The Indiana House recently voted 64-17 for Bill HB 1284 which helped expand Indiana’s stand-your-ground laws. Inside that bill was also legislation that removed all fees associated with the cost of Indiana Carry Licenses as well as removing court costs for justified use of force in certain circumstances. The Indiana Senate approved the bill by 37-7 and carried vehement support by the governor.

By July 2020 Indiana Carry Licenses Will be Completely Free. Photo Source: in.gov

The license fee removal will take place starting July 1st, 2020. This will make Indiana the first state to offer a permit without any sort of fee and one of only eight states that require no training of any kind in order to obtain the license. Although the fee will be waived for the five-year license, a lifetime license will still cost citizens of Indiana $50, upgrading from a 4 or 5-year license to a lifetime license will cost $40.

Image Source: USA Carry

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb had the following to say about the bill being passed into law:

Removing any and all barriers for lawful carry in our state is significant for the many Hoosier gun owners who want to protect themselves and others.

Although most of our readers here will applaud this change for the residents of Indiana, there have been several vocal opposers to the passing of this bill who are concerned regarding other parts of the bill. Most notably the bill also now permits citizens to carry firearms to church even if there is a school on the grounds unless the owner of that property specifically prohibits it.

Image Source: churchleaders.com

Representative Greg Taylor voiced his concerns:

I can’t believe we’re going to have people sitting in church with firearms expecting to defend the entire church,

Meanwhile, other representatives stated that they felt that allowing church-goers to carry in these locations enhanced security:

Churches are a soft target, and they really do need to be protected, – Representative Jim Lucas

By July 2020 Indiana Carry Licenses Will be Completely Free

The change in law will see the state general fund losing money because of the renewal or new permits being issued. In total, the state general fund would lose between $460,000 and $575,000 for the fiscal year 2021 due to the change.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think other states should waive their CCW fees? Should states require training classes for concealed carry licenses? Comments welcome down below.