It's official: Anyone who legally owns a gun in Kentucky can now carry it around under a coat, in a purse or hidden in a hip holster — no permit required.

Senate Bill 150, which was signed into law on March 11 and took effect June 27, eliminates the six-hour gun-safety training course, background check and $60 application fee that Kentucky previously required.

It also removes an exclusion that prevented Kentuckians from getting a concealed-carry permit if they owed more than a year of child support or had misdemeanor alcohol or drug convictions within three years.

Kentucky joins 14 other states that have passed similar laws eliminating the need for a permit to carry concealed.

The change loosens yet another firearms restriction in a state already known for having some of the nation's most liberal gun laws.

Kentucky's new concealed carry law: Here's what you should know

That's fine with proponents, who say that eliminating the concealed-carry law will have little impact since Kentuckians could already "open carry" — meaning the gun is in plain sight — without a permit.

"Law-abiding citizens who are authorized to carry a firearm should not have to ask permission from the government or pay a recurrent fee in order to exercise their Second Amendment right," said state Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, one of the bill’s sponsors, who added that it is wise for anyone who plans to carry to have basic safety training.

The law doesn’t change who’s eligible to carry or the places where guns are allowed.

Per Kentucky state law, concealed weapons still won't be allowed in courthouses, prisons, sheriff offices, jails and prisons. They're also not allowed in drinking establishments — or in the bar area in restaurants that serve alcohol.

Concealed weapons also are banned in daycare facilities — unless a homeowner has a registered child-care facility in their own home — and elementary and secondary schools unless given permission by school authorities.

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Even so, opponents, including some in law enforcement, fear that the prospect of more guns and untrained gun users who no longer need a permit to carry concealed will lead to an increase in violence and crime.

And some studies suggest that states that have allowed concealed carry have seen violent crime rise.

"It creates questions about officer safety and adds a new level of caution that officers have to take," said Jesse Halladay, a spokeswoman for LMPD.

Even though the law eliminates the need in Kentucky, the permitting process isn't going away. Residents will still need a permit to carry concealed in states that recognize Kentucky's 1998 law that established concealed carry permits, according to Kentucky State Police.

That means that you will need a Kentucky permit to carry concealed in the following states:

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

Colorado

Delaware

Georgia

Idaho

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Louisiana

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Montana

New Hampshire

Nevada

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Virginia

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

The remaining states do not recognize Kentucky's concealed-carry permit or have different rules altogether.

Kentucky state Rep. Robert Goforth, R-East Bernstadt, who voted in favor of the concealed-carry bill, said he is encouraging people to continue getting and renewing concealed-carry permits.

"We need to urge all adults who choose to carry a firearm to make sure they are properly trained before carrying openly or concealed," Goforth said. "They need to know their firearm before they decide to carry it."

Safety concerns abound over new law

The proposal had its fair share of opposition.

The Louisville Metro Police Department and the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police both spoke against the proposal.

"The law gives away a check and balance in terms of getting minimal training and how to safely operate and carry a weapon,” Halladay said.

The intention might not be to go out and commit a crime but having a weapon during a conflict — perhaps a domestic dispute or a road rage incident — could make someone more inclined to use it, Halladay said.

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Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer's office does not support the new law for "safety reasons," spokeswoman Jean Porter told the Courier Journal. The office will continue to advocate for comprehensive gun safety and reform, she said.

"It makes us feel less safe," said Louisville resident Cathy Mekus, a member of Kentucky Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. "A short temper is not a disqualifier for getting a gun unless you've done something criminal."

Violent crime increases, study says

Recent studies show that states with right-to-carry concealed laws have seen increases in violent crime since those laws went into effect.

A 2018 study by the Bureau of Economic Research, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based at Harvard University and governed by appointees from universities across the country, found that violent crime increased 13% to 15% over a 10-year period in those states.

The research replicated and expanded a popular — and widely debated — 1997 study that many state legislatures have used to adopt right-to-carry laws. It found that right-to-carry laws have little to no impact on crime rates.

The Bureau of Economic Research extended the data to 2014 and analyzed the trends. It found:

States that resisted right-to-carry laws saw a decrease in violent crime.

States that implemented such laws saw "significant" increases in violent crime, including murders, and property crime.

Gun prevalence in a state is associated with higher rates of police using lethal force.

From May 2007 to January 2017, there were 31 instances nationwide during which a concealed-carry permit holder killed three or more individuals in a single incident.

A 2016 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study found that violent crime was more than 12% higher in right-to-carry states and it increased by 1.1% each year.

In the three years after states adopted right-to-carry laws, violent crime increased by 6.5%, the study found, determining that the laws increase crime even if permit holders aren't the ones committing it.

"I think most Americans feel like what a person does in their home doesn't matter. A home is their castle," said David Chipman, a former Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent for 25 years and senior policy adviser at Gifford's Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "But once you travel outside the home, you have a commitment to the greater community."

Chipman said balancing the right to carry a gun with the responsibility to society that you don't hurt someone has been lost in policy decisions. He called Kentucky's decision to eliminate the need for a permit to carry concealed "reckless," especially when there's research that shows more people will be harmed as a result.

"I don't think that requiring someone to be trained to carry a gun would actually inhibit them from defending themselves," Chipman said.

'Little change' expected by advocates from new law

But supporters of the new law say allowing concealed carry without a permit may actually ease the anxiety some people feel get when they see someone carrying a gun.

Under the new law, guns don't have to be exposed where everyone can see them, which creates a calmer environment, Goforth said.

"The only thing that changes is if you're pulled over, you won't have to take the firearm and set it in an open, visible location for the police officer," Goforth said. "Or when you get out of your vehicle, you can carry it without taking your jacket off."

Stephen McBride, Kentucky's Concealed Carry Coalition vice president, told the Courier Journal he supports training and gun safety, but the new law changes very little.

"People can openly carry a gun without training. What difference does it make if you put a little piece of cloth over it?" McBride said.

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"The NRA is the largest organization in the world to train gun owners," he added. "Why would they support a bill that would put them out of business? This will increase the number of licenses in Kentucky and the number of people wanting to take training."

Ilya Chernyavskiy, a Louisville-based gun rights activist, said the law eliminates barriers for people who might not be comfortable openly carrying. He said the access will encourage training and responsibility.

"There will be a learning curve," Chernyavskiy said. "You'll have little bumps and misunderstandings, but it hasn't been a problem in other states."

Reach Kala Kachmar at 502-582-4469 or kkachmar@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @NewsQuip. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.

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