On July 8th, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed SB93 into law, which will make Wisconsin the 41st shall issue state in the union, and the 49th to allow the concealed carry of firearms effective in November.
This long overdue measure measure passed the WI state assembly in a solid bipartisan margin of 68-27.
The licenses are issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ). License fee may not exceed $37 and background check is
$13, for a total of $50. (1/2 of the maximum that MN can charge)
Renewal is every 5 years, and renewal fee cannot exceed $12, + $13 for a background check (Compared to MN’s $75 max).
Licenses are “shall-issued”, meaning that the licence cannot be denied by the DOJ unless the applicant is deemed ineligible by the criteria specified in SECTION 44. 175.60 subd. (3) of WI State Statutes.
A big question for MN permit holders is, “Will my MN carry permit be good in Wisconsin?”
Similar to Minnesota, reciprocity will be determined at the state level. Reciprocity has not been determined yet, but… according to the law, the substitute amendment requires DOJ to promulgate, by rule, a list of states that issue a permit, license, approval, or other authorization to carry a concealed weapon if the permit, license, approval, or other authorization requires, or designates that the holder chose to submit to, a background search that is comparable to the background check required to obtain a license in Wisconsin.
If Minnesota is not granted reciprocity, holders of a MN Permit to Carry would meet the requirements for a WI License.
As it stands, it looks like WI will honor MN, but I doubt that MN will honor WI, as WI does not have a live-fire requirement in their training. On this note, I would be cautious of instructors and on-line courses stating that they are “Approved for WI training”. The DOJ of WI is still ironing things out, and I would not spend any money until they do.
Licenses can be applied for in-person, or by mail, and must be issued or denied within 21 days after receiving. (For the first 5 months after the signing of the bill, DOJ is allowed 45 days to approve or deny due to the expected volume of applications).
[img w=”300″ h=”198″ align=”right”]/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/wisigninglg1-300×198.jpg[/img]Initially, the bill was a Constitutional Carry bill, meaning that no training was needed to excersize the right to carry. Governor Walker requested that mandatory training be added
Acceptable training includes DNR hunter safety, State or National orgs (Including NRA), private instructors certified by certified by a DOJ certified National or State organization. DOJ will also accept documentation of training from military, law enforcement, or private security. If you are certified to carry in another state, DOJ also accepts that as proof of training.
Here’s a brief break down of some of the similarities, and more importantly differences that you need to be aware of when carrying in Wisconsin.
Similar to MN:
Must be 21
Training required.
Can carry open or concealed.
Employers can ban employees from carrying, but cannot ban parking lot storage.
Guns banned from correctional facilities, state hospitals, k-12 schools.
Allowed in city and state parks.
Private businesses could post signs to ban guns from their buildings.
Court can be petitioned for denial appeal.
Permit holders names not be available under the state’s public records law.
Differs from MN:
Cannot carry in Law Enforcement Offices or courthouses (Exemption for judges and district Attorneys).
Cannot consume alcohol while carrying in a bar/restaurant.
Signs could also be posted in government buildings, such as city halls and the State Capitol. But guns could not be banned from government-owned grounds, meaning they could be carried on the Capitol lawn or the Milwaukee Public Zoo.
Carrying guns without a permit on your person is a misdemeanor if not produced to law enforcement within 48 hours.
No de-facto restriction on carrying in day-care centers.
It’s a long bill (40+ pages), but I think I got most of it… If you think I missed something, or got something wrong, please contact me, or leave a comment.
Congrats Wisconsin!
Stay safe.
Author: Rob Doar