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Except for the promised signature by Governor Chet Culver, the Iowa House and Senate have passed, by very wide margins, a "Shall Issue" law for Permits to Carry Concealed weapons. Until now, the County Sheriffs of each of the 99 counties in Iowa held the power to issue permits to all or no applicants with no chance to appeal a denial.

It also moves Iowa to recognize all other states carry permits, not just with a reciprocity agreement. This was recomended by the Iowa DPS to make things easier and not have to figure out which states are legal to carry there.

For anyone with family in Iowa as I do, after 1-1-2011, it will be legal to carry concealed there with a Texas (or any other state) CHL. I had considered applying for the ever elusive Iowa Non Resident Non Professional Permit to Carry, which is hardly ever issued except to LEO.

For those with no reason to visit Iowa, you can now strap on your concealed carry weapon and travel from Laredo, TX to International Falls being legal the entire trip once the law takes effect.

Effective 1-1-2011, we can add one more state that honors our Texas CHL! It's a great day!

I bet that tightens Chairman Obama right up..

mikeintexas wrote:Except for the promised signature by Governor Chet Culver, the Iowa House and Senate have passed, by very wide margins, a "Shall Issue" law for Permits to Carry Concealed weapons. Until now, the County Sheriffs of each of the 99 counties in Iowa held the power to issue permits to all or no applicants with no chance to appeal a denial.

It also moves Iowa to recognize all other states carry permits, not just with a reciprocity agreement. This was recomended by the Iowa DPS to make things easier and not have to figure out which states are legal to carry there.

For anyone with family in Iowa as I do, after 1-1-2011, it will be legal to carry concealed there with a Texas (or any other state) CHL. I had considered applying for the ever elusive Iowa Non Resident Non Professional Permit to Carry, which is hardly ever issued except to LEO.

For those with no reason to visit Iowa, you can now strap on your concealed carry weapon and travel from Laredo, TX to International Falls being legal the entire trip once the law takes effect.

Effective 1-1-2011, we can add one more state that honors our Texas CHL! It's a great day!

Good for IOWA !!! Any particulars on the actual carry law? Places prohibited etc.?

I was surprised that the Gov said he would sign the bill, if passed.

gemini wrote:Good for IOWA !!! Any particulars on the actual carry law? Places prohibited etc.?

Actually, they don't restrict as much as Texas did. Carry allowed churches, hospitals, taverns, parks ("think of the children" a quote from an anti!). Mainly federal laws on restricted carry. I'll have to check on other restrictions.

Finally. Now I won't have to stop at the IA border to put the gun in the back of the vehicle anymore (after this year that is). TX-OK-KS-NE-IA,

mikeintexas wrote: For anyone with family in Iowa as I do, after 1-1-2011, it will be legal to carry concealed there with a Texas (or any other state) CHL. I had considered applying for the ever elusive Iowa Non Resident Non Professional Permit to Carry, which is hardly ever issued except to LEO.

For those with no reason to visit Iowa, you can now strap on your concealed carry weapon and travel from Laredo, TX to International Falls being legal the entire trip once the law takes effect.

Effective 1-1-2011, we can add one more state that honors our Texas CHL! It's a great day!

I was just there last week for my grandmother's funeral.

Aren't Iowa NonProfessional Permits to Carry Firearms just that -- not a concealed carry license? I know open carry isn't common there but now that you don't have to stay in the good graces to get or keep a permit, I'm curious. Similarly, if an Iowa permit allows open carry, I wonder if a Texas CHL by reciprocity would allow it (some states specifically say that they recognize another state's license by its "terms" and thus concealed)? If not, that might be a good reason to get one of the brand new, shall-issue non-res Iowa licenses.

SA-TX

The way I read it, SA, is they will be doing away with non-resident permits with this new legislation. With any other state's permits honored, there should be no need.

I also believe that it is a "concealed" permit. In the first 25 years of my life, I never saw anyone open carry except LEO. But I have been wrong before, too.

now I just need a reason to go to Iowa

Oh boy, there goes Iowa's gun safety grade from the Brady Bunch.

mikeintexas:

I'm happy for you, your Iowa relatives, and all other
law-abiding Iowans.

Time to open a new Iowa gun store???

SIA

Great news mikeintexas!! Thanks for sharing!

Now Iowa can join Texas, Florida, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Alaska,Washington etc, etc, etc. I think the tally now stands with the addition of Iowa: 38!

Now we might go visit all my wife's relatives in Dubuque!

mikeintexas wrote:The way I read it, SA, is they will be doing away with non-resident permits with this new legislation. With any other state's permits honored, there should be no need.

I also believe that it is a "concealed" permit. In the first 25 years of my life, I never saw anyone open carry except LEO. But I have been wrong before, too.

Here's a link to the bill that passed and will be going to the governor. http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-I ... ill=SF2379" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't find any language repealing the non-res permit. Remember that Texas, too, allows non-residents to get a Texas CHL and we have wide reciprocity.

Regarding open carry, the local sheriff had complete discretion. Those who were granted permits had to be careful -- perhaps even more so than required by law -- to not give the sheriff any reason to revoke or deny renewal to their permit.

As for it being "concealed-only", that doesn't appear to be true.

Here's the general prohibition on carrying weapons:

724.4 CARRYING WEAPONS.
1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person who
goes armed with a dangerous weapon concealed on or about the person,
or who, within the limits of any city, goes armed with a pistol or
revolver, or any loaded firearm of any kind, whether concealed or
not, or who knowingly carries or transports in a vehicle a pistol or
revolver, commits an aggravated misdemeanor.

Notice that:

What I take from the above is:

1) Open carry is legal outside city limits but concealed carry is not.
2) All carry is illegal inside city limits.
3) All car carry is illegal.

Here's the exception for permit holders:

i. A person who has in the person's possession and who
displays to a peace officer on demand a valid permit to carry weapons
which has been issued to the person, and whose conduct is within the
limits of that permit. A person shall not be convicted of a
violation of this section if the person produces at the person's
trial a permit to carry weapons which was valid at the time of the
alleged offense and which would have brought the person's conduct
within this exception if the permit had been produced at the time of
the alleged offense.

The code surrounding the application for a permit is long but can be found here http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-I ... a=83#724.2.

The word "concealed" only appears a few times and none of them are in the section dealing with a permit to carry weapons (some references had to do with knives, others with long guns being transported, one has to do with a weapon on school grounds, etc.)

In conclusion, my understanding of Iowa law (assuming the bill on the governor's desk becomes law) is:

1) Non-residents can still apply to the Commissioner of Public Safety and, like Sheriffs for residents, the process is now shall-issue.
2) All other permits or licenses issued by another state to non-Iowa residents are recognized.
3) This is a Permit to Carry Weapons, not a concealed handgun permit.

Any corrections will be gladly received.

Now if only we can get Texas law update. Iowa now has a better law in many ways:

1) Potentially fewer off-limits places. I say potentially because I'm not in a position at the moment to verify what I've read in other news articles. Those listed just a handful of places. No 51% signs, professional sporting event restrictions, voting locations, etc.

2) Recognition of all state-issued permits and licenses.

3) Permit is cheaper.

4) SSN is specifically optional and no checking for outstanding student loans, etc.

5) There doesn't appear to be any distinction between concealed and unconcealed carry.

6) Training courses don't have to be specific. Military service counts. Courses from other states count. NRA courses are acceptable.

7) No fingerprints taken and no photograph provided.

8) No classes of weapons (like our semi-automatic and Non semi-automatic).