South Carolina Could Soon Recognize Georgia Concealed Carry Permits, Enabling Reciprocity

SOUTH CAROLINA — New legislation that would allow Georgia concealed carry permit holders to carry in South Carolina is making it’s way through the house. House Bill 3799 would also allow South Carolina permit holders to carry in Georgia, since the new reciprocity would allow this under Georgia law.

Currently, permit holders in Georgia can bring their firearms into South Carolina, providing they are locked up in the glove compartment or trunk. They are also able to take them into hotels if they get the ‘ok’ from that hotel.

Under the new proposed legislation, Georgia permit holders would be allowed to carry anywhere a South Carolina permit holder can carry.

Of course, others are feeling uneasy about the pending legislation, calling it an easier way for criminals to get their hands on firearms.

That part of the law [reciprocity with Georgia] worries Melinda Ennis of Georgia GunSense, a nonprofit coalition that works to reduce gun violence. It could lead to more criminals getting their hands on firearms, Ennis says.

“The slippage you could get with reciprocity of criminals going from one state to another until they find a place where they can get a gun easily creates this problem, and we just don’t see the need for it, and we think it’s a dangerous policy,” Ennis says.

What Ennis seems to be forgetting is that criminals don’t follow the law. If they did, they wouldn’t be classified as criminals. Allowing law-abiding citizens the chance to legally defend themselves in a neighboring state is all that’s going on here.