Specific laws regulating firearms vary from state to state, and there are federal laws to consider, as well. As a brief overview, in the State of Georgia, adults over age 21 don’t need a permit to purchase rifles, shotguns and handguns, but DO need a permit to carry an open or concealed handgun. Weapons can be transported in vehicles only in certain ways, and failure to do so can result in arrest. There are certain places where a weapon may not be carried by anyone, including near schools, places of worship, government buildings and mental health facilities. Some types of weapons are illegal to own, possess or sell in the state of Georgia; these include sawed-off shotguns/rifles, silencers, machine guns and military-grade weaponry classified as “dangerous weapons.” Certain individuals, such as people under 21, current or former mental patients, and those convicted of drug-related crimes, may not possess a firearm at all. Federal law prohibits any convicted felon from owning or carrying a firearm, and if you assist a felon in obtaining one, you may also be charged with a firearms felony along with the person in possession of the weapon. Pointing a firearm at anyone without legal justification is a crime in Georgia, whether or not the gun is fired, or even loaded. And if firearms are present when other crimes are being committed, it can result in further charges and stiffer penalties upon conviction.