U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- There are a record number of concealed carry permit holders in America, but they all face the same obstacle. Their right to keep and bear arms ends at their home state’s border.
It would be unthinkable for any other God-given right to be considered this way, but this is true of Second Amendment rights. States can issue permits for their citizens to carry a concealed firearm, but that right doesn’t travel across state lines.
Congressman Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) is working to change that. He introduced H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would treat a state-issued concealed-carry permit much the same way as a driver’s license. They would be valid across state lines and would give the permit holder legal protection for exercising their right to protect themselves and their loved ones.
That’s a critical need for the nearly 20 million concealed carry permit holders in the United States. It’s a community of gun owners who have only increased seven-fold over the last two decades. With more than 21 million background checks for the sale of a firearm in 2020 and an estimated 8.4 million of those firearms being sold to first-time gun buyers, the need to protect law-abiding concealed carry permit holders is only going to grow.
The Problem
The problem facing concealed carry permit holders is that their Second Amendment right is regulated differently by all 50 states. Sixteen states have some form of constitutional carry, meaning a permit is not required to carry a concealed firearm, though some in that list of states restrict that to only residents.
States enter into reciprocity agreements with one another. That means one state will recognize the validity of another state’s permit, so long as the two states agree. Still, other states and the District of Columbia refuse to recognize any permit issued by another state, only allowing individuals who possess a valid permit from that state to carry a concealed firearm within their borders.
So far, it’s not too confusing. Except for when a person is traveling. If a Virginia resident who holds a permit in the Old Dominion wants to travel south to Florida, that Virginia concealed carry permit is recognized through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. But if that same Virginia permit holder traveled north to New Hampshire, where no permit is required, they’d be breaking the law as soon as that person crossed the border into Maryland and would be in legal jeopardy through Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Second Amendment rights, in this case, don’t travel.
This isn’t theoretical. This actually happens and wasn’t any clearer in the 2013 case when Shaneen Allen, an African-American single mother of two who possessed a valid Pennsylvania concealed carry permit missed a turn and ended up in New Jersey. She was stopped by police, immediately told them of her permit and concealed firearm, and was subsequently arrested. She was convicted and spent 48 days in jail until then-Republican N.J. Gov. Chris Christie pardoned her.
The Fix
Congressman Hudson’s fix is simple. Treat the concealed carry permit the same way states treat drivers’ licenses. States don’t reject another state’s license just because it was issued by another state. They recognize its validity and the legal authority that comes with it.
The proposed legislation doesn’t mandate training standards or require states to adopt uniform codes as to when and where a permitted person can carry. Just like the driver’s license, the state still dictates what requirements must be met to acquire a permit and those states can still deny concealed carry in sensitive places. This proposed law also wouldn’t force constitutional carry states – that have no permitting requirements – to adopt them.
What the legislation will do is end the confusing patchwork of laws that creates pitfalls for law-abiding permit holders who choose to exercise their rights when they travel across state lines. It makes their right to keep and bear arms a right that is truly one they can exercise nationwide, not just in their state.
This is a fix that’s long overdue and Congressman Hudson’s been trying to fix it for years. Congress had 20 million reasons to act before the end of the year. Now, they’ve got 21 million more.
About The National Shooting Sports Foundation
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect, and preserve hunting and shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations, and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org
Yeah, the democrats are going to get right on that. Funny how (when republicans were the majority from 2016-2018 in both houses and the White House) that no one bothered to submit any of these wonderful bills to become law. Real funny. Hearing Protection Act? No. Concealed Carry Reciprocity? No. Repeal the NFA? No. Clintons in jail? No. FBI disbanded? No. ANY criminals in jail? No (except petty thieves, but not the political criminals). Term Limits? No. This whole government circus is just smoke and mirrors to distract us from the total collapse of the rule of law and the… Read more »
Don’t forget that we don’t have reciprocity because of Mitchy McConnell. This whole gun thing is a tool for votes from republicans. If it ended and demonrats said they like guns and have no problem with them we would probably never see another republican president and with the way things are now and all the changes the demonrats are going to do, that is probably going to be the case. If you can’t have a fair election then you don’t have a free people. You have masters.
Stay armed America.
You are partially right @cav2108 – and partially wrong. Yes, these bills should have passed in 2017 right after the Republican hat trick that gave the GOP control of both houses of Congress and the White House. But you are wrong that “no one bothered to submit any of these wonderful bills” — actually both the major bills were submitted. And both bills passed in the House of Representatives. The problem is that neither bill was voted on in the Senate. You can thank three specific people for the failure of the Republican senate to pass both these major reforms… Read more »
Good point, but I’m sure you know it’s more than these 3. It’s every corrupt cowardly Republican who DID NOTHING to force McConnell, under threat of loss of majority leadership, to do whatever was needed to push it through, including if necessary end the 60-vote cloture rule which he could’ve done by simple-majority vote anytime. Also every NRA member who voted for the vampires who keep LaPierre in power and use NRA as their piggy bank.
So HiLIARY would have been better?
You know your candidate is trash when all you have to justify voting for them is fear of someone else winning.
