In March, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed the bill making “Constitutional Carry” the law for Alabama – effective January, 2023. The bill was passed even though the Alabama Sheriffs Association of Alabama was opposed. “Unlike states who are doing everything in their power to make it harder for law-abiding citizens,” Ivey stated in a press release, “Alabama is reaffirming our commitment to defending our Second Amendment rights.” (The state’s motto is “Audemus jura nostra defendere.” (We dare defend/maintain our rights.). That’s three states that have taken this step for this year -- twenty-four states, almost half of the U.S. has Constitutional Carry.

Constitutional Carry allows anyone who can legally own a firearm to carry their handgun; no permit from the state is required. There are variations of this according to each state. It may be acceptable to carry concealed, but not openly, or sometimes vice-versa, or they require a permit to carry concealed. “Permitless Carry” requires an individual to meet certain qualifications. For example, in Tennessee you can’t have a D.U.I. in the last ten years to legally carry.

I contacted a friend, who is Chief for a city in Alabama. He explained that he is a supporter of the Second Amendment, which I already knew. “A carry permit is a good gauge to judge who you’re interacting with,” he told me. If they have a permit that usually means you’re dealing with a law-abiding citizen. “This will make it a little more complicated”, he added, “but we’ll adjust.” The department is currently working on policies for the new law. This is one of the main arguments against Constitutional Carry; it makes law enforcement’s job more difficult.

“It will lead to more guns on the street,” is another reason for opposing this type of law. Obtaining a permit in Alabama isn’t difficult. Submit the paperwork and pay a small fee. Nothing in this process was prohibitive, and there’s no class required as in some states. Fees generated were used to fund programs such as School Resource Officers for local schools. (The new law does provide funds to replace the loss of revenue from permit fees.)

Anyone who qualified had no problem getting their permit for carry. The only people who didn’t apply or couldn’t qualify for a carry permit and didn’t care still carried their weapons. I don’t think the new law is going to add significantly to the number of people who are carrying legally or illegally. As mentioned above, it will require new policies and procedures for officers on the street.

The advances for legal carry have come a long way in the past few decades. In the 1970’s very few states had permits for concealed carry. Now, almost half the states have Constitutional Carry; there will likely be a couple more before the end of the year. For law-abiding citizens desiring the carry for protection – which should be every law-abiding citizen – it’s a great time.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy. He is the author of The Book of Two Guns, AR-15 Skills and Drills, has a regular column in American Handgunner and makes some cool knives and custom revolvers. Visit Shootrite’s Facebook page for other details.