Montgomery (AL) –The Alabama Uniform Concealed Carry Permit Act (2021-246) was passed by the Alabama Legislature in 2021. It goes into effect on January 1, 2023. The Act requires that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, (ALEA), develop, create and maintain a searchable state Firearm Prohibited Person Database (FPP). This database allows law enforcement officers to find out if a person is unable to possess a firearm in the state.

This database was created to allow law enforcement to quickly check and collect accurate information. It also provides officers with situational awareness to help them protect citizens and visitors. Officers using the Law Enforcement Tactical System can now receive notifications about an individual’s inability or refusal to possess a firearm, regardless of whether they are issuing a citation for a traffic stop or investigating crime activity.

The testing phase of the new database was started in August 2022 by the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), Division of ALEA. On October 1, 2022, the database was fully functional and in compliance with the Act.

The database will cost approximately $400,000 annually and $45,000 annually. The annual fee covers the infrastructure of the system, including the server, maintenance and license.

Alabama’s legislature also passed Act 2022-133, which repealed the Permit To Carry Pistol In Vehicle or Concealed (13A-11-73) law. This law eliminates the requirement that Alabama citizens obtain a permit to conceal a pistol.

This Permit-less Carry Law is only applicable to Alabama. We encourage you to learn about concealed permit laws in any state where you plan to carry a concealed gun.

The database was made available on October 1, and the CJIS Division of ALEA has worked diligently to improve and maintain it. This is to ensure safety for both visitors and citizens as well as the law enforcement agencies within the state.

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office also created a document that detailed the changes. Below is the document that they released, according to the Sheriff. You can also find this document on their Facebook page.

Alabama’s gun laws were modified by the Alabama Legislature. These are some new facts about Alabama’s firearm laws as of January 1, 2018.


Permits

Alabamians who are eligible to possess and to carry a firearm do not need to buy a permit to be able to carry concealed or openly a gun on their person or in a vehicle. This is sometimes called “Constitutional Carry”.

If you wish, you can still buy a pistol permit. You may choose to purchase a pistol permit due to reciprocity laws or personal reasons. We can sell permits in increments of one year, five years or lifetime if you still want them.


Reciprocity

Alabama permits can be recognized by Mississippi, Georgia and Vermont, New Hampshire. Idaho, Montana. North Dakota. South Dakota. Arkansas. North Carolina. To travel to another state, you will need a permit that is recognized by the state. South Carolina is the only state in the south that does not recognize our permit. If required by the state, citizens must have an Alabama pistol license. You should be familiar with the firearms laws of any state you visit.


Prohibited People

The law regarding who is allowed to own and carry a firearm does not change. A person must meet the following requirements to be eligible:

  • At least 18 years old
  • Has not been convicted for a violent crime to include domestic violence misdemeanors
  • Is not considered mentally deficient.
  • They do not have an active protection or other order against them

Prohibited Areas

Now, the law states that mere possession or transport of a firearm in public places is not a crime. It is still a crime if someone “brandishes” or threatens another person with a firearm. Brandishing is “waving or flourishing, displaying or holding an item in such a way that it is threatening or would seem threatening to any reasonable person with or without explicit verbal threats or in a wanton, reckless, or other means.”

Federal laws prohibit firearms being carried on military bases or federal buildings. Alabama law prohibits firearms being carried in law enforcement buildings, courthouses, courthouse annexes jails and prisons, halfway houses, drug treatment facilities, and psychiatric facilities. Private property owners may also prohibit others from having firearms on their property. If you refuse to leave the property owner’s request, you could be charged with trespassing.


Law Enforcement Interactions

A law now allows a police officer to relieve someone of their weapon if they have reasonable suspicion that the person is planning or has committed a crime. An officer can also release a person from their weapon if they believe the person is a danger to the officer, the officer, and the public. If asked, the law requires you to tell a police officer that you have a firearm in your vehicle or on your person. The law prohibits the person from touching the weapon in any interaction, unless the officer directs.


Shotguns

The law also amended the definition of shotguns to reflect technological advances in shotgun design.