By Lauren Waddell
Utah has become one of the most sought-after locations for the application and purchase of concealed firearm permits in the country, with application numbers on the rise for the past four years. The Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification manages all applications and distribution of the permits, which legally allow people to carry concealed firearms.
Over the past four years, concealed firearm permits in Utah have shot up dramatically. According to BCI data, the projections for total permit applications for 2006 will exceed last year''s totals by 50 percent, almost doubled from 2004. BCI officials estimate the projection for this year at over 16,000 applications.
Because of the exponential increase in applications, BCI is running low on funding and personnel required to process the applications. Background checks for concealed permits must legally be completed within 60 days. Currently, the average waiting period for a permit is running 67 days, exceeding the statutory deadline. BCI''s total costs last year reached $832,402, while legislative funding for BCI reaches only $88,000.
This spike in application numbers comes not only from Utahns applying for permits, but out-of-state applicants as well. According to recent BCI statistics, a 58 percent majority of applicants are non-Utah residents. Out-of-state applicants are attracted to Utah, in part, by the extremely low cost of obtaining a permit in Utah and the relatively simple requirements necessary to apply.
Permits have a first-time $59 non-refundable charge and a $10 application renewal charge. Only $35 of the first-time charge, however, remains in Utah. The rest goes to the FBI for fingerprint processing.
Applicants for permits must be 21 years old and must show 'proof of good character,' according to the BCI official Web site. This 'good character' is substantiated most significantly by proof that applicants have not been convicted of a felony or other violent crimes. A background check to verify the information is performed for every permit application. Applicants are also required to submit a photograph, copy of a driver''s license and a fingerprint card. In addition, a certified BCI firearms familiarity class must be completed prior to application for a permit.
'The class is 95 percent about firearm laws specific to your state and when to use your weapon,' said Marcus Milligan, a sophomore majoring in psychology. 'They teach you various situations you may be in and role play what to do.'
Milligan, who works at the Missionary Training Center as a security employee, decided to apply for a concealed firearms permit last January. After completing the class and receiving his permit in March, Milligan purchased a handgun.
Milligan said he recognizes owning a firearm 'is a great responsibility.'
Milligan, like other concealed weapons permit holders, must still abide by certain rules that specify where and when the weapon can be carried. According to the BCI official Web site, 'The concealed firearm permit only exempts the permit holder from three laws: carrying a concealed and loaded firearm in a vehicle; carrying a concealed firearm on your person and; carrying a loaded and concealed firearm on or about school property.' The permit does not allow the carrier to have a firearm in secured areas such as airports, federal buildings or on private property, such as BYU campus.
'I have to have my license with me whenever I have my concealed firearm,' Milligan said. 'If a police officer pulls me over when I''m driving, I have to tell him I''m a concealed permit holder whether I have my gun or not. It lets the police officer know that it is a good, calm, controlled situation.'
A permit acquired in Utah may or may not be valid in other states, depending on the reciprocity laws of the particular state.
'We are in the process of updating contracts for reciprocity,' said Nicole Starks, supervisor of firearms for Utah. 'There are quite a few states that recognize the Utah permit. But anyone traveling to another state will need to contact that state to see if their Utah permit is recognized.'