Statewide Iowa — A new state law regarding the issuance of concealed weapons permits was enacted in 2010 and took effect January 1, 2011. It made significant changes.
Given that the Nonprofessional Permit to Carry Weapons is valid for five years, many permit holders issued a permit in 2011 are now seeking information about renewals, which are available only through your local county sheriff’s office.
We talked to Sioux County Sheriff Dan Altena, who says that both the new permit and renewal processes, while they sound complicated, really aren’t.
Altena says if you were among the first to get a new permit in January of 2011, and you haven’t yet applied for your renewal, you may already be too late, due to the 30-day application requirement. Altena says there are two options for training for the renewal of a permit.
He says if you’ve missed the window, it’s probably not that big of a deal.
Altena says depending on how much the training or shooting with an instructor costs you, some people have said that it might be just as cost-effective to let your permit expire and then apply for a new permit, because only the renewal has the stipulation that the training or shooting with the instructor has to have been within the last 12 months — the new permit only requires proof of training anytime in the past.
He says it basically boils down to a little more fuss to possibly pay a little less for a renewal, or possibly a little more money and less fuss for a new permit.
Incidentally, Altena says they have over 1900 concealed weapons permit holders in Sioux County at this time. He says that’s up from around 400 before the law changed five years ago. He also says that while it may not be such a good idea in all places, the concealed carry permit also allows the holder to “open carry,” or carry the weapon in plain sight. Some experts advise against “open carry” in public because it might make others nervous and could give away a tactical advantage in an active shooter situation.
For more information, he encourages you to visit their website at siouxcountysheriff.com. If you need more clarification, he says feel free to call their office.
If you live in another county, call that county’s sheriff’s office.
Frequently asked questions about renewal of the permit to carry weapons, as well as other common questions, are available in a new FAQ on the Department of Public Safety web site. Frequently asked questions regarding SF2379 may be viewed here.
