The application fee is $70, plus the cost of a background check, and the gold card also functions as a standard concealed carry permit.

"It's a balancing thing," said Republican Sen. Arthur Rusch, who was a sponsor of the bill. "You want to make sure that we make it as convenient as possible, but that people who shouldn't have the firearms are not getting them."

Opponents contend that background checks should be the default for every gun purchase. The gold card permit trades convenience for public safety, said Mike McLively, a staff attorney at the California-based Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which opposes the policy.

"Why not make sure you're getting the most up-to-date information?" he said.

Dakota Territory Gun Collectors Association President Brandon Maddox, who pushed for the law change, said background check delays can cause problems for vendors and customers at gun shows. People who have experienced the delays will see a value in getting the gold card, which he mentions to those customers, said Maddox, who also owns Sioux Falls-based Dakota Silencer.

"They say, 'I want it yesterday. I'll go get it. How do I get it? I want to get it now,'" he said.

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