LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Joseph Bellino this week introduced legislation as part of a package to allow responsible adults to carry a concealed firearm without a special license.
“Michigan’s concealed carry laws force people to jump through unnecessary hoops and pay bureaucratic fees simply for the ability to exercise their constitutional rights,” said Bellino, R- Monroe. “This package would scrap our burdensome concealed carry law and support responsible gun owners who wish to safely defend themselves and their loved ones.
“Our laws should not make it unnecessarily difficult for law-abiding Michigan residents to exercise their Second Amendment rights.”
The right to keep and bear arms is also protected under Article 1, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution. While Michigan is a so-called “shall issue” state, residents must first complete a state-approved pistol training course, submit their fingerprints to a state database, and pay a $100 application fee to receive a concealed pistol license (CPL). The license expires after five years, and license holders must then pay $115 to renew a license.
Senate Bills 406–410 would repeal the current requirement to obtain a CPL for individuals who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a pistol and allow concealed carry without a license where either open carry or CPL holders are currently allowed to do so.
If signed into law, Michigan would join 29 states that have enacted similar laws establishing constitutional carry.
The bills would repeal the current requirements for individuals, military members and retired law enforcement officers in good standing to obtain a CPL. They also would eliminate safe zones, repeal the requirement related to the transportation of firearms for CPL holders and remove sentencing guidelines for CPLs.
###
