Gun Owners Can Be Arrested For Concealed Carrying After Crossing State Lines — But There’s A Solution

While Americans acquire training to apply for concealed carry permits, Second Amendment groups are pushing Congress to pass concealed carry reciprocity legislation so gun owners are not arrested after crossing state lines.

The Daily Caller went to the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) gun range in Fairfax, Virginia, and attended Live Fire Instruction’s pistol fundamentals course in May.

Participants who complete the class are eligible to apply for a Virginia Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permit.

“We were so busy during COVID, we were booked months and months out,” Lisa Paris, founder and owner of Live Fire Instruction, told the Caller. “I probably could have taught a class every single day during COVID, because the level of fear was so high.”

Gun ownership, especially among women, spiked during COVID-19.

Women comprised 71 percent of first-time gun buyers from 2021 to 2024, according to a 2024 report by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

Women “woke up” during the pandemic, Paris said.

“I think a lot of people were like, ‘the government, they’re not going to protect me. I’m going to have to do this myself.’ And a lot of women did that,” she added.

The summer of 2020 was embroiled in protests and riots after George Floyd’s death, prompting many Americans to purchase firearms for self-defense.

Gun purchases skyrocketed that year, and the majority of buyers were women, according to Harvard data.

“Over the past five years, a growing number of Americans became first-time gun owners, particularly women, motivated by the desire to protect themselves and their families,” Josh Savani, executive director of NRA General Operations, said in a statement to the Caller.

The majority of U.S. gun owners cited “protection” as the primary reason for having a firearm, according to a 2023 Pew Research study.

However, Americans can face legal troubles while concealed carrying, even with a government-issued permit.

Republicans in Congress are pushing for concealed carry reciprocity with the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.

The bill, introduced by Republican North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson, would enable individuals to concealed carry across state lines. The legislation would allow an individual with a valid government permit to carry in another state, providing that state also recognizes concealed carry.

It was introduced in January 2025 and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

It’s time for Congress to pass HR 38 — the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act brought forth by @RepRichHudson!

Rep. Hudson puts it plainly:

“When law-abiding citizens are traveling, they shouldn’t be turned into criminals because they cross the state line.” pic.twitter.com/pVhtL7so0o

— NRA (@NRA) April 10, 2025

In Virginia, individuals must take a “competency class” to obtain a concealed carry license, according to Paris.

“Other states are way more demanding, and then you have other states that are nothing. So, Virginia is kind of in the middle of you have to do something, but it’s not extreme, right?” she told the Caller.

Virginia is a “shall-issue” state, and residents must file permit applications with their county circuit court, according to the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA). Residents need to complete a state-approved course.

Other states have stricter requirements.

New York requires applicants take a safety training course, present four character references, disclose who lives with them and be interviewed by a licensing officer.

West Virginia, a constitutional carry state, has no permit requirement.

Hudson’s legislation would ensure that law-abiding Americans can exercise their constitutional rights in states that allow concealed carry, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) John Commerford told the Caller.

“If you freely travel … today, you will go through states that don’t require a permit,” he said. “You’ll go through states that require a permit but have reciprocity with your current state permit. And then you’ll cross the state line, and you’ll automatically become a felon for conduct that was lawful a mile behind you, but now you cross into New Jersey or New York or Massachusetts, and your right to self-defense went out the window.”

Police have arrested gun owners for concealed carrying in states that did not issue their permit.

Lloyd Muldrow, a Marine Corps veteran, had a concealed carry permit in Virginia. Muldrow claimed he “disarmed a man who was threatening people” in a pub in Baltimore, Maryland. He was arrested because his permit was not considered valid in Maryland.

Muldrow is not the only person to have fallen prey to concealed carry regulations, either.

Commerford pointed to the case of Shaneen Allen. She was pulled over in New Jersey and later arrested for carrying a handgun with a Pennsylvania concealed carry permit, NBC 10 reported in 2017.

She could have faced years in prison, but Allen was ultimately pardoned by then-Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

“[The] Second Amendment doesn’t discriminate on zip code,” Commerford emphasized.

There are various ways for new gun owners to learn the fundamentals of firearms so they can acquire a concealed carry license if their state of residency requires one.

Paris said the two most signicant takeaways for participants in her class are safety and enjoyment.

“Probably the biggest thing from this particular class is safety. You’re not hurting yourself, and you’re not hurting anybody else,” she said. “And then enjoy the sport. Once you love the sport, you’ll come to the gun range and shoot for fun. And then you’ll also be a responsible gun owner, because you’re practicing the sport.”

The NRA provides several firearms training classes, including courses for women.

“As the nation’s leader in firearms safety and training, the NRA is a trusted resource for new gun owners from all walks of life who are seeking top-tier instruction and education,” Savani said in a statement to the Caller.

“With a nationwide network of over 100,000 certified instructors, NRA courses equip gun owners with the skills and confidence to safely handle, store, and maintain their firearms. We’re especially proud to offer programs tailored specifically for women, including our Women on Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics, as well as specialized self-defense and concealed carry training,” he continued. “The NRA is committed to empowering all law-abiding Americans to exercise their Second Amendment freedoms and the right to self-defense.”

Hudson’s bill is not the only legislation making its way through Congress that could dramatically impact gun rights.

The House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in May, including Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act. That provision would remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA).

If the legislation is implemented, it would “be the biggest win for gun owners in my generation,” Commerford told the Caller.

The NFA mandates that suppressors (otherwise known as “silencers”) be registered with the federal government, according to the NRA. The Hearing Protection Act would also remove the $200 tax, and buyers would be subject to a background check instead of an “onerous federal transfer process,” according to the NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum.

Here is the full amendment from @RepCloudTX that:

1) Removes silencers from the NFA

2) Applies to suppressor transfers after October 22, 2015 pic.twitter.com/xR7QuTEfJx

— National Association for Gun Rights (@NatlGunRights) May 21, 2025

The NFA falls under the Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Trump admin is taking steps to make the agency less hostile to gun owners.

The ATF updated its national policy on federal firearm licensee inspections in May, replacing the Biden administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy.

The ATF previously announced that the bureau, along with the DOJ, will be reviewing two other Biden-era firearms policies.

AUTHOR

Eireann Van Natta

Associate Editor.

RELATED ARTICLES:

EXCLUSIVE: Second Amendment Groups Urge Congressional Republicans To Kill Decades-Old Suppressor Tax

Army Secretary Reportedly Takes Reins From Kash Patel At ATF

One Forgotten Government Agency Has Tormented Americans For Years — Kash Patel Could Fix It

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.