The new law takes effect on January 1, 2011, so a person renewing a current permit cannot be issued one of the new five year permits prior to that date. However, there is nothing that prohibits an issuing officer from accepting applications for permit renewal prior to the effective date of the new law as a means of preparing to implement the new law. Just as there is nothing to prohibit the acceptance of applications prior to January 1, 2011, there is also no requirement that an issuing officer accepts applications. As such, some issuing officers may begin accepting renewal applications prior to January 1, 2011, perhaps in November 2010, if the new forms are ready. Under the new law, renewal applications must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the current permit, so to be considered a renewal of a permit expiring December 31, 2010, the renewal application would need to be submitted by December 1, 2010.
Options
If the forms are not ready, or the issuing officer of your jurisdiction does not accept applications prior to January 1, 2011, you could either:
- Apply for the renewal of your annual permit in 2010 so that the renewal would be made under the current law prior to January 1, 2011, (which may not be an option if the sheriff only issues permits on a calendar year basis under current law). Be aware that under current law, the issuing officer has the option to issue an Iowa nonprofessional permit to carry weapons for any amount of time up to 12 months; it does not have to be for a full year.
- File an application for a new permit on or after January 1, 2011.
Renewal Application Approval
Be aware that if you hold a permit that expires sometime during January 2011, issues similar to those described would be involved. If your issuing officer does not accept applications prior to January 1, 2011, a renewal application could not be made until January 1, 2011, and in order to be considered a renewal application, it must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the expiration date of the current permit, and the issuing officer has 30 days to process the application, which means that renewal of the permit might not be approved until after the current permit expires.