#ConstitutionalCarry

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we discussed the idea of compensators on carry guns. If you missed that article last week, be sure to click the link here to read it. This week, I wanted to look at some of the constitutional carry statistics that came out along with taking a look at some of the pros and cons of constitutional carry. Let’s take a closer look at the good and bad of constitutional carry.

Oftentimes, when people ask me various concealed carry questions, I get asked about what’s best when it comes to carry permits. With a number of states passing Constitutional Carry, more and more people are starting to wonder if going through the extra steps of carrying with a permit is worth it. Depending on where you live, you may have several states around you that have constitutional carry while others will have only permit carry so it can be tricky to figure out what the best option is for you. Let’s take a closer look at Constitutional Carry vs Permit Carry.

Alabama hopes to become the 22nd permitless carry state in the union with the passing of Alabama House Bill HB272. The bill was passed early this month with 23 representatives voting “yea” and the remaining 6 voting “nay” after a 90-minute debate between representatives of Alabama’s senate. Permitless carry has become increasingly popular throughout the United States as it removes several barriers for law-abiding citizens looking to carry a concealed weapon for personal defense. Although a healthy majority of representatives voted to pass the bill, a handful voted no citing concerns by law enforcement.

Constitutional Carry is hot right now. The list of states officially supporting the practice has grown to nearly half of the US. Texas recently became the twenty-first such state, and this new legislation will go into effect as of September 1st of this year. Second Amendment advocacy groups are working with legislators in several other states as well, so hopefully, the list will grow beyond twenty-one in the not-too-distant future. According to the National Association for Gun Rights, some of the next Constitutional Carry candidates could potentially include Michigan, Alabama, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana, and South Carolina. With this, organizations like U.S. LawShield are endeavoring to provide relevant education to firearms owners.

As of the time of this writing, twenty US states officially recognize their residents’ inherent right to bear arms without the imposition of governmental permitting hurdles. Vermont led by example in this area, thanks to the particularly narrow wording of its state Constitution. Vermont’s legal language has never allowed for state-level restrictions on methods of firearms carry, so it is considered the first of America’s fifty states to recognize that the Constitution essentially serves as Americans’ permit – more by intrinsic prevention than by the retroactive action that other states have had to employ subsequently. For decades, Vermont stood alone in this distinction. TFB has covered some Constitutional Carry-related news from time to time, and a sampling of those past articles is listed below.

With more and more states allowing constitutional carry, I am started to become bombarded with questions about what they should do when it comes to different types of carrying. Some ask if constitutional carry is the way to go while others ask if having a permit is better in the long run. There are a number of things to consider when debating on going with constitutional carry or applying for a permit and paying the government to carry a concealed firearm. Both have their own specific advantages when looking at each independently. Let’s dive deeper into the pros and cons of constitutional carry.

The state of Iowa has just passed legislation that will make it the 19th state to enact Constitutional Carry, also known as Permitless Carry. Governor Kim Reynolds signed House File 756 on April 2, but the law won’t go into effect until July 1, 2021. Iowa becomes the third state just this year to legalize Constitutional Carry, following Utah and Montana. Governor Reynolds’ public comment on the bill follows:

It seems the big theme of the year is Permitless Carry. The State of Texas has recently seen 3 new bills come into play in regards to carrying a concealed handgun without a permit. Currently, Texans are allowed to carry a concealed firearm within their own property which includes their vehicles. Texas also allows the open carrying of long guns in public. However, yet to be allowed is the right to carry a concealed firearm on oneself without the issuance of a permit. The three new NRA-backed bills that have been introduced would allow Texas permitless carry to go from being an idea to a reality.

Concealed carriers of the Beehive state, rejoice! Governor Spencer Cox signed constitutional carry into law on February 15th, a late but welcome Valentine’s gift for gun owners. Adults age 21 and older will be able to carry concealed firearms with no permit. This new law takes effect on May 5th. Until then, the old law still applies.

In a 65-31 vote in the Indiana House, Bill 1369 passed meaning Indiana’s citizens will be able to carry concealed without the need for a license if the bill passes through the Senate. This is just on the heels of Montana becoming the most recent state to pass constitutional carry laws within its borders. However, the passing of this bill has led to some controversy with some saying that it won’t make residents any safer.

According to the Montana Free Press, as of February 18th, 2021, Montana’s House Bill 102 would allow state citizens to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. The bill clearly specifies that Montana’s citizens may (beginning June 1st, 2021) carry concealed firearms in public places like bars, restaurants, banks, parks, etc, while still giving private property owners the ability to prohibit the carrying of arms on their property. Montana now joins the ranks with 17 other states which allow for the permitless carrying of firearms.

“Constitutional Carry” or “Permitless Carry” became legal in Oklahoma this past weekend.  The law was signed by Governor Kevin Stitt in February of this year.  Oklahoma is now the 16th state that has some form of Constitutional Carry provided for its citizens.  For those unaware, Constitutional Carry allows people over 21 years of age to carry a loaded firearm on their person without a government issued permit.  Those that have convictions for felonies and domestic violence offenses are still prohibited from carrying firearms.

When it comes to concealed carry, whether you are brand new to the idea or a seasoned veteran with a desk drawer of 30 holsters, it is always good to be in the know.

North Dakota has passed constitutional carry back on March 23rd and the lack of ‘gunfire in the streets’ allowed the bill being signed into law to fall through the cracks.

Joining 11 other states in the Union, today the New Hampshire Governor signed a bill into law allowing for the concealed carry of weapons without a permit. Known as ‘Constitutional Carry’ the law allows both residents and non-residents to carry unless otherwise prohibited by law.