Gun control : states' concealed carry permits & background check progress

According to state reporting to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), there were at least 8 million active permits to carry concealed handguns in the United States as of December 31, 2011.

States and local authorities control the issuance of concealed carry permits.

Applicants who wish to obtain such permits are required to meet certain state eligibility requirements, such as minimum age and the lack of a felony conviction.

States also decide which other states' permits to honour.

Typically, states enter into reciprocity agreements that establish which out-of-state permit holders can carry concealed firearms within each state.

This book provides an overview of the extent to which states allow concealed carry permits, and how select states' eligibility requirements and recognition of other states' permits differ.