BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Domestic violence victims will move to the front of the line for a concealed carry permit, under a bill signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Currently, there's a four-month backlog to get a Louisiana concealed carry permit.
The bill by Republican Rep. Valarie Hodges, of Denham Springs, creates expedited, temporary concealed carry permits for domestic violence victims.
Edwards announced this week the bill was signed. It takes effect Aug. 1.
The bill creates a 45-day permit for victims with a permanent protective order issued by a judge. They'll have to pay the $25 permit fee, but can bypass a concealed permit training class. The temporary pass won't circumvent background checks.
Victims could have temporary permits transitioned to standard permits after obtaining the proper class certification.