Twenty-four state attorneys general support the enactment of national concealed carry reciprocity legislation.
The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, introduced by North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson on January 3, 2025, is gaining traction in the House of Representatives. The bill aims to address the legal minefield faced by responsible gun owners when traveling due to the patchwork of state laws.
If passed, the Act would ensure that states honor concealed-carry permits much like they do with driver's licenses. This reciprocity would be extended to individuals who are legally permitted to carry concealed firearms in their home states and would allow them to do so in any other states.
The more than 22 million concealed-carry permit holders view the passage of H.R. 38 as a matter of policy and principle, arguing that the Constitution does not end at state lines. Empirical data suggests that concealed handgun license holders are significantly less likely to commit crimes than the general population, with Texas CHL holders, for example, being convicted of crimes at a rate of 0.3%, compared to 4.5% for non-license holders.
North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson argues that the Second Amendment right should not disappear when individuals cross state lines, and there should be no reason for an individual to become a criminal simply by moving from one state to another. The signatories of a recent letter, who all represent states that have adopted constitutional-carry laws, declared that "recognizing a broad right of concealed carry among law-abiding Americans promotes public safety and respects the fundamental liberties of our constituents."
However, critics of H.R. 38 often frame the bill as dangerous, suggesting it would lead to an increase in violence. In response, state attorneys general, from Alabama to Alaska, have united in support of the Act, pushing back on the objection that H.R. 38 intrudes upon "states' rights," stating that "Citizens have rights, while governments have powers... and no state has the power to violate the fundamental, enumerated rights of we the people."
John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, has summarized studies showing that violent crime tends to decrease as the number of carry permits increases, particularly in states with constitutional-carry laws. It is important to note that the bill specifies that individuals prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms will remain barred from carrying under this Act.
As of now, the House Judiciary Committee has yet to mark up the bill, but momentum is building due to mounting pressure from state attorneys general, the NRA, and Americans who value the U.S. Constitution. On May 21, 2025, state attorneys general sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) urging a floor vote and swift passage of the Act.
The bill has yet to reach a floor vote in the House of Representatives, and it remains unclear how it would handle states that do not issue concealed carry permits or have stricter requirements. Nonetheless, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act continues to be a topic of discussion and debate in the realm of gun rights and public safety.
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