New Mexico No Longer Recognizes Utah CHLs

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DPS Press Release
New Mexico No Longer Recognizes Utah Concealed Carry License
April 23, 2010
Contact: Peter Olson
(505) 827-3361

Santa Fe—Effective immediately New Mexico will no longer recognize concealed carry licenses issued by the State of Utah for the purposes of reciprocity in New Mexico, as the requirements for licensure in Utah do not meet the standards required in New Mexico statute. Rules governing the concealed carrying of weapons and issuance of licenses require that training and other provisions be as stringent or substantially similar to New Mexico requirements.

Questions concerning licenses obtained from Utah by New Mexico residents have made it necessary to reevaluate which states will be recognized as valid in New Mexico.

“We’ve had situations where certain concealed carry instructors in New Mexico solicit clients with the promise that if they train here and obtain a Utah license, which entails significantly less training than does a New Mexico license, it will qualify here,” said Department of Public Safety Secretary John Denko. “This is incorrect, and is nothing less than an effort to circumvent New Mexico concealed carry requirements which are designed to protect the public safety while honoring individual rights under the Second Amendment of the constitution.”

The state will also review the status of eighteen other states currently recognized on an informal basis, with the intent of entering into written agreements with these states to ensure compliance with New Mexico law. These states are: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wyoming.

New Mexico currently has a written reciprocity agreement in place with Texas; the status of this agreement will remain unchanged.

Utah license is 62.50 and recognized in 30 states for non-Utah-residents...make that 29 after last Friday.

New Mexico license is $100 and I am not sure how many states it is recognized for Non-New Mex-Residents. Fewer than Utah, I will bet.

[Charles L. Cotton]

New Mexico stopped recognizing Utah CFP's precisely because Utah instructors in New Mexico were advertising and touting the Utah CFP as a viable alternative to getting their home state's license. To make a few more dollars, they have cost every Utah license holder reciprocity with New Mexico.

As I have said many times before, getting a Utah license to gain reciprocity with other states is legitimate and no one in the Texas Legislature would likely disagree. However, when a handful of Utah instructors in Texas openly advertise Texas residents getting a Utah CFP instead of a Texas CHL, then this is what they are courting.

I end every one of my CHL classes with the same statement; "Be responsible, not merely legal." It think this warning applies here are well.

Chas.