Does Alabama honor TN CCW Permits?

[creeky]

Hello... (new guy here)...

I'll be traveling through Alabama this weekend and next. Does anyone know of a link (On Alabama's Website.) that will let me know if they will honor my CCW permit while I am driving through the state? (Preferribly one that I can print off saying that they do, to keep in the glove box.)

I have checked Packing.org and TN Firearms Associations website, and while they give the impression that they honor them, but no direct links are provided to say for certain. Never have liked the "I read it on the internet" defense.

(I like to have the agreements printed out of the states I travel through and have them in the glove box. Speeds up the occassional traffic stop.)

Anyone got a link they can pass on? Dug around on Alabama's gov site but couldn't find anything.

[creeky]

I got a reasponse from the AG office. For future reference here is a link:

http://www.ago.state.al.us/ag_items.cfm?Issue=64

The answer is yes.

(Would always check this link though before traveling to make sure nothing changes on you.)

[Cruel Hand Luke]

Not being a jackass here, but they REALLY should have covered that in your permit class.

[creeky]

Not being a jackass here, but they REALLY should have covered that in your permit class.

I have had my permit for quite some time. I got mine right after the law

was changed so you didn't have to be bonded to carry, and you didn't have to qualify with the gun you carry. At that time there was very few states that were even issuing permits, much less even thinking of reprocicity back then. In the past I have called an AG office, and be put on hold only to be told 'yes', then when I asked for something to be faxed to me from the office stating it to be put on hold again... then told 'no' they did not honor it.

Laws change everyday. Even if I got my permit today and an instructor tells me "Sure you can carry in State X", it does me no good on the side of the road with an officer that may not be up on the latest reprocicity aggreements of his state. A simple sheet of paper speeds up a traffic stop nicely, as well as helps prove no crimmnal intent in a court should the information be outdated.

Many states websites make reprocicity agreements easy to find. Alabama's was not one that was easy for me.

Since a large body of the members here seem to be CCW holders I thought this might be a quick way to grab a direct link. Sorry for showing my ignorance. Perhaps I need to lurk around the boards a little more.

[The Rabbi]

Not being a jackass here, but they REALLY should have covered that in your permit class.

Actually you are. Reciprocity changes over time. When I took my class AL did not honor the permit. Now they've changed. I couldnt tell you whether MS honors it or not. I can tell you DE doesnt nor does Maryland just because I am planning a trip there and had to check.

I don't think the class covers reciprocity in all 50 states, so it is a legitimate question.

Personally the whole business is dumb, just a patchwork of states with some honoring and some not. Institute mandatory reciprocity and be done with it.

[creeky]

What also muddles the water is "Reciprocity" vs. "Honors". As I understand it (I could be wrong though) "Reciprocity" is a written binding aggreement between the two states, while "Honors" is a looser term where no actual written agreement exists. So in theory states that "Honor" can change that status at any time. A new AG, a new governor could seek to remove the "honors" status.

I wish we could have a Federal Carry Permit to cut a lot of the poltical, legal crap out of it. But I am a realist, so I know that won't happen. But the thought of being able to carry in Maryland and New York and they not being able to do anything about just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

[wareagle]

Yeah, Alabama did not accept TN carry permits when I received mine. Years ago, I had an AL permit. Basically, you filled out a form and the sheriff wrote you an annual permit. There was no course work or qualification. It was a poorly managed program.

[waynesan]

Here is a site I check just before I leave to go to another state. http://handgunlaw.us/ They "seem" to be pretty up to date with everything I've looked at so far. They even have a link to every states "off limits" places which I find very helpful. I printed off about 20 states "off limits" before a planned road trip out west to keep in a folder in my car. But no site can always be totally up to date so it pays to check the state's website just to be sure if in doubt.

[Marswolf]

Ran into a guy yesterday from West Virginia. He thought they honor Tennessee permits. I explained that he could pack in TN, but we couldn't (yet) in WV.

Laws change all the time. You need to check just before you go on a trip. Anything an instructor tells you about where you can pack may change by next week.

[ZZRguy]

I grew up in Alabama and I have a lot of friends and family there, when I first got my permit in Tennessee Al. did not honor our permits, so I got a New Hampshire non resident permit (which Al. honored), so I could carry in Al.

[Marswolf]

Alabama didn't honor our permits because we didn't honor theirs. Alabama does not require a background check. We had a hissy-fit about that. Finally decided that was cool and both states now like each other.

