July 1st ushered in several new laws for the state of Iowa, including a new permit-less gun law. A permit is no longer needed to carry or buy a handgun.
People still need background checks when buying from a federally licensed gun dealer. No check is needed for private sales.
However, someone would face a felony charge for selling a firearm to someone prohibited from having one.
Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer reached out to the Sioux City Police Department for more clarity and opinion on Iowa’s less restrictive law. Here is her conversation with spokesperson Sgt. Jeremy McClure.
Story from the Associated Press about concerns surrounding the new gun law:
Gun deaths have been surging in Iowa as a law is set to go into effect that will allow people to more easily buy handguns and carry them in public without training or a permit. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Tuesday that a record 353 people died from gunshot wounds in Iowa in 2020, a 23% increase from the previous high in 2019. This year saw 85 firearm homicides, an 80% increase. Suicides still made up three of every four gun deaths in the state. A leading gun violence researcher said he expects Iowa’s sweeping handgun deregulation that begins Thursday to make things even worse.
