I have a concealed carry permit here in AZ. $40, good for five years. A few years ago, the legislature waived the requirement to earn a carry permit. Now, anyone who qualifies to own a handgun--that is, who passes the Federal background check (there's no state background check) can carry openly or concealed. All of us who earned our concealed carry permits hated that development.
Sounds like Alabama. We went from a "may issue" state to a "must issue" state where you have to take the applicant to court to prove why they cannot get a permit. So basically anyone can carry here unless you are a felon or have a violent arrest on your record. What sucks for some (and I hate) is that to get a concealed permit you have to be 21. I think anyone 19 or older can carry openly without a permit. Makes sense huh?
