ATLANTA — Many are asking questions about a bill Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed into law allowing people to carry a gun without a permit in Georgia.
11Alive viewers reached out to ask asking what this means for you and your safety. So, 11Alive investigators sorted through the legal documents to verify your questions.
THE QUESTION
Will Georgia's new gun law allow criminals to carry concealed weapons legally?
OUR SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, criminals are not allowed to carry concealed weapons under Georgia's new gun law.
WHAT WE FOUND
The Constitutional Carry Act, which is now law in our state, no longer requires you to get a permit or license to be eligible to carry a firearm in Georgia.
Before this measure took effect in April, under Georgia law, you needed to get a license, fill out an application in probate court and undergo a background check.
The law now allows those in Georgia to carry a gun without a license. So as long as they are eligible to obtain one, they're not banned under federal law from carrying a weapon. But, they may obtain a license in Georgia to carry and own a weapon in another state.
However, federal law prohibits convicted felons from carrying or transporting a firearm unless their conviction is expunged.