May-issue: The state applies discretion in granting permits to carry  concealed handguns. Shall-issue: Issuing authorities are required to issue a permit to an  applicant that fulfills the objective statutory criteria if no statutory  reason for denial exists. Permit not required: States do not require a permit to carry a  concealed handgun. Shall-issue states generally issue more permits than may-issue states  relative to the state population. V for information on the  approximate number of active permits by state as of December 31, 2011.) of permit applicants. States’ Eligibility Requirements Differ; Thus Some States Would Issue a Permit to an Applicant and Others Would Not

While the majority of states share some common eligibility requirements  for qualifying an individual for a concealed carry permit, such as firearms  safety training and being at least 21 years of age, the 9 states included in  our case study that issue permits define certain eligibility requirements  very differently, which can affect who is granted a permit (see app. Majority of States Recognize Permits of at Least 20 Other States; May- Issue States Generally Do Not Grant Reciprocity

As of March 2012, 39 of the 48 states that issue permits and Vermont allow  concealed carry, and recognize permits from other states. In addition,  Illinois and the District of Columbia do not allow concealed carrying of  handguns or issue permits, nor do they recognize other states’ permits. Select States Reported Having Mechanisms to Monitor Continued Eligibility

Issuing authorities from all 9 states included in our case study reported  that they take action to confirm an individual’s continued eligibility to hold  a permit as part of the permit renewal process, and 8 of these 9 states  also use mechanisms to monitor resident permit holders’ continued  eligibility between issuance and renewal. In 8 of the 9 states that issue permits in our case study, issuing  authorities are to be notified if a resident or nonresident permit holder  commits a disqualifying act within their state through law enforcement or  state databases. After detecting a disqualifying criminal offense or other disqualifying  factors, officials from each of the 9 states in our case study that issues  permits reported that they begin the revocation process by notifying the  permit holder through a letter or court order, or in some cases, issuing  authorities send law enforcement to deliver the letter and retrieve the  permit. In addition, these states have varying retrieval  processes. Of the 9 states in our case study that issue permits, 3 (Georgia, Maryland,  and Tennessee) reported that they can impose a penalty for failure to  surrender a revoked permit or continuing to possess one. Law Enforcement in Select States Visually Check Permits to Verify Validity, among Other Actions

When encountering an individual with a concealed carry permit, such as  during a routine traffic stop, law enforcement officials in our 9 case study  states that issue permits told us that they visually inspect a permit to  verify its status to ensure it is valid and active. 8. 7. Specifically, there  is a definition for what constitutes a felony. Appendix II: Objectives, Scope and Methodology

This report describes (1) the extent to which states allow concealed carry  permits, and how select states’ eligibility requirements and laws regarding  and recognition of other states’ permits differ, (2) what processes select  states use to help ensure they revoke permits when holders no longer meet  eligibility requirements, and (3) how law enforcement officials in select  states determine whether permits they encounter are current and valid. However the results cannot be  generalized across all states. The information obtained from these case  studies provides a broad understanding of the different requirements and  processes states utilize in issuing permits. Reciprocity—the number of states that have reciprocity with each  other and the number of agreements in place. To determine states’ concealed carry permit practices and whose permits  they honor, we gathered information on permit issuing laws, issuing  authorities, and reciprocity agreements for the 50 states and the District  of Columbia. This report presents the states’ laws as they were as of  March 2012. To identify how law enforcement officials in the 9 select states that issue  permits determine whether permits they encounter are current and valid,  we obtained information on the physical features embedded in each state’s  permit, and the state and federal systems utilized to check the status of  permits, and we interviewed state and local law enforcement officials  across the 9 states to obtain information on processes they use to validate  permits.
Why GAO Did This Study

According to state reporting to GAO, there were at least 8 million active permits to carry concealed handguns in the United States as of December 31, 2011. States and local authorities control the issuance of concealed carry permits. Applicants who wish to obtain such permits are required to meet certain state eligibility requirements, such as minimum age and the lack of a felony conviction. States also decide which other states permits to honor. Typically, states enter into reciprocity agreements that establish which out of- state permit holders can carry concealed firearms within each state. In recent years, Members of Congress have introduced legislation that would require each issuing state to recognize any permit. GAO was asked to provide information on the status of concealed carry permitting. This report describes (1) the extent to which states allow concealed carry permits, and how select states eligibility requirements and recognition of other states permits differ, (2) what processes select states use to help ensure they revoke permits when holders no longer meet eligibility requirements, and (3) how law enforcement officials in select states determine whether permits they encounter are current and valid. GAO gathered information on the number of permits, laws, issuing authorities, and reciprocity agreements for 50 states and the District of Columbia, and conducted a case study on 9 states that issue permits. GAO selected these states to reflect differences among states eligibility requirements, state reciprocity of permits, and permit issuing processes; the results cannot be generalized across all states but provide a broad understanding of the different requirements and processes states utilized in issuing permits.

What GAO Found

The number of states allowing concealed carry permits is increasing, and states broadly differ in eligibility requirements and the extent to which they have reciprocity agreements. In June 2002, 7 states and the District of Columbia prohibited the concealed carry of handguns. As of March 2012, individuals can carry concealed handguns in all but 1 state (Illinois) and the District of Columbia. Shall-issue statesin which issuing authorities are required to issue a permit to an applicant that fulfills the objective statutory criteria generally issue more permits than states with greater discretion in granting permits (may-issue states). Because of differing eligibility requirements, some states would issue a permit to an applicant, while others would not. For example, some states define what constitutes a disqualifying felony differently or have different firearms training requirements. As of March 2012, 39 states that issue permits and Vermont (permits not required) recognize concealed carry permits from other states. Of the 9 states that do not grant reciprocity, 8 are may-issue states.
Issuing authorities from all 9 states included in GAOs case study stated that they take action to confirm an individuals continued eligibility to hold a permit as part of the permit renewal process; and issuing authorities from 8 of these 9 states reported using mechanisms to monitor resident permit holders continued eligibility between issuance and renewal. In these 8 states, issuing authorities told GAO that they are notified if a permit holder commits a disqualifying act within their state through law enforcement or state databases. After detecting a disqualifying criminal offense or other disqualifying factors, each of the 9 states begins the revocation process by notifying the permit holder. The states have varying retrieval processes, and 3 of them have authority to impose a penalty for failure to surrender a revoked permit or continuing to possess one. Law enforcement in the 9 case study states that issue permits told GAO that when encountering permits, such as during routine traffic stops, they visually check them and can take additional steps, such as checking state databases, as needed, to determine whether the permits are current and valid.
Law enforcement in the 9 case study states that issue permits told GAO that when encountering permits, such as during routine traffic stops, they visually check them and can take additional steps, such as checking state databases, as needed, to determine whether the permits are current and valid.