Two months ago in the wake of Donald Trump’s smashing election victory, ABC News reported on the reaction from gun prohibition lobbying organizations, expressing fears about the president-elect’s promise to sign national concealed carry reciprocity legislation if it reaches his desk.
The first step toward making their bad dream come true just took place with the introduction of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025, H.R. 38 by Congressman Richard Hudson (R-N.C.). The measure is already picking up support from major gun rights organizations including the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and Gun Owners of America, along with the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action and U.S. Concealed Carry Association, Fox News said.
The bill appears to have momentum, with more than 120 co-sponsors, all Republicans. According to Fox News, the bill is also getting support from Rep. Jared Golden, a Maine Democrat.
The full text is not yet available, but the title states, “To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a means by which nonresidents of a State whose residents may carry concealed firearms may also do so in the State.”
National reciprocity is a toxic subject among gun control proponents, dubbed “gun violence prevention advocates” by ABC News. They object to the fact that reciprocity would “allow gun owners with concealed carry permits to travel with their weapons to all 50 states, even those that do not honor out-of-state permit holders from doing so.”
Presently, several states and the District of Columbia do not honor out-of-state licenses or permits, as revealed by checking with Handgunlaw.us. The list also includes California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
According to Lawrence Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel, “This legislation eliminates the confusing patchwork of laws surrounding concealed carry permits that vary from state-to-state, particularly with regard to states where laws make unwitting criminals out of legal permit holders for a simple mistake of a wrong traffic turn. It safeguards a state’s right to determine their own laws while protecting the Second Amendment rights of all Americans.”
CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb is encouraging members and supporters to “tell Congress it is time to make reciprocity the law of the land.”
Gottlieb said the “way was paved” for reciprocity when the Supreme Court issued its 2010 ruling in McDonald v. City of Chicago by incorporating the Second Amendment to the states via the 14th Amendment.
“Passage of a national reciprocity bill will go far in the effort to fully restore the Second Amendment to its rightful place in the Bill of Rights following years of erosion,” Gottlieb asserted in a prepared statement.
Rep. Hudson, speaking to Fox News Digital, compared the proposal to what now exists with states recognizing the drivers’ licenses from all other states.
“When I drive to D.C. from North Carolina across Virginia, I don’t stop at the Virginia line and take a driver’s test to get another license,” he said. “The state recognizes that North Carolina license.”
Driving is a privilege, but bearing arms is a constitutionally protected right, a fact that several states apparently refuse to acknowledge.
NSSF alluded to the case of Pennsylvania mom Shaneen Allen, who made a wrong turn back in 2013 and suddenly wound up in neighboring New Jersey, where she was arrested after acknowledging in a traffic stop she had a licensed handgun in her vehicle. She spent 48 days in jail, and faced up to five years in prison until then-Gov. Chris Christie gave her a full pardon after her case became a national issue.
When reciprocity first was introduced, Allen endorsed it.
According to ABC News, 29 states now allow concealed carry reciprocity. In the holdout states, however, penalties can be harsh.
Contrary to arguments made the last time a reciprocity bill was introduced, a gun owner licensed in his/her home state would have to abide by all the laws and regulations of the state in which they were traveling. No state’s concealed carry laws would give way to laws and regulations of another state.
But opponents contend reciprocity would create a dangerous situation for law enforcement.
“The biggest threat here is carrying a firearm across state lines without a permit,” Monisha Henley, senior vice president of government affairs for Everytown for Gun Safety, told ABC News. “A piece that I really want to underscore is that law enforcement won’t know who has firearms.”
But proponents have maintained all along this argument is a false flag at best. Criminals already carry guns across state lines without any kind of a permit, and a reciprocity measure is not going to change that.
This time around, the Senate is under GOP control and there is new leadership, which may make the difference. Expect Democrats to line up against reciprocity and to bring out all of the old arguments, along with some new ones, in an effort to prevent H.R. 38 from becoming law.
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
I contacted my US Representative, Cliff Bentz (OR-2):
Democrats and the left better fear the future as Americans have proven that enough is enough. Wasted spending crime rainbows drowns racism hate division fraud acts of treason election interference inflation at record levels robbing the taxpayer to pay for programs that had no chance of succuss the infrastructure bill the laughing stock subject of the free world much like Joe Biden and his pimp handlers. Then there is the Ukraine the democrats laundry machine for money weapons energy climate change and the Russian narrative to continue. This administration and its band of deep state criminals need to feel the… Read more »
Why can’t legitimate studies be conducted showing the number of gun crimes, and then let us know how many of the crimes were committed by unlicensed criminals, or legally licensed concealed carry holders? I bet the numbers would speak for themselves.
Ohio is a state that has a form of constitutional carry, but it’s only good within Ohio. One needs an Ohio CCW to travel concealed in other states that afford reciprocity to Ohioans. Something else, all the doom and gloometd said it would be like the wild West here now. A year after passing, crime dropped. Also, we don’t have to tell an officer in Ohio if we have a gun in a vehicle when stopped. Ive been a ccw holder for several decades, I will always tell an officer if I have a gun one or in a vehicle… Read more »
Whaa Whaa Whaa! Lets stop playing games here and go for the meat of the situation. Constitutional carry across the land that is mandatory without exception. If a governor goes against it, throw him in jail for a felony just like they are trying to do to Trump. If we do get to the point that it is being voted on, I wonder what psyop the government is going to pull this time. I hope rather than shooting up a bunch of republicans like in Las Vegas they take their own out for a change. Hitlary was pissed when she… Read more »
Apparently Monisha is too stupid to realize cops don’t know who has weapons now. Concealed carriers have the lowest crime rate of any group including the cops.
“Shall NOT be Infringed,” meaning No Permit Required.
I demand concealed carry reciprocity and I expect Trump to keep his promise.
However, I also expect the congress and senate to screw us with maximum prejudice. At this stage it looks like it’s all about pissing down our backs and telling us it’s raining.
Why introduce it now, before Trump is Sitting president? It makes me wary of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. If done correctly, national reciprocity will be awesome, if done wrong, it will setback the 2A cause. Are they going to make the federal law include limitations? Are they going to effectively setup a federal concealed carry license? Are they going to allow reciprocity, but then allow states to use whatever method they want for revoking an out of state license? Since they have introduced the legislation, why have they not released the text? It doesn’t need to be a complicated… Read more »
This bill is garbage that we don’t need and Congress has no authority to pass, as We the People need NO permission slip from gov to carry nationwide! We already have Constitutional Carry throughout the USA per the 2nd, which prohibits the gov from infringing on our right to keep and bear whatever arms we deem appropriate! SCOTUS must slap down every state and Congress for presuming to have the power to require permits, and for denying the plain language of the 2nd, which prevents state and federal gov from passing ANY gun control laws.