Montgomery Al – Governor Kay Ivey signed AL HB272 into law this afternoon. HB272 is considered the Alabama Constitutional Carry law where any person allowed to possess a handgun may now carry it concealed without a permit being issued.
This legislation was sponsored by Rep. Shane Stringer (R – HD102), was first read on the House floor on February 3, 2022, and had gone through each of the steps with minor changes until it was approved and sent to the Governor’s desk this afternoon to be signed. During the approval process many law enforcement officials expressed their concerns about the law and how it may affect their ability to protect the citizens. The Calhoun County Journal spoke with some of the chiefs from local agencies about their concerns [read the article], and learned the permits helped them to more readily ensure that a person carrying a firearm was lawfully allowed to.
The Alabama concealed carry law only applies to Alabama and does not allow residents to carry their firearms into any of the adjoining states without getting a permit. If residents of Alabama travel outside the state often and would like to carry their weapon, they must still secure a permit from the county sheriff’s office. If you are a resident of Calhoun County and still want to secure a permit, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office has made the process easier by allowing residents to sign up online.
Governor Ivey issued a press release after she signed the law. “Unlike states who are doing everything in their power to make it harder for law abiding citizens, Alabama is reaffirming our commitment to defending our Second Amendment rights,” said Governor Ivey, “I have always stood up for the rights of law abiding gunowners, and I am proud to do that again today.”
If you would like to read the full copy of the Final draft of bill, we have added it here. The new concealed carry law will go into effect on January 1, 2023, anyone carrying a firearm concealed prior to that date are still subject to possible arrest and charges.
3/10/22 6:47 PM – EDITORS NOTE: In the last sentence “anyone carrying a firearm concealed prior to that date are still subject to possible arrest and charges” should have read “anyone carrying a firearm concealed WITHOUT A PERMIT prior to that date are still subject to possible arrest and charges.
