On Thursday Governor Doug Burgum (R) signed legislation allowing North Dakota residents to carry a handgun concealed for self-defense without a permit.
The legislation–House Bill 1169–passed the House on February 21 by a vote of 83-9. It passed the Senate on March 21 by a vote of 34-13.
USNews reports that the permitless carry law allows law-abiding citizens 18 and over to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense as long as they “have a valid ID and notify law enforcement of the weapon during instances such as a traffic stop.”
According to the West Fargo Pioneer, upon signing the bill Governor Burgum said, “North Dakota has a rich heritage of hunting and a culture of deep respect for firearm safety. As a hunter and gun owner myself, I strongly support gun rights for law-abiding citizens. House Bill 1169 allows citizens to exercise their Second Amendment right under the U.S. Constitution.”
With Governor Burgum’s signature, North Dakota became the 2nd state to recognize permitless carry this year. On February 22 New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R) signed legislation abolishing a concealed carry permit requirement in that state.
The addition of New Hampshire and North Dakota brings the total number of permitless carry states to 14. The other 12 are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Vermont, Wyoming, and West Virginia. Although a permit is still required in certain parts of Arkansas and Montana, the vast majority of both states–99.4 percent–allow concealed carry without a permit.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.