JOO NEW CONCEAL CARRY HANDGUNS

New Conceal Carry handguns introduced this year. Manufacturers are giving conceal carry gun owners a wider variety of handguns to choose from. Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380. (Joe Songer/jsonger@al.com).

(JOE SONGER)

The Alabama Senate passed a bill today that would allow gun owners to carry and transport loaded handguns in their vehicle without a concealed carry permit.

Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Cottondale, said his bill strengthens the Second Amendment rights of Alabama residents.

None of Alabama's bordering states require a concealed carry permit for individuals to transport a loaded handgun in a vehicle, according to the senator.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

"No one is required to have a permit to keep a handgun in his or her house," Allen said in a statement today. "The Castle Doctrine states vehicles are an extension of a person's home. Therefore, adults should have the right to carry a pistol in their car without a permit."

Currently, a concealed carry permit is required for a person to transport a loaded handgun. A background check and a fee is required to obtain the permit.

"The government should not require a citizen to pay for a permit and ask for permission before carrying a handgun in a vehicle," Allen stated. "A single mom who works in a dangerous part of town might decide to carry a pistol in her car for personal protection, and my bill means she won't have to spend extra money to exercise her constitutional right."

The legislation only applies to handguns and would make it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to knowingly carry a handgun in a vehicle.

The Alabama Sheriff's Association is against the legislation.

In a previous interview with AL.com Lee County Sheriff Lee Jones said requiring a permit is a necessary tool for lawmen to help protect the public.

"It's not about trying to hinder anyone's right to carry a firearm or hinder anyone from protecting themselves," he said. It's just about public safety from the standpoint of criminal activity."

Alabama Sheriff's Association Executive Director Bobby Timmons has said the background check required to obtain a concealed carry permit is an important safeguard for law enforcement.

He said changing the law would lead to more road rage incidents.