So, the rules have changed (2011).
No Permit Required – Concealed Carry in Wyoming
Wyoming’s new law, reducing the restrictions on citizen’s permission to keep and bear arms, begins today! A BIG thanks to Wyoming Gun Owners for making this happen! No Permit Required – Concealed Carry in Wyoming
What does this mean to you? (This is not legal advice, just one guy’s take on the new law. Do your own research and don’t mess this up! 🙂 )
OMG, can anybody carry a concealed gun now? If you are a Wyoming resident, are not a felon, wife-beater or otherwise restricted, you may keep and bear arms in a concealed fashion in some places. You MAY NOT keep and bear arms when visiting most government facilities, including schools, police departments and courthouses or in churches (unless you have written permission) or bars. Be certain to read the laws and understand them! What is mentioned in this blog post is not an exhaustive list of relevant infringements. I suggest that you error on the side of caution. If you are the pistol-packing type, it suspect that it would be annoying to be arrested and convicted in a “grey area” and then never be allowed to carry again.
If I am stopped for speeding, do I have to tell the cop that I am packin heat? NO. Most government agents prefer to know whether or not their citizens are armed, but you are not required to notify. If you are reaching into your back right pocket for your wallet and your pistol is on your right hip where the officer might see it – it might be a great idea to first let the officer know that you are carrying concealed and that your license is near the gun …. wait for her to give you permission before grabbing anything!
Can my aunt from California have a gun concealed under a jacket on the front seat of her car in Wyoming? YES. To the best of my knowledge, Wyoming does not have a law prohibiting this, but many states do. In Wyoming, the concealed carry provisions refer to concealing on one’s person, which includes clothing and likely backpacks etc.
I think I am going to go nuts, should I use my gun? NO! If you like the idea of guns not being completely outlawed, please don’t use them in ways that will bring bad PR to them. If you decide to shoot a local politician and then yourself with a gun, it is this writer’s opinion that you should take a breather and make a different choice. Perhaps you could give the politician’s wife a bottle of patchouli oil (which is far meaner than shooting him) and then beat yourself to death with a stem of broccoli. This way, folks will not blame your actions on guns. Nuff said.
Why would I still want to get a Wyoming Concealed Carry Permit? If you plan to travel to other states and would like to carry concealed while there, the governments in most of those states will still require that you have a permit. See our schedule for upcoming concealed carry classes. Check the easy map feature at usacarry.com to see which states accept Wyoming’s CCW permit. For those of you that are interested in attending a “certificate mill” 3-hour class to get an easy Utah CFP, not so fast! Utah has changed their law, and will now only issue permits to people whom already have a permit in their own state.
Can my local coffee shop tell me not to carry? YES. The 2nd amendment is a rule restricting governments, not citizens or businesses. I suggest that we respect private property rights. Your local businesses can choose not to allow you to carry guns or boomboxes and they may require you to wear shirts and shoes. If you violate any of these rules, they have the right to tell you to leave their property. You then have a right to spread the word that the establishment is a Victim Disarmament Zone and encourage your friends not to shop there until their policy is changed. Let’s not be jerks about it though, right?
I don’t get it. Me either. There are tens of thousands of laws that we are all held responsible for abiding by. We can’t know them all. I suggest that this one is serious enough to do a bit of research and learn more about it. Your friendly neighborhood cop, your estate planning attorney, your tax attorney, your public defender, your gun range snow-plower and your local prosecution attorney will each have different opinions about the finer details. The good news it that if you are ever arrested, the court will help sort it all out. Don’t do that.
Will this law cause hundreds of deaths throughout Wyoming each day? NO. I DO suspect that more people will carry guns now. Violent criminals, ranchers, permit holders, and many other folks already carry guns, jumper cables, knives and other tools. This new law is likely to change the habits of those that previously put “rule following” higher on their priority list than their perceived safety. Old Hank the rancher never did care much what the gummint says, and will keep on packin his wheel gun and jumper cables, using them both as needed and in a responsible manner.
Anything I can do to keep this law from being changed? YES! Be safe! Just because you are allowed to carry a gun or fly an airplane without a license does not mean you should not get some training. I suggest that you obtain at least 8 hours of training each year. You are carrying a dangerous tool, and civil courts will expect you to be proficient and knowledgeable with it. Go to local shooting competitions, not so much to win, but to practice shooting under stress.
