MONTGOMERY, Ala. – In 2021, the Alabama Legislature passed the Alabama Uniform Concealed Carry Permit Act (Act 2021-246), and then last year passed the Open Carry or Permit-less Carry (Act 2022-133).
These laws, which went into effect on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, will change the way firearms are carried throughout the state along with who is allowed to carry them.
The first Act requires the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to develop, create, maintain, and administer a searchable state Firearm Prohibited Person (FPP) Database that enables law enforcement officers across the state to learn of a person’s inability to possess a firearm.
The database was created for the purpose of providing law enforcement with a means to check and gather accurate information and to provide officers with situational awareness relative to the individuals they encounter in order to protect both citizens and visitors as well as law enforcement.
Whether or not if law enforcement officers are issuing a citation on a traffic stop or investigating criminal activity, officers using the Law Enforcement Tactical System (LETS) can now receive notifications concerning an individual’s inability to possess a firearm.
ALEA’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division successfully completed and began the testing phase of the new database in August of 2022. The database was fully operational and compliant with the Act on Oct. 1, 2022.
The second Act passed repealed the Permit to Carry Pistol in Vehicle or Concealed (13A-11-73) law and eliminates the requirement for Alabama citizens to obtain a permit to carry a concealed pistol.
Citizens should be advised that this Permit-less Carry Law only pertains to the state of Alabama.
If you are planning to travel across state lines with a concealed pistol, be aware of concealed permit laws in the state(s) in which you are traveling that may require a permit.
