On the heels of Texas drastically reducing the price of its concealed-carry permit fees, the state of Utah appears to be attempting to go in just the opposite direction.
NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action reports that the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification is planning to increase the cost of a Utah Concealed Firearm Permit by more than 50 percent. Additionally, BCM is also wanting to raise the fee to process fingerprint cards for applicants, making acquiring a carry permit even more costly.
As author and researcher John Lott pointed out in a recent op-ed concerning a Connecticut proposal to hike fees, high permit fees make it harder for those with lower income to practice their Second Amendment rights. “Democrats want votes from poor minorities, but they aren't really looking out for them, certainly not when it comes to their right to self-defense,” Lott wrote. “The result of the hefty fees is that only well-off people will be able to defend themselves and their families.”
