AL: Free Carry Permits for Retired Military Veterans

Gun Watch ^ | 17 May, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

In Alabama, Governor Robert Bentley signed HB98, which provides for retired veterans who qualify, to obtain free pistol permits.  The bill was popular with the legislature, passing nearly unanimously. HB98 passed the House 93 to 4 with 3 abstentions. It passed the Senate 30 to 2 with no abstentions on 3 May, 2016, and was signed into law by Governor Bently on 13 May, 2016.

The bill applies to retired military veterans who are non-disability retirees from the Army, Navy, Coast Guard or Marines, or any reserve component thereof. From the HB98(pdf):

24  (b) Any retired military veteran who meets the
25  conditions for issuance of a pistol permit pursuant to Section      1    13A-11-75, Code of Alabama 1975, shall be eligible to obtain
2   the pistol permit without paying a fee for the permit. Upon
3   approval of the pistol permit application, the pistol permit
4   shall be issued by the sheriff of the county in which the
5   veteran resides upon presentation by the retired military
6   veteran of the United States government issued Veteran
7   Identification Card or a DD-214 Proof of Military Service form
8   and sufficient proof that the person is a military retiree.
9   The retired military veteran shall apply for renewal as
10 required by law, but shall be eligible to obtain renewed
11 pistol permits without paying a fee as long as he or she meets
12 the conditions for renewal of the permit.

A number of states make special provisions for verterans, allowing their military service to be sufficient proof of training to obtain a carry permit.  Alabama does not issue permits to non-residents, so the free permits are only available to military retirees who maintain a residence in Alabama.


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[marktwain]

Encouraging veterans to carry is good policy.

[Doogle]

Way to go Bama!

[Dusty Road]

No permit should be needed.

[Lurker]

Sure is.

L

[nicepaco]

If Nevada ever does this I hope they will include Air Force retirees too.

[Texas Fossil]

No permit should be needed.

I agree.

[trebb]

No permit should be needed.

True - but it's still a step in the right direction. If we expect all or nothing, experience says we end up with nothing. One step at a time, in the right direction, ends up with massive movement over time. How do you think the Left took us so low - they took every bit they could, no matter how small, over a long period of time. Many of their victories were so small we hardly noticed until the aggregate became so huge we didn't know where to start to fight it.

Go Alabama!

[ColdSteelTalon]

This is only for retired Veterans right? What about veterans that did not retire?

[marktwain]

Yes, only for retired veterans. Ordinary veterans have to pay the $20 fee.

[MSF BU]

Why non-disability? So you’re badly wounded from a war and you still have to pay? How about retired...period.

[Dusty Road]

No person who can legally own a gun in the United States should have to have a damn permit, especially those with a DD-214.

[COBOL2Java]

If we expect all or nothing, experience says we end up with nothing.

I wonder if we'll heed that advice this November.

[marktwain]

“Why non-disability? So you’re badly wounded from a war and you still have to pay? How about retired...period.”

The number of “Constitutional” or permitless states are growing. Alabama seems a good candidate.

I would like to see the states pass laws to grant free national carry permits for all honorably discharged veterans, saying that they are members of the state militia and are on duty whenever they are carrying a weapon.

I believe all states and territories have exceptions in their carry laws that allow military members to carry weapons when on duty.

[Squantos]

Its in there as well....

Section 1. (a) The words “retired military veteran”
8 as used in this section, unless the context clearly requires a
9 different meaning, means only those persons who are
10 nondisability retirees from active duty in the Army, or the
11 Navy, or the Marine Corps, or the Air Force, or the Coast
12 Guard of the United States or any reserve or National Guard
13 component thereof.

[Dusty Road]

Many Veterans due to wounds received were discharged, they did not retire. What a slap in the face!

[DIRTYSECRET]

Good point. Wanna see my DD Form 214.

[mcmuffin]

If Nevada ever does this I hope they will include Air Force retirees too.

LOL!

[niteowl77]

This is only for retired Veterans right? What about veterans that did not retire?

One of the ironies in our family was that one relative - a WWII infantryman who was severely wounded twice in addition to having a lifetime of nightmares from combat wherein he personally dispatched German soldiers to wherever it is that dead German soldiers go - had few of the perquisites enjoyed by his brother-in-law who retired from a support unit of the Army Reserve.

In Iowa, at least, there isn't any discrimination made between retired military and separated veterans: everyone pays, and any DD-214 will fulfill the training requirement of the CCW process, at least for the initial application. When renewal time comes, then a class will have to be taken because that DD-214 can only be used once.

Mr. niteowl77

[wita]

“I would like to see the states pass laws to grant free national carry permits for all honorably discharged veterans, saying that they are members of the state militia and are on duty whenever they are carrying a weapon”.

State laws would need modification to set up the militia. As of now in most states the militia might be authorized by state law but in the majority of cases, the National Guard has usurped the militia’s standing. So in every state to my knowledge the unorganized militia does not exist.

In addition since 45 is the upper age limit mentioned in US Code, it would be of limited value as a twenty year retirement would leave a veteran with just a few remaining years to enjoy the permit. I do like the idea of the free permit for military retirees, but should probably to be fair include retired law enforcement folks as well.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/311

[ColdSteelTalon]

So the DD-214 is only good for one time? Sounds silly to me.