I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting stories about CCW and this one caught my eye. As you can read below, the stat of Utah has exceeded 500,000 CCW permits issued. Not bad for a state with a total population of 2.86 million people. At face value, that means that 1 out of every 5 residents of Utah have a CCW. Now those are my kinds of numbers.
However, as I dug deeper in the article, it turns out that 62% of those permits have been issued to people living outside the state.
The question becomes why? Well, it turns out that the Utah CCW permit is recognized as valid permit via reciprocity in 35 other states. With a permit cost of $51 for out of state residents, it offers a more cost effective solution for some than an in-state permit from their home state.
In truth, that makes the Utah permit a way better value than my own permit from my home state of NC. It costs nearly twice as much and offers less reciprocity.
Here’s the article reprinted in it’s entirety with a link back to the original article:
Permits for concealed guns: Utah hits 500K | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah just crossed a big threshold for a small state with just 2.86 million residents: More than a half million people now hold a Utah permit to carry concealed firearms — 521,914, to be exact as of Sept. 30,according to new data.
So Utah has issued enough permits for about one of every five residents.
That doesn’t mean the state has become the Wild West, though. The lion’s share of permits are going to people who live outside Utah. The split is now 62 percent to 38 percent, says Alice Moffat, director of the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification.
Why? Utah’s permit is recognized by more states than other permits, so many people want it to allow easier interstate travel with guns.
In other words, with a twist to an old TV series title: Have (Utah) gun (permit), will travel. That may also be a key reason why the number of permits has skyrocketed by a record-setting 126,000 during the past year, and nearly quadrupled in the past five years.
“Utah’s permit is a huge value. No other single state’s permit will get you 35 states’ recognition and reciprocity for $51 for out-of-staters, and $46 for in-staters,” says Clark Aposhian, chairman of the Utah Shooting Sports Council.
“It’s not the most popular permit because we made it so, but because 35 other states made it so,” he adds. “Each state can decide individually if they will recognize Utah’s permit. All Utah does when it issues the permit, is guarantee it is good in Utah.”
Too easy? » Some critics say Utah’s permit is too easy to obtain, and that is why it is popular. For example, Steven Gunn, board member of the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah, says it requires only “cursory knowledge of firearms laws” and doesn’t “require that people actually know how to use the firearm they possess.”
Nevada and New Mexico, for example, withdrew their recognition of Utah’s permit because it does not require live-fire training.
“But it really had more to do with money,” says Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, a concealed-carry-permit instructor. “Their citizens were getting Utah permits” because that was cheaper than buying one from their own state.
He says Utah fixed that problem, and likely prevented other states from also withdrawing recognition. “A couple years ago, we passed a bill saying if you are from a state that recognizes Utah’s permit and you want a Utah permit, you have to have a permit from your own home state first.”
It’s causing some buzz on Twitter as well since some are in favor while others aren’t:
@jnpearce @sltrib It can be perceived that more CCW permits are being purchased. In fact they are earned the money covers Utah process fees.
— Calvin Scott Johnson (@) Tue Dec 10 2013
My problem with the Utah CCW Permit Great Article https://t.co/nKxnsTgaCC
— 2nd Amend Defender (@) Mon Dec 9 2013
@VPCinfo thats bs and you know it. Utah ccw is taught in many other states because they have a reciprocal policy good for many other states
— Get_it_RIGHT (@) Mon Dec 9 2013
Oh no I gots a ccw from utah perfectly legal but ronnie say no #gunsense
— tacticool ronald (@) Mon Dec 9 2013
Finally, here’s a great article about why potential problems with the Utah permit process:
https://bulletsfirst.net/2013/12/09/problem-utah-ccw-permit/
I’d love to see a state by state comparison that includes the out of state permit fees per state. Assuming that the data in the story is correct, it makes a strong case for getting a Utah CCW permit if you will be traveling through that area.
