Is It FINALLY Happening? National Concealed-Carry Reciprocity Act Introduced

From sea to shining sea.

They’ve introduced legislation like this before, and it has failed. This time might be different.

Recently, U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson’s (R-N.C.) introded a new Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025, H.R. 38. In a nutshell, this act forces states to treat concealed-carry permits the same way they do driver’s licenses: e.g., your Nebraska license is valid in New York, but you have to follow New York’s rules while you’re there. Of course, this is the way it should always have been. There should have been no debate. After all, the Constitution specifically protects your right to keep and bear arms, but it does not discuss automobiles at all.

The fact remains, though, that the last 20 years are littered with failed Acts that either couldn’t get through Congress, or past the President’s desk. This time may be different. First, we have the Heller and the Brune Supreme Court decisions, which affirmed the Second Amendment as an individual right, and which stated that states cannot outright ban guns or concealed carry.

In the past, one of the arguments against concealed-carry reciprocity was that if a given state didn’t allow concealed carry for its citizens, that would mean that visitors to the state would have more rights than residents (which is, indeed, a problem). That’s no longer an issue.

The other thing that has changed in the last 20 years is that over those years, more and more states legalized concealed carry or constitutional carry. Every time it would happen, the state’s anti-gun pols and journos would pitch an extended freakout … but then crime would either stay static, or actually drop. As more and more regular citizens realized there was nothing to be nervous about, public acceptance became more universal.

Then there’s the Trump Factor. The 2024 elections put control of all three branches of government firmly into the hands of the party that has (sometimes imperfectly, but generally reliably) supported the Second Amendment. As such, if H.R. 38 doesn’t get through, there’s nobody to blame but Republicans in the House and Senate.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has some further thoughts … enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NSSF Welcomes Rep. Richard Hudson’s Concealed Carry Reciprocity Legislation

H.R. 38 Would End Patchwork of Confusing Gun Laws for CC Permit Holders

WASHINGTON, D.C.. — The NSSF^®, The Firearm Industry’s Trade Association, wholeheartedly welcomes U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson’s (R-N.C.) introduction of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025, H.R. 38. The legislation was introduced with 113 co-sponsors, demonstrating the wide-ranging support for protecting law-abiding concealed carry permit holders from navigating a patchwork of varying gun control laws when crossing a state line.

The bill aims to eliminate the confusion of varying state-by-state laws and provide protection for Second Amendment rights for permit holders. The legislation would allow handgun owners who are legally permitted and authorized by their home state to carry a concealed firearm to lawfully carry in other states provided they comply with the law in other states – much in the same way a driver’s license is recognized.

“This legislation eliminates the confusing patchwork of laws surrounding concealed carry permits that vary from state-to-state, particularly with regard to states where laws make unwitting criminals out of legal permit holders for a simple mistake of a wrong traffic turn,” said Lawrence Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “It safeguards a state’s right to determine their own laws while protecting the Second Amendment rights of all Americans. We thank Rep. Hudson for his leadership on behalf of the firearm industry that serves law-abiding gun owners who wish to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms across state lines.”

Unlike other rights protected by the U.S. Constitution, the right to keep and bear arms is regulated differently by individual states. While individual rights to speech, religion and protections of Due Process or Search and Seizure are constant and do not end at your state’s border, gun rights vary according to the state. Reciprocity agreements exist, but not between all states and are ever-changing. That puts individuals at risk of running afoul of varying state-by-state laws when traveling and crossing borders.

The pitfalls of these varying state-by-state laws were exposed when Philadelphia resident Shaneen Allen faced up to five years in prison for bringing a firearm into New Jersey in 2013. She held a valid license to carry in Pennsylvania, but not in neighboring New Jersey. The mother-of-two voluntarily told a law enforcement officer of the firearm during a traffic stop, but was still arrested, charged, convicted and spent 48 days in jail – all for having made a wrong turn and accidentally crossing the state line. Fortunately, after an 18-month legal ordeal, Republican Gov. Chris Christie pardoned Allen. Others are not so lucky.