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Alabama To Allow Concealed Carry Without A Permit Starting In 2023

Alabama To Allow Concealed Carry Without A Permit Starting In 2023

Starting in 2023, people in the state of Alabama will be able to carry a concealed firearm without a permit.

This from americanlookout.com.

This is seen by many as a big win for gun rights and the Second Amendment.

The Associated Press reports:

Alabama to allow concealed guns without permit in 2023.

Alabama on Jan. 1 will become the latest state to allow people to carry a concealed handgun without a state permit that requires a background check.

The new state law ends the requirement for a person to get a permit to legally carry a concealed handgun in public. A person can still choose to get a permit if they want to do so.

The proposal had been introduced unsuccessfully for years in Montgomery, before winning approval this year.

The legislation was championed by gun rights advocates who call it ‘constitutional carry,’ in reference to the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Opponents, including state sheriffs and others in law enforcement, argued the permits help combat crime and enhance public safety.

The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, which lobbied for the Alabama legislation, said in April that 25 states now allow permitless carry.

State Representative Shane Stringer, the legislation’s sponsor, said:

It’s going to be a big step to help the average law-abiding citizen to keep them from having to go through the hoops of getting a permit to carry their weapons.

Stringer noted the law only impacts the permit requirement.

He said:

It’s not going to change who can and cannot carry a gun. People that are prohibited now are still prohibited.

More freedom for law abiding citizens is a good thing.

Many other states throughout the nation have already adopted a similar policy.

Below is a list of the twenty-five states that have Constitutional Carry laws, including necessary explanations concerning different restrictions:

  • Alabama: Law Passed, will be effective January 1, 2023. Minimum Age 21. Alabama Gun Laws.

  • Alaska: Law Passed in 2003. Minimum Age 21.

  • Arizona: Law Passed in 2010. Minimum Age 21.

  • Arkansas: Law Passed in 2018. Minimum Age 18.

  • Georgia: Law Passed April 12, 2022. Minimum Age 21, Active Military 18. Georgia Gun Laws Info.

  • Idaho: Law Passed in 2016. Minimum Age 18

  • Indiana: Law Passed July 1, 2022. Minimum Age 18. See Indiana Constitutional Carry Overview.

  • Iowa: Law Passed in 2021. Minimum Age 21.

  • Kansas: Law Passed in 2015. Minimum Age 21

  • Kentucky: Law Passed in 2019. Minimum Age 21

  • Maine: Law Passed in 2015. Minimum Age 21, Active Members of the Military 18. See Maine Constitutional Carry Laws.

  • Mississippi: Law Passed in 2015. Minimum Age 18

  • Missouri: Law Passed in 2016. Minimum Age 19, Active Members of the Military 18.

  • Montana: Law Passed in 2021. Minimum Age 18.

  • New Hampshire: Law Passed in 2017. Minimum Age 18.

  • North Dakota: Permitless Carry is for Concealed Carry Only. Open carry requires a permit. Law Passed in 2017. Minimum Age 18.

  • Ohio: Law Passed June 12, 2022. Minimum Age 21. See Ohio Constitutional Carry Overview.

  • Oklahoma: Law Passed in 2019. Minimum Age 21, Active Members of the Military 18.

  • South Dakota: Law Passed in 2019. Minimum Age 18.

  • Tennessee: Law Passed in 2021. Minimum Age 21, Active Members of the Military 18.

  • Texas: Law Passed July, 1 2021. Minimum Age 21. See Texas Permitless Carry Overview.

  • Utah: Law Passed 5/5/2021. Minimum Age 21. See Utah constitutional Carry.

  • Vermont: Law Passed in 1793 (not a typo), Minimum Age 18.

  • West Virginia: Law Passed in 2016. Minimum Age 21.

  • Wyoming: Law Passed in 2010. Minimum Age 21.

Final thoughts: Is this a good start to the new year for the citizens of Alabama? Would obtaining a permit to carry be a safety check or a hindrance?

I’d prefer to hear more of the argument by “state sheriffs and others in law enforcement” about their rationale behind permits helping “to combat crime and enhance public safety.”

Me? I have a Weapons Carry License and intend to keep it valid despite my state of residence being on the list above. I like to think of it as a CYA should the SHTF.