Indiana is the first state in the nation to offer residents lifetime handgun permits under a new law that went into effect this month -- a move hailed by Second Amendment supporters and blasted by gun-control advocates.
HISTORIC LAW: State Sen. Johnny Nugent, R-Lawrenceburg (left), State Police Superintendent Paul Whitesell and state Rep. Troy A. Woodruff, R-Vincennes, announced the first law to allow lifetime gun permits. - KATE HOLLOWAY / The Star
DETAILS ON GUN PERMITS
Indiana offers two types of handgun permits: hunting/target or personal protection. You are required to have one of those permits to transport a gun.
• Cost: The new lifetime personal protection license, which allows Hoosiers to carry a concealed handgun, costs $125 for residents who do not have a current four-year license and $100 for current licensees. The cost of four-year licenses for new applicants increased from $25 to $40, with the same fee for renewals.
The law, which also increases the cost of obtaining or renewing a four-year license, went on the books Saturday. The change is expected to bring in more money to the state and the Indiana State Police.
State Police Superintendent Paul Whitesell announced details of House Enrolled Act 1176 at a news conference Wednesday, saying the law will streamline the process to get a permit for law-abiding gun owners. His agency oversees the issuance of permits.
Residents do not need a permit to buy handguns or other firearms but must have one to carry or transport a pistol. State Police officials said Indiana has about 288,000 active handgun permits. Permits are good for four years, but now gun owners have the option of obtaining a lifetime permit instead.
State Sen. Johnny Nugent, R-Lawrenceburg, and State Rep. Troy A. Woodruff, R-Vincennes, who carried the bill in their respective chambers, appeared with Whitesell to tout the new law.
"This is a day we are very proud of," said Woodruff. "We are looking out for the law-abiding citizens of Indiana. If they follow the law, they shouldn't have to go through the hassle of renewing a permit every four years."
Nugent, who presented an application for the state's first lifetime handgun permit, said he had heard positive comments about the new law from people across the state.
"Hopefully, this will encourage other states to follow suit," he said.
Ashley Varner, spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association, said her organization is "very pleased" with the Indiana law.
Gun-permit holders "are among the most law-abiding citizens in the state," she said.
But Peter Hamm, communications director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, called the law "ludicrous."
"I would presume the state legislature is going to do the same with driver's licenses and business licenses, because there is no reason anybody should have to go through the hassle of being checked out every four years," he said.
The new law makes Indiana the first state to offer lifetime licenses to carry a handgun, Hamm said.
Other states
Varner said no permits are needed to carry handguns -- concealed or otherwise -- in Vermont and Alaska, while Illinois and Wisconsin bar residents from carrying concealed weapons.
The remaining 46 states require some type of license to carry handguns, with most of those states issuing permits for periods of two to 10 years.
In Indiana, license fees are split between local law enforcement agencies and the State Police, with the State Police receiving the majority of the income.
The State Police issue about 80,000 licenses a year, generating about $1.1 million for the state's general fund. About a quarter of those seeking the licenses are first-time applicants.
If all applicants sought lifetime licenses, rather than four-year licenses, revenue would increase to about $4 million for the first four years, said Whitesell. However, he said, not all gun owners are expected to seek the lifetime licenses.
Officials said they could not predict the projected revenue after the first four years because the majority of current owners could be licensed for life, and that would cut income from renewals.
Whitesell said the law allows the State Police to use any annual revenue above $1.1 million generated by the new licenses to create an electronic application system, a central depository on criminal history or an electronic log to track sales of drugs containing ephedrine or pseudophedrine.
Who will check
Hamm of the Brady Campaign, which advocates for stricter gun-control laws, said he has concerns about the ability of law enforcement to track and react to crimes that people commit after they obtain lifetime permits. And, he argued, the "hassle" of having to renew permits is overstated.
"Responsible gun owners understand that some gun owners ought to be checked out every four years," he said.
State Police Capt. Doug Shelton, acting commander of the agency's records section, said State Police will continue to check on gun permit holders whenever they are notified of an arrest, conviction or other action that could limit or preclude a person's right to have a permit. He said that is already the practice for those who hold four-year permits.
The NRA's Varner added that people who make the effort to obtain a permit are not the ones to worry about.
"They're the ones you should trust," she said. "They've gone through the hoops and background checks. They're the good people."
