continues to issue permits to any of its residents who meet the state's issuance criteria.
The status of Alabama and Connecticut is in some dispute among gun rights activists. The laws of both states, strictly speaking, would place them in the "may-issue" category, as permit issue is to some degree discretionary. However, the policies of both states are effectively shall-issue.
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