Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed Senate Bill 47 on Thursday to eliminate South Dakota’s requirement that residents possess a concealed carry permit in order to carry a handgun concealed.
The Associated Press reports that the law eliminating the permit takes effect on July 1, 2019.
NRA-ILA executive director Chris Cox commented on the elimination of South Dakota’s permit requirement, saying, “This law is a common-sense measure that allows law-abiding South Dakotans to exercise their fundamental right to self-protection in the manner that best suits their needs.”
Noem’s actions mean South Dakota joins Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Vermont, making a total of 14 states that allow concealed carry without a permit.
The total number of permitless carry states could rise to at least 17, as Texas, Oklahoma, and Iowa are all witnessing efforts to repeal the carry permit requirement in their states during current legislative sessions.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.