Concealed Handguns/Fed Firemarms Forms

In Alaska, anyone who is 21 years of age or older and legally allowed to own a firearm is allowed to carry it concealed without a permit. However, there are still people who obtain Alaska Concealed Handgun Permits (ACHP) for other reasons, including reciprocity with other states. In the past few years, a few glitches in the permit system have come to light.

House Bill 319 makes the following changes to the statutes regarding an ACHP permit:

• Clarifies that a permit does not have to be surrendered when it expires or when a permit holder moves out of the state;
• clarifies that an expired permit can be displayed, as long as the permit holder is not claiming that it is a valid permit; and
• requires the Department of Public Safety to mail a notice to the permit holder at least 90 days prior to the expiration of a permit.

HB 319 also requires the chief law enforcement officer (CLEO) in Alaska jurisdictions to complete, in a timely manner, the required certification on an application to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) for approval to transfer a firearm registered under the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934 to a person who is qualified under state law to possess the firearm.

The CLEO certification is a mandatory step in the BATFE transfer process and unjustified delays in processing or refusal to cooperate compromise Second Amendment rights.

House Bill 319 makes commonsense changes to our ACHP statutes and ensures that NFA firearms transfers are not inappropriately obstructed.