Local Virginia Officials Drop Firearm Permit Fees by More than Half to Support Second Amendment

From their community at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Bedford County Supervisors in Virginia voted to reduce the cost of concealed-carry firearm permits in an act of support for the constitutional freedom of county residents.

“Any citizen of our county has a constitutional right to bear arms,” one board member said. “I think the county has an obligation to support any Bedford County resident to exercise that right.”

The board voted to drop the fees to $15 each for new permits and renewals for at least a year to demonstrate their commitment to the Second Amendment.

Even though this action will lower county revenues by $40,000 next year, the board voted unanimously on the measure.

Of the 70,000 residents who live in Bedford County, only some 2,500 have firearm permits. The county had charged $40 for new concealed carry permits and $30 for renewals. For each fee collected, the county sent $15 to the state and used the rest as revenue.

Home to patriots during the Revolutionary War, Bedford County is part of the Lynchburg, Va., metro area. The county was created in 1753. During the American War of Independence, Bedford County was a site where British prisoners were kept; its sheriff became a captain of the Virginia Militia before being promoted to a colonel who played a key role during the Battle of Camden in 1780.