This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

State lawmakers decided Tuesday to take another look at Utah's concealed-firearm permit that has become wildly popular nationally and around the world as the best way to pack a hidden gun in the United States.

The Legislature's Administrative Rules Review Committee has been wrestling with an influx of out-of-state applications from people who are not required to set foot in Utah to get the state's cheap and easy-to-obtain concealed-carry permit.

Through reciprocity agreements, Utah's permit, in turn, allows them to carry a concealed gun in 30 other states. In the last two years, more than half of Utah's so-called concealed-carry permits have been issued to out-of-state residents.

"We are becoming the state of choice for a lot of people around the country to obtain these concealed-weapon permits," Public Safety Department attorney Rick Wyss told the committee.

The lawmakers were surprised to learn last month that about 1,000 non-resident citizens of foreign countries, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Switzerland, also have been issued Utah's permit under less stringent requirements than Utahns face.

Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification officials say most other nations do not maintain adequate crime records - including mental health records, dishonorable discharges and protective orders - to determine if applicants meet Utah's good character requirement.

Until an emergency rule change permanently went into place this week, the foreign permits were being issued simply because state attempts to access the foreign crime databases came up empty.

Even within the United States, out-of-Utah permit holders do not have their backgrounds checked again until their five-year renewals.

"Out-of-state permits are seldom, if ever suspended or revoked because we have no information on their activities," Wyss said.

DPS Commissioner Ed Phillips told the committee, "We have been holding our residents to a much higher standard than those that are non-residents."

The committee began the process of drafting a bill to address the inconsistencies in the statute.

"It's just astounding to me that [applicants] may never come here," said Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, of the out-of-state permits.

"It's not for anything related to Utah. It's just that it's so easy to get."

Phillips said DPS has gotten significant numbers of complaints from applicants saying out-of-state instructors often simply play a gun-safety video tape rather than teach the required Utah course.

Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, said it is important for Utah to continue to offer permits nationally.

"For Utah to offer a service to people who can't exercise their Second Amendment rights in their own states is a good thing," he said.

Madsen suggested the revamped law include a requirement for applicants to come to Utah for training. "That could be a boon to tourism. We could fill up some motel rooms."

* For a list of states that recognize Utah's concealed-carry permit visit http://bci.utah.gov/CFP/CFPFAQ/FAQOther.html