In response to Linda Finn’s Jan. 28 letter (“Concealed carry reciprocity bill is a bad idea”), which took issue with my Jan. 12 letter (“A reason for reciprocity on concealed carry”): Linda Finn claims that my comparing driver’s licenses to concealed carry permits “presents a deeply flawed argument,” because “every state requires” driver’s license “applicants to pass an eyesight test, a road test and a written test.”
However, in most states one only has to pass a road test and written examination once, and if someone moves to another state they do not have to repeat them. Requirements for eye exams differ widely.
As I wrote in my letter, all states require a background check, fingerprints and photographs and other requirements before issuing a concealed carry permit. As is the case in Rhode Island, renewal often requires a person to repeat these steps.
Some states do not require an applicant to demonstrate proficiency with a handgun. Rhode Island does. Some states require applicants to attend a number of classroom hours and pass a written test. Rhode Island does not.
Eighteen states recognize and honor the Rhode Island concealed carry permit. Rhode Island honors no other state concealed carry permit.
Incidentally, federal law already allows a “qualified law enforcement officer” and a “qualified retired law enforcement officer” to carry a concealed firearm in any jurisdiction in the United States, with certain exceptions, and it allows firearms to be transported across state lines by law-abiding citizens provided the guns and ammunition are not accessible from the passenger compartment or are in a locked container.
Richard J. August
North Kingstown