Rasp
Senior Editor
Utah yanks gun permits for foreigners
Utah stops issuing concealed-gun permits to Canadians, other foreigners
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah has stopped issuing concealed-gun permits to foreigners, including Canadians, because of the rising number of applicants and the difficulty of conducting background checks.
"Utah had become the state of choice for people who did not live in the United States but wanted to carry a gun in the country," said Richard Wyss, a lawyer at the Utah Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Wyss told state legislators Tuesday that regulatory authorities in Utah have become "alarmed" over the situation.
About 1,000 citizens of other countries, mostly Canadians, have permits that allow them to carry a concealed firearm in Utah and 30 other U.S. states that have agreements with Utah.
The countries whose citizens buy guns in Utah include Japan, Switzerland, Aruba, Mongolia, Mexico and the Republic of Congo.
Since 1995, Utah has issued 92,000 permits, 30 per cent to non-Utah residents. Applicants typically must show they attended a safety class. Even a blind North Dakota man has one.
A firearms instructor told Utah authorities that he was planning to teach a class in Israel, said Lieut. Doug Anderson, manager of the Utah bureau.
Background checks on foreigners are not precise because Utah has denied access to records in other countries. But a permit was issued if applicants met other requirements.
"I am not confident that I can do a background check on anyone outside the U.S.," Anderson said.
The legislature's administrative rules review committee agreed with the bureau's decision to deny permits to people whose countries do not allow access to crime information.
Such permits are good for five years. Unless Utah can perform a thorough background check, the permits will not be renewed, officials said.
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My own Utah concealed-carry license is good in the following 30 states:
AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NH, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WY
Utah stops issuing concealed-gun permits to Canadians, other foreigners
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah has stopped issuing concealed-gun permits to foreigners, including Canadians, because of the rising number of applicants and the difficulty of conducting background checks.
"Utah had become the state of choice for people who did not live in the United States but wanted to carry a gun in the country," said Richard Wyss, a lawyer at the Utah Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Wyss told state legislators Tuesday that regulatory authorities in Utah have become "alarmed" over the situation.
About 1,000 citizens of other countries, mostly Canadians, have permits that allow them to carry a concealed firearm in Utah and 30 other U.S. states that have agreements with Utah.
The countries whose citizens buy guns in Utah include Japan, Switzerland, Aruba, Mongolia, Mexico and the Republic of Congo.
Since 1995, Utah has issued 92,000 permits, 30 per cent to non-Utah residents. Applicants typically must show they attended a safety class. Even a blind North Dakota man has one.
A firearms instructor told Utah authorities that he was planning to teach a class in Israel, said Lieut. Doug Anderson, manager of the Utah bureau.
Background checks on foreigners are not precise because Utah has denied access to records in other countries. But a permit was issued if applicants met other requirements.
"I am not confident that I can do a background check on anyone outside the U.S.," Anderson said.
The legislature's administrative rules review committee agreed with the bureau's decision to deny permits to people whose countries do not allow access to crime information.
Such permits are good for five years. Unless Utah can perform a thorough background check, the permits will not be renewed, officials said.
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My own Utah concealed-carry license is good in the following 30 states:
AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NH, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WY