Legislation Thursday to ease the burden active-duty military service members face when renewing concealed-carry licenses

(Washington, D. C.)–U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Congressman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) introduced legislation Thursday in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to ease the burden active-duty military service members face when renewing concealed-carry licenses while stationed outside of their state of residency. The U.S. Military Right to Carry Act would allow servicemembers to renew their permits by mail and requires states to treat members of the military equally to state residents in issuing concealed carry permits. According to Senator Hawley, “The military men and women who serve our country shouldn’t face endless red tape in order to exercise their constitutional right to carry firearms and maintain their concealed carry licenses.”
Active-duty servicemembers on orders outside of their home states often face difficulties maintaining their concealed-carry licenses or obtaining them because of in-person or state-resident-only requirements. The U.S. Military Right to Carry Act would provide active-duty service members the option to renew concealed-carry weapon licenses by mail in their state of residency; Require state governments to implement a law to consider active-duty service members as residents of the state for purposes of issuing a permit to carry a concealed firearm in that state; and reduces a state’s federal grant funding if it refuses to offer military members these options for concealed carry licenses.