Update on NM Carry Law Changes

ATTENTION NEW MEXICO INSTRUCTORS

(June 30, 2005)

 

As you may be aware, the changes to New Mexico's "Right To Carry" law that
were adopted during the 2005 legislative session took effect on June 17.
These included lowering the minimum age requirement for a license from 25 to
21, allowing licensees to carry the caliber handgun with which they
qualified and anything lower, extending the term of future original and
renewal licenses from 2 to 4 years, and establishing authority for the
Department of Public Safety to enter into reciprocal agreements with certain
other states.

 

By law, DPS is required to draft rules to implement these changes to
existing law, to give 30-days notice of a public hearing on the proposed
rules, to hear public comments on the proposed rules, and to finalize those
rules after public input.  Based on internal timelines the Department has
shared with us, we expect that a public hearing will be held sometime around
mid-August, with a goal to have the rules finalized and in effect by
September 1.

 

In the meantime, the Department has already been in touch with other states
to get the appropriate contact information for reciprocal agreements in
their respective departments or agencies, and to review their carry statutes
to determine if they would qualify for reciprocity with New Mexico.  This
process can take weeks or months depending on the level of cooperation and
promptness of response from each individual state contacted.  Agreements
will not take effect until signed by officials in both states and formally
announced by DPS.

 

The Department is currently accepting applications from individuals aged
21-24, and instructor certificates of completion that reflect the
streamlined caliber-specific training requirement.  So even though the rules
have not yet been finalized, your application will be accepted and processed
in anticipation of that eventuality.

 

The Department is in the process of updating their website to reflect the
changes to the law.  You can check http://www.dps.nm.org in the next week or
so to view the most recent information on approved instructors and the
license application process.

 

Thank you for your patience, and we hope this will answer many questions you
may have on New Mexico's carry law.

 

Tara Reilly Mica

NRA-ILA NM State Liaison