In 2021, the Alabama Legislature passed the Alabama Uniform Concealed Carry Permit Act (Act 2021-246), which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023.

The Act requires the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to develop, create, maintain, and administer a searchable state Firearm Prohibited Person (FPP) Database that enables law enforcement officers across the state to learn of a person’s inability to possess a firearm.

The database was created for the purpose of providing law enforcement with a means to check and gather accurate information, to provide officers with situational awareness relative to the individuals they encounter in order to protect both citizens and visitors as well as law enforcement. Regardless if law enforcement officers are issuing a citation on a traffic stop or investigating criminal activity, officers using the Law Enforcement Tactical System (LETS) can now receive notifications concerning an individual’s inability to possess a firearm.

ALEA’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division successfully completed and began the testing phase of the new database in August of 2022. The database was fully operational and compliant with the Act on Oct. 1, 2022. The estimated cost(s) of the database is a one-time fee of approximately $400,000 and $45,000 annually. The annual fee includes the infrastructure of the system such as the server, license and maintenance.

The Alabama Legislature also passed the Open Carry or Permit-less Carry (Act 2022-133), which repealed the Permit to Carry Pistol in Vehicle or Concealed (13A-11-73) law and eliminates the requirement for Alabama citizens to obtain a permit to carry a concealed pistol. Citizens should be advised that this Permit-less Carry Law only pertains to the State of Alabama. If you are planning to travel across state lines with a concealed pistol, we encourage everyone to be aware of concealed permit laws in the state(s) in which you are traveling that may require a permit.

Since the database went live on Oct. 1, ALEA’s CJIS Division has been committed to enhancing and improving the database in an effort to ensure the safety of citizens and visitors, as well as law enforcement within the state.