Child access prevention laws and firearm storage practices among households with children in 24 U.S. states, 2021–2024

To examine whether the presence and strength of child access prevention (CAP) laws are associated with secure firearm storage among households with children and whether overall state firearm policy restrictiveness moderates these associations. We linked Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (2021–2024) with three firearm law databases. The sample included 26,466 firearm owners with children in households across 24 U.S. states. Unsecure storage was defined as having at least one loaded and unlocked firearm in the home. Logistic regression models estimated the odds of unsecure storage associated with CAP laws, state firearm policy restrictiveness, and their interaction. Overall, 7.0% of households in CAP states stored at least one firearm loaded and unlocked, compared to 11.8% in non-CAP states. After adjusting for covariates, the association between CAP laws and unsecure storage varied by state firearm policy restrictiveness: CAP laws were linked to a greater reduction in unsecure storage in states with less restrictive policy environments. CAP laws may play an important role in promoting secure storage in states where broader firearm policy supports are limited. Further research is needed to understand how CAP laws might operate across differing state policy contexts to affect child safety. • Assessed the association between child access prevention laws and firearm storage. • Broader firearm policy environment modifies this association. • These laws are linked to lower odds of unsafe storage only in permissive states.