Most states are “shall issue” states. This means that if an applicant satisfies the legal requirements and completes whatever training course may be required under state law, the state shall—or must—issue the applicant a permit or license to carry a handgun. Put simply, if an applicant ticks all the boxes as required by state law, the government authority in charge of licensing or permitting handgun owners who wish to carry in public is obligated to issue a license to the applicant.