Under new (MO) law, no permit will be needed to hide pistols in cars, group says

This Thursday, Ohio's two major law enforcement groups, the Buckeye State Sheriffs Association and the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, will try to convince the Ohio State Highway Patrol that the language they encouraged the Senate to adopt in Am. Sub. HB12 is regarding carrying firearms in vehicles is UNSAFE. This story from Missouri highlights just how ridiculous are the concerns of the OSHP.

In Missouri, as with 20 other states in the nation*, NO special license is required for citizens to bear arms for self-defense in their cars. And NONE of the OSHP's fears are being realized.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
09/19/2003

JEFFERSON CITY - The people who are peppering sheriffs' offices with questions about how to get a concealed weapon permit may not understand one part of the law, officials said Friday. The law does not require Missouri residents to get a permit to conceal a weapon in a car, said James L. Vermeersch, executive director of the Missouri Sheriffs' Association.

Under the legislation, people 21 or older may carry a handgun anywhere in a motor vehicle, with or without a permit. Prior state law made it illegal to hide a gun in an accessible place in a vehicle.

Law enforcement officers met with state officials for the second time Friday to work out implementation of the law, which officially takes effect Oct. 11. Most sheriffs won't begin to process permits until Oct. 14, Vermeersch said. Oct. 11 is a Saturday, and the following Monday is Columbus Day, when many public offices are closed.

Under the new law, the Missouri Highway Patrol will process applicants' fingerprints and send them to the FBI for a background check. Capt. Tim McGrail, director of the patrol's Criminal Records and Identification Division, said the department currently handles between 26,000 and 40,000 fingerprints from nurses, teachers and other applicants. Some estimate that Missouri will have 60,000 concealed-carry applicants in the first year the law is in effect.

Starting in July, people with a concealed-carry endorsement will have a special code on their drivers licenses. The permits are good for three years, but some drivers licenses are good for six years. That presents some issues for the state Department of Revenue.

The department wants to send notices to permit holders who allow their endorsement to lapse, saying they will need to get a new license without the special code, said Rich Lamb, deputy director of the Division of Motor Vehicle and Drivers Licensing.

Related Story:
*ATTN: What Senate leaders, Bob Taft and OSHP bureaucrats don't want you to know