Most who follow gun laws and legislation are aware that varying concealed carry laws from state to state can easily make a felon out of a lawful gun owner simply by crossing a state boundary. In fact, the patchwork of different laws often causes people to leave their guns at home during their travels. Instead, they take their chances with violent criminals to avoid dealing with the authorities in anti-gun states.
What is National Concealed Carry Reciprocity?
The answer to the problem, of course, is national concealed carry reciprocity. This would allow lawful adults to carry firearms wherever their travels might take them. The concept is one that President Donald Trump has said he supported in the past, and recently, he brought up the topic again.
Reciprocity Reasoning
At an October 15 FBI news briefing, a reporter brought up the topic, asking the president: “Will there be a further conversation to have national concealed carry applied to our actual D.C., like if you had a driver’s license for Texas and you had a permit, of course, you could drive…”
The president replied: “Well, as you know, they have been talking about that for a long time. It’s an interesting question. A lot of people feel strongly both ways. We are talking about that.”
Before the 2024 election, President Trump said he would sign a national reciprocity bill if one were to reach his desk. In early November 2024, President Trump addressed the nation with a promise to uphold the right to self-defense.
“I will protect the right of self-defense wherever it is under siege, and I will sign concealed carry reciprocity,” he said. “Your Second Amendment does not end at the state line.”
The announcement quickly gained traction, with the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., a diehard hunter and shooter, enthusiastically sharing his father’s message on social media.
“Boom! My father just announced concealed carry reciprocity,” the younger Trump posted. “The Second Amendment will stay and remain protected.”
NRA’s Push For Reciprocity
In fact, after President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill removed the $200 tax from suppressors, short-barreled rifles (SBRs), and short-barreled shotguns (SBSs), and the NRA and others immediately filed lawsuits challenging what was left of the National Firearms Act (NFA), the National Rifle Association quickly turned its attention to national reciprocity as its number 1 priority.
“The numerous disparities between state laws have created traps for lawful carriers, leading to an abundance of confusion and, in some cases, criminal charges for those simply exercising their Second Amendment rights,” Commerford wrote in an op-ed posted at thehill.com. “Because of this, well-trained and law-abiding gun owners are less likely to protect themselves or those around them, for fear of being arrested and prosecuted—resulting in fewer ‘good guys with guns’ and more unarmed victims for ‘bad guys with guns.’”
Commerford wrote that the president’s recent directive to speed up carry permit approvals in Washington, D.C., in order to battle crime sends a clear message to Congress—it should not be more difficult for law-abiding Americans to practice their Second Amendment rights and defend themselves.
“We call on Congress to swiftly pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act and protect Americans from the crazy hoops and rules imposed by gun grabbers,” he concluded. “If we want to make D.C. and our cities safe again, Congress must act now.
“Criminals won’t stop at state lines, and neither can we.”
