Gun Law Literacy Quiz: What Type of American Are You? (2026 Guide)

# Gun Law Literacy Quiz: What Type of American Are You? (2026 Guide)

> **Quick answer:** There are 4 gun law literacy types: The Informed Advocate (knows the laws and wants them enforced), The Engaged Bystander (cares but has knowledge gaps), The Frustrated Agnostic (understands the system but has stopped believing it can change), and The Policy Blank Slate (encountering these specifics for the first time). A 2021 JAMA Network Open study found that up to 74.5% of Americans — including gun owners — are unsure whether their own state has key gun safety laws.

On April 19, 2026, a man named Shamar Elkins killed eight children in Shreveport, Louisiana — seven of his own and one nephew, ages 3 to 11. Elkins had pleaded guilty to a weapons charge in 2019 and was legally prohibited from owning a firearm. He obtained a rifle through Charles Ford, a 56-year-old convicted felon who was subsequently charged with felon in possession and making false statements. Louisiana has no red flag law. The state requires no background check for private gun sales. And according to landmark research, most Americans couldn't tell you any of that.

## The Research: What Americans Actually Know About Gun Laws

The most comprehensive study on gun law literacy in the United States was published in November 2021 in JAMA Network Open. Researchers surveyed 6,721 U.S. adults living in gun-owning households across all 50 states. The findings were striking:

- Only 36.7% to 64% of respondents correctly identified whether their state had specific gun safety laws - Up to **74.5% were uncertain** whether their state had a Child Access Prevention (CAP) law - 55.5% of gun owners and 75% of non-gun owners were unsure whether their state had an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law - Anywhere from 29% to 74.5% of respondents weren't sure whether their state required background checks for private sales