Utah has become famous for its concealed weapons permits. Easy to obtain, and universally accepted throughout the rest of the country, right?
Actually, wrong. Getting a non-resident Utah permit requires a minimum four hours of instruction, and once you have secured one, it is valid for five years and accepted in 30 states (plus UT itself).
Because the Utah licensing authorities limit who can teach UT qualifying classes, the classes tend to be more expensive.
Compare that to Florida’s non-resident permit. The course of instruction is less rigorous, it is good for seven years (the longest of any permit validities from any state) and is accepted in 30 states (plus FL itself of course). Because they are more accepting of classes, their class costs tend to be less expensive.
Note that the 30 states that accept UT permits are not the same as the 30 states that accept FL permits. This excellent site shows you the policies of every state and which permits they will recognize.
The only point in UT’s favor? They charge $65 for their five-year permit, compared to a $97 fee for FL’s seven-year permit. But the extra $32 gets you two more years and less hassle.
A FL permit gives you NM and SC, neither of which are available with a UT permit. As for the two states that UT offers, they are also available for WA state license holders, so are not so much an issue for most people reading this article.
Code Green currently offers training to qualify you for FL (and selected other) permits. Ask us for class details.