Can you open carry long guns in Philadelphia?
Executive summary
Open carry of long guns is generally legal across Pennsylvania without a license, but Philadelphia has long been treated as an exception that required a license to carry—open or concealed—on public streets; that special rule has been the subject of recent court rulings that have declared the city’s open‑carry ban unconstitutional while higher courts continue to review the issue [1] [2] [3] [4]. Practically speaking, the legal landscape is unsettled: a favorable Superior Court decision for open carry in Philadelphia exists, but litigation and appeals mean enforcement and legal risk remain in flux [3] [4] [5].
1. How Pennsylvania’s default open‑carry rule contrasts with Philadelphia’s historical carve‑out
State law and many summaries describe Pennsylvania as an “open carry” state where people 18 and older who may lawfully possess firearms can openly carry long guns without a permit in most of the commonwealth, while Philadelphia—the only “city of the first class”—has been treated as requiring a license to carry on public streets regardless of whether the gun is concealed or visible [6] [7] [1] [2].
2. The recent courtroom shift that upended Philadelphia’s longstanding rule
In June 2025 the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that Philadelphia’s open‑carry ban was unconstitutional in a case involving a Philadelphia man convicted for openly carrying a firearm, vacating his sentence and reasoning that the ban discriminated against city residents’ rights compared with the rest of the state; that decision explicitly held that open carry without a license is lawful elsewhere in Pennsylvania and that the Philly carve‑out placed city residents at a “special disadvantage” [3] [5].
3. Ongoing appeals and remaining legal uncertainty
That Superior Court ruling has not been the final word: the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has been asked to weigh whether the special licensing rule for Philadelphia violates state and federal equal‑protection guarantees and is considering cases that squarely challenge the Uniform Firearms Act’s Philadelphia exception, meaning the legal status could change again pending higher‑court review [4] [8] [5].
4. City regulations, enforcement realities, and practical cautions
Philadelphia city authorities and municipal ordinances retain tools to restrict firearms on certain city property (parks, rec centers, city facilities) and the mayor’s office and local law enforcement emphasize more aggressive enforcement in the city; even where courts have questioned the license requirement, police encounters, arrests and local prosecutions have occurred and property‑owners’ “no firearms” rules and special‑use regulations can create immediate legal or criminal trespass consequences [9] [10] [2] [5].
5. Bottom line — can one openly carry a long gun in Philadelphia right now?
Legally the question is contested: authoritative reporting and legal summaries historically answer “no—Philadelphia requires a license to carry openly” [11] [1] [2], a 2025 Superior Court decision has declared that ban unconstitutional and allowed open carry in the city [3] [5], and the state supreme court is reviewing related challenges so the issue remains in active litigation [4]. Therefore, while there is a strong legal argument and a supporting appellate decision permitting open carry, the rule is not settled final law and practical enforcement and city rules can still produce arrests, prosecutions, or trespass claims depending on circumstances [3] [4] [5] [9].