I think if we jump on the reciprocity band wagon that we are buying into giving our government the right to license as well as regulate our freedom of self preservation. I believe that part of the end game will be to price us out of being able to afford a permit as well as regulate the requirements to the point that only a few will pass the requirement determined sole-ly by their trained employee. Preferably, those who are politically connected will be able to obtain the license.. Sound familiar? Constitutional carry is the answer all across America as a… Read more »
“Reciprocity needs to happen.” Uh huh. Then NSSF should’ve pushed the vampires who control NRA to dump LaPew & resign instead of wasting $200 million defending their lavish sweetheart deals. $200m could’ve reelected Trump, fought the coup d’etat, saved AZ & GA etc. Where was NSSF when corrupt coward ‘Rs’ with a clear majority didn’t pass reciprocity in Trump’s first 2 yrs? Mitch could’ve ended 60-vote rule by simplemajority vote & passed it. Reciprocity’s dead with a D junta incoming, but ‘Rs’ & gun groups will keep using kabuki bills to pocket sucker cash as they’ve done for yrs. BTW,… Read more »
Meanwhile at NSSF: Back The Blue…The Blue that murdered a female veteran yesterday. The Blue That Backs The Coup. That put paycheck over oath & duty and Just OBEYED Orders to JF Observe racist terrorist AntiFa & BLM beat-loot-burn-murder property, dreams & lives. The Blue that murdered Malibu rancher Donald Scott, Vicky & Sammy Weaver, 89 innocents at Waco, Tony Timpa & yes, George Floyd, caused the riots they declined to stop, arrested innocent resistors. The Blue that will OBEY & enforce the new gun controls. Don’t forget, parrots: “Enforce Existing Gun Laws! Zero tolerance!” OBEY THE BLUE! https://waronguns.blogspot.com/2021/01/it-depends-upon-what-meaning-of-word.html Short… Read more »
the Video wasn’t clear. What was her intention inside the building? Maybe not a patriot but a anarchist. No argument with the other incidents
Air Force ‘Anarchist’ with 14 years, 4 tours & a security clearance. Uh huh.
Then why don’t YOU become a police officer and show us all how it SHOULD be done? Put up or shut up.
Nice sentiment but really not worthy of consideration at the moment. Democrats will have the House, Senate, and White House, very soon. In addition to those card-carrying Democrats, we have the undercover ones like Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, and many more. Might as well put my efforts and Hope’s into something more practical. Ordering a Rosetta Stone course on how to speak Mandarin Chinese so that I might better understand my new masters when Joe and the crew introduce them to us.
Grigori,
That’s one way of spending the money, the other is on preps.
I prefer not to be a serf.
GMC,
Fredy et al take care of that stuff, I just annoy you guys. I haven’t heard anything either, so I’m guessing that whatever the process is, it’s still going on.
@Dave – Is it possible that they’ve send email notification to the winner and are waiting for a reply?
Suggest they resend notification – some of us are not good about checking personal email consistently enough :).
Hi Finnky,
Anything is possible, I only know what I know. My suggestion is to address the comment to Fredy and see what he says. Like I said…Oh, and check your mail more often. %-)
FWIW, there was a degree of sarcasm in my post.
Grigori,
Glad to hear it, but it cuts too close to the bone to be truly amusing. With the Dotard and the Whore coming into power along with control of both houses and the backing of the deep state, I’m just about out of humor. Sorry.
Dave in Fairfax So true about the ruling party, it is only going to get worse instead of better, with the Whore being the TIE BREAKER in the Senate, chances of getting any good firearms legislation through won’t happen!!!!!!!!!! As far as any humor, it is almost like DUST IN THE WIND!!!!!!!!!
Might as well. That one would probably appeal to Lindsey and Tim.
I made a stupid comment and erased it.
While I appreciate the SIG 239, you really need a better photo to head your articles.
Also, as already noted, this is going nowhere.
With the Dems now holding all three branches of government, this idea hasn’t a snowball’s chance. We will be lucky to keep any 2nd amendment rights.
Whoa @RedState, watch your language. Yes, the Demoncrats do hold both houses of Congress and the White House (just as Republicans did in 2017-2018), and yes, Demoncrats will be far more effective at passing legislation than the Republicans ever. But, the Demoncrats do not “hold all three branches of government” — the three branches of government are not the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House. The three branches of our government are the Executive Branch (the Presidency), the Legislative Branch (the House of Representatives and the Senate together), and the Judicial Branch (the various federal courts, including… Read more »
Dems DO effectively control the Supreme Court, as we all saw when the 3 new ‘Federalist’ Society pics defecated on their oath, very likely ended the Republic, affirmed the ‘right’ of ‘the states’ to steal elections from their both own citizens & other states and install a federal junta by coup d’etat without even a metaphorical shot fired in defense. Probably partly to ‘head off’ court-packing threats, a cowardly self-fulfilling prophesy of preemptive surrender. Had they done their job & heard the cases as Alito & Thomas wanted, Trump would be in, no fear of packing. By caving to the… Read more »
Until the Dumbocrats pack the court with their liberal appointees. Nice try; no cigar.
I have been writing to President Donald John Trump about NATIONWIDE CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY.
I have also been asking for “QUALFIED IMMUNITY” just as the Police have and use when they use their gun on an individual.
I am VERY tired of the two tiered laws used by the “politicians / law enforcement / judges” that shield government EMPLOYEES — YET — prosecute American Citizens for the same exact actions.
You’re kidding, right? There won’t be any more pro-gun legislation passed under the new administration, it’ll be just the opposite.
Not gonna happen now. Or ever, apparently. When Congress had the House and Senate in Republican control, neither bill was brought up in the Senate. Now with the Dems in control your semi-auto rifle may end up being registered in the NFA database.
Not mine.
Not mine either, bring lots of BODY BAGS!!!!!!!!!!!
The 2nd Amendment says we already have it.
This bill, along with anything else related to the second amendment (to include the second amendment itself), stand a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving in the People Republik of Amerika! The America our Founding Fathers intended us to keep us dead! It died yesterday.
Only if we agree to same.