Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Out-of-state gun owners seeking a concealed weapons permit in Utah would first have to obtain a license in their homes states, according to a bill approved Tuesday in a Senate committee.
Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, said Nevada and New Mexico recently decided to no longer recognize Utah's concealed carry permit due to the lack of a gun proficiency test in the application process.
"I found it somewhat of a ruse on the part of our sister states," he told the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee. "The real problem was they wanted to be able to license their own citizens." Utah's permit is valid in 33 states, making the Beehive State a popular place for gun owners around the country to obtain a permit.
To keep more states from jumping ship, Valentine is sponsoring SB36, which would require nonresidents to be licensed in their home states first.
The judiciary committee gave the bill a favorable recommendation and it now moves to the Senate floor.
Lawmakers also are considering a bill that would lower the concealed weapons permit fee by $5.25, making it $29.75. HB214, sponsored by Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, would also raise the renewal fee by $5, making it $15.
Oda said he is proposing the change because new applications aren't as expensive to process as the current charge and renewals are more expensive to process than is currently charged.
E-mail: [ romboy@desnews.com ](<mailto: romboy@desnews.com>)