[Cruel Hand Luke]

Actually you are. Reciprocity changes over time. When I took my class AL did not honor the permit. Now they've changed. I couldnt tell you whether MS honors it or not. I can tell you DE doesnt nor does Maryland just because I am planning a trip there and had to check.

I don't think the class covers reciprocity in all 50 states, so it is a legitimate question.

Personally the whole business is dumb, just a patchwork of states with some honoring and some not. Institute mandatory reciprocity and be done with it.

Again, not INTENDING to be a jackass, but....

1. "Reciprocity changes over time "- Yes it gets better. In the last 10 years no other state has canceled reciprocity with TN, only added it. Our permit is honored in more states now than EVER.

2.Mississippi does and has since at least 1997. And Alabama has honored our permit since the same time. Didn't have true reciprocity in 1997, but they honored ours.

3. "I don't think the class covers reciprocity in all 50 states, so it is a legitimate question."- Your class SHOULD have covered that . I have a different perspective on this because I teach these classes.The state is vague on what you HAVE to cover, but I feel it is our duty to cover this stuff. And it is not like the instructors can't get a list of states. So there is no reason they CAN'T cover it. In our classes we cover which states you can carry in . We also carry the "Legally Armed " books that compiles all this stuff pretty much yearly. They are like $12. EVERYONE should have one.

But just because you take ONE class does not mean you should not seek further training. On the same note just because you took the CCW class does not mean you should never again check to see about any law changes. And yes if you got your permit a LONG time ago then that info would not have been covered. I guess I was assuming you had gotten your permit in the last 10 years. For those of you who got permits before 1999, you could still be sued back then for damages inflicted while intervening in behalf of a 3rd party. Since then the law changed and now you have immunity from civil suit from the perpetrator (and his family) if he is injured or killed in the commission of a violent felony. THAT is stuff that should be covered too........

AGAIN, I wasn't making any kind of judgment against the original poster. I was merely saying that where your permit is honored SHOULD be covered in class. That is no indictment against the poster. It is an indictment against whoever taught the class.........

Like I said I have a different perspective on this than some.

[jgrauman]

I can tell you DE doesnt nor does Maryland just because I am planning a trip there and had to check.

half right, DE and TN are reciprocal, MD is not. i went to DE last april and had to do some research.

http://www.packing.org/state/tennessee/image.php?stateimage=84

http://www.packing.org/state/delaware/image.php?stateimage=15

and of course we honor MD permits, but they don't honor ours

http://www.packing.org/state/maryland/image.php?stateimage=37

[The Rabbi]

Thanks.

Since I lack the photographic memory and encyclopedic knowledge of some of the posters here I tend to go to Packing.org when I have a question like that. I am told some of the info there is out of date. But I find the format much more user friendly than handgunlaw.

And carrying a copy of the statute doesnt sound like a bad idea at all. If those of us involved with firearms have to look it up, I can't imagine a local LE is going to have all the details at his fingertips either.

[Guest db99wj]

I pulled that info when I went to Florida, I traveled through Mississippi, Alabama and into Florida. I used packing.org and the link to the individual state site, and a few others to try to decipher the in's and out's. Where you can, where you can't, etc. I printed it all off and kept with me.

[The Average Joe]

When the question arises, I always send people to

packing.org

[Guest Engloid]

something easy to remember...

all states that border TN will accept your handgun permit.

[Marswolf]

Here's a handy site to check whether your permit is honored in other states. Just click on Tennessee and look at the map.

http://handgunlaw.us/

[robbiev]

When the question arises, I always send people to

packing.org

Unfortunately, Packing isn't kept up to date any more. Also, for the last week or so, it's been down completely.

something easy to remember... all states that border TN will accept your handgun permit.

All the "southern" states recognize it also, except "southern Illinois."

[Guest Len]

This should be made a sticky at the top of this forum. Extremely useful map and website.

Here's a handy site to check whether your permit is honored in other states. Just click on Tennessee and look at the map.

http://handgunlaw.us/

[Marswolf]

I wonder if packing.org will come back up. I think the guy behind it lost interest some time ago.

BTW, handgunlaw.us also keeps up-to-date specific info about carry in the individual states in Acrobat files. se http://handgunlaw.us/documents/USOffLimitsA-M.pdf for Alabama.