NSSF Offers Support for National Reciprocity Bill

Concealed carry reciprocity is a very good thing. It allows people who have a permit in one state to carry concealed in other states, so long as there is some kind of reciprocity agreement in place. Unfortunately, it’s not ideal. There’s a strange patchwork of reciprocity agreements that make it difficult to determine where you can carry and where you can’t.

Then you have states like California, New York, and Hawaii where there really isn’t any reciprocity possible. Those states figure you should forfeit your right to keep and bear arms at the state line–or whatever the equivalent is for a Pacific island–and don’t really care about any infringement. Considering their other gun laws, it seems a safe bet to believe they don’t care about the Second Amendment at all.

However, there’s now a bill that would create national reciprocity, and the NSSF if throwing its support behind it.

The NSSF^®, The Firearm Industry’s Trade Association, wholeheartedly welcomes U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson’s (R-N.C.) introduction of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025, H.R. 38. The legislation was introduced with 113 co-sponsors, demonstrating the wide-ranging support for protecting law-abiding concealed carry permit holders from navigating a patchwork of varying gun control laws when crossing a state line.

The bill aims to eliminate the confusion of varying state-by-state laws and provide protection for Second Amendment rights for permit holders. The legislation would allow handgun owners who are legally permitted and authorized by their home state to carry a concealed firearm to lawfully carry in other states provided they comply with the law in other states – much in the same way a driver’s license is recognized.

“This legislation eliminates the confusing patchwork of laws surrounding concealed carry permits that vary from state-to-state, particularly with regard to states where laws make unwitting criminals out of legal permit holders for a simple mistake of a wrong traffic turn,” said Lawrence Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “It safeguards a state’s right to determine their own laws while protecting the Second Amendment rights of all Americans. We thank Rep. Hudson for his leadership on behalf of the firearm industry that serves law-abiding gun owners who wish to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms across state lines.”

I thank Rep. Hudson, too.

This isn’t as good as national constitutional carry might be–and there’s a bill for that, too–but this one is probably far more likely to happen.

That’s not to say there won’t be opposition to this. Too many anti-gun lawmakers don’t want you to even own a gun, so there’s no way they’re going to be totally cool with reciprocity. Especially as those from tightly gun-controlled states constantly lament the lack of requirements for permits from more pro-gun states.

They see this as a problem whereas I see it as a feature. Especially because it will let some people get around their home state’s inane gun control laws.

After all, New Jersey reportedly denied someone a permit for an unpopular political opinion. Imagine if he could get an out-of-state permit somewhere else and use it in his state. Suddenly, New Jersey wouldn’t have quite the same power, now would it?

Even without that, though, just knowing I can take my Georgia permit anywhere in the nation and protect my family is more than enough reason to support it.