An increasing amount of states are offering constitutional carry -- legal, permitless carry of concealed carry or open carry weapons -- as an option.

1. Constitutional carry explained

2. What is constitutional carry?
 Basically, it’s the legal, permitless carry of firearms.
 The belief is that the Constitution’s Second Amendment justifies any concealed or open carry.

3. Language of the Second Amendment
 “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to
keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

4. A growing number of
states support
constitutional carry
Traditionally, many states allow open carry without a
permit.
It’s the addition of those few that allow concealed carry
without a permit.
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine,
Wyoming, Vermont

5. Vermont, a constitutional carry early adopter
 Vermont was the first to allow it with its state constitution in 1777.
 It was later upheld in 1903 in State v Rosenthal, 75 Vt. 295.
 For some time, the practice was called “Vermont Carry.”

6. Alaska and constitutional carry
 Made the transition in 2003.
 Governor Frank Murkowski signed House Bill 102 into law.

7. State resident-only constitutional carry
 Wyoming: the fourth state in 2011, only extends this right to state residents.
 Idaho: the ninth state in 2016, applies the same rules to its residents

8. An honorable mention to Oklahoma
 This state allows out of state residents from Constitutional Carry states to carry a weapon as long as
they have valid photo identification.

10. Downsides with constitutional carry
 Federal Gun-Free School Zone Act: though rarely enforced, it does not add an exemption for
constitutional carry.
 Reciprocity: aside from Oklahoma, there is no reciprocity benefit.

11. Upsides to constitutional carry
 No fees
 No test
 No permit
 No government list
 Decriminalization of what is otherwise a harmless act
 Carrying a firearm for self-defense is not and should not be considered a criminal act.

12. The public benefits from less regulated firearm
ownership
 Other people carry besides criminals and cops
 Guns are in the hands of law abiding citizens
 Alleviates social stigma

13. Consider an inside the waistband or outside
the waistband holster
 Alien Gear Holsters provides a large array of holsters for both IWB and OWB carry.