Northwest Iowa — Northwest Iowa firearms dealers will be able to sell suppressors or silencers beginning July 1.
Governor Terry Branstad went to a gun shop in Grinnell on Thursday to sign legislation allowing Iowans to buy and sell the devices.
Supporters of the legislation say the suppressors greatly reduce the sound of a gunshot and help preserve the hearing of target shooters and hunters. The Hearing Protection Act passed both the House and Senate by wide margins. Governor Branstad noted that Iowa is the 42nd state to legalize the use and sale of suppressors. Another gun-related bill that cleared both the House and Senate last week would let landowners carry a loaded gun while driving an all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile on their property. Anyone else on an ATV or snowmobile could carry a gun, but it would have to be unloaded and in a case or holster. Branstad has expressed support for that legislation as well.
To read the actual bill Governor Branstad signed legalizing suppressors, click here.
