Four Categories
As of Jan. 2009, the 50 U.S. states fall into four categories concerning the issuance of permits to carry a concealed weapon: “shall-issue” (37 states), “may-issue” (nine states), “no-issue” (two states) and “unrestricted” (two states). The wording of the Alabama law is ambiguous concerning these categories, but in practice it is generally recognized as a “shall-issue” state.
Shall-issue
“Shall-issue” means the state must issue a concealed-carry permit (or CCW) to an individual who meets the state’s minimum requirements. For instance, if there is nothing written in the law barring an applicant who spent time in a mental institution from carrying a concealed weapon, the state must issue the permit. In Jan. of 2009 there were 37 shall-issue states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
May-issue
“May-issue” means the state has minimum requirements for a CCW permit, but can also refuse an applicant for whatever reason it deems necessary. In Jan. 2009 the nine may-issue states were: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.
No-issue
“No-issue” means the state will not issue or recognize a concealed-carry permit. In Jan. of 2009 there were only two no-issue states: Illinois and Wisconsin.
Unrestricted
There are two states where no permit is required to carry a concealed weapon. These states are “unrestricted” in terms of a CCW: Alaska and Vermont.
Reciprocity
Concealed-carry laws differ between all U.S. states, but there are also reciprocity laws between certain states. If a reciprocity agreement exists between two states, a person with a permit from one state will be recognized as a licensed CCW permit holder in the other state, irregardless of that state’s requirements. Though Alaska is an unrestricted state, it still issues a reciprocity permit for those traveling out-of-state. Vermont does not do this, nor will it recognize another state’s CCW permit.
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