No Permit Required to Carry a Firearm in Indiana

Good morning Hoosiers!  Specifically, my 2nd Amendment advocates!

Beginning July 1, 2022, residents of Indiana are no longer required to have a permit to carry a firearm unless they are prevented from carrying altogether.  The list of individuals unable to do so can be found in Section 9 of HEA 1296.  This means you cannot be charged with carrying a handgun without a license; rather, the crime will become unlawful possession of a firearm. 

The enactment of this new law poses an interesting question:  Is it retroactive?  (meaning, can you go back and get rid of a conviction for carrying without a license prior to the enactment of this law).  While statutes are not generally retroactive, there are exceptions where a statute fixes a defect or mischief in the prior law.  Arguably, the permit requirement was a mischief that interfered with "lawful Hoosiers" defending themselves.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out across the State.

Notably, the law ONLY applies inside the State of Indiana.  If you carry outside the State of Indiana, you'll still need that permit for reciprocity. 

If you have questions about Indiana's new firearm laws and how those laws affect you, give us a call.

http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/bills/house/1296#document-21f4b4d7