SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has stopped issuing concealed-gun permits to foreigners because of the rising number of applicants and the difficulty of conducting a background check.
“Utah had become the state of choice for people who did not live in the United States but wanted to carry a gun in the country,” said Richard Wyss, attorney at the Utah Bureau of Criminal Investigation, or BCI.
State authorities “became alarmed,” Wyss told lawmakers Tuesday.
About 1,000 citizens of other countries, mostly Canadians, have permits that allow them to carry a concealed gun in Utah and 30 states that have an agreement with Utah.
The countries include Japan, Switzerland, Aruba, Mongolia, Mexico and the Republic of Congo.
Since 1995, Utah has issued 92,000 permits, 30 percent to non-Utah residents. Applicants typically must show they attended a safety class. Even a blind North Dakota man has one.
A firearms instructor told Utah authorities that he was planning to teach a class in Israel, said Lt. Doug Anderson, manager of BCI.
Background checks on foreigners were weak because Utah was denied access to records in other countries. But a permit was issued if applicants met other requirements.
“I am not confident that I can do a background check on anyone outside the U.S.,” Anderson said.
The Legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee agreed with the bureau in denying permits to people whose countries do not allow access to crime information.
The permits are good for five years. Unless Utah can do a thorough background check, the permits will not be renewed.